Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1896-12-10
TWO MEN AND A MAID.

l.
''TYhy don't you tell Louis of his
cousins persistent attention to you ?"
asked Mime. Dupuis of her daughter
Hortense, as they stood opposite each
other before their easels, copying two
of the old paintings in the Louvre gal
lery.
Why should / annoy Louis, who is
quite jealous enough without any prov
ocation?" said Hortense
Jules is a lazy, incompetent, I'M
worthy fellow remarked the mother,
"and will not earn ali his life as much
as Louis makes in a year"
Poor Jules. He cannot sell his pic
lures" said Hortense.
Louis had no such ambitionsI" ex-
claimed Mime. Dupuis. His mother
placed him in an office when he was Is,
now he is only &c and he is the conf
dental manager of Henri Constant &
Company, with an income of 10000
francs, the chance of making as much
more with his own commerce, and the
prospect of becoming a partner. On
the other hand, his rascal of a cousin
never thinks of beginning picture
while he has napoleon left from the
sale of his previous one"
Hortense merely said: Poor jules"
and went on with her painting.
Mime. Dupuis was widow with a
moderate amount of rents, which she
and Hortense augmented by painting
copies of the old masters in the Louvre
for English and American tourists, who
were more inclined to buy such under
the empire than they seem to be now
that France has n republican form of
government, though why the constitu-
1ional changes should act upon the in
dependent rule of art is difficult to say.
y few months from that morning
when Hortense and her mother were
talking over their work, the world was
to see the beginning of that great crisis
from which France has not yet recov-
cred. The terrors of CONSUMPTION arc
only too truly emphasized when the
hazard of the drawing is really game
of life and death, when the augmenta-
ton of a country's soldiers is rendered
needful by the imminence of war. Such
was the case in France on the eve of the
Franco-German struggle. All the re-
serves were called out, and the empire
prepared for the mighty combat with
its redoubtable antagonist.
Jules Lemoine walked into the office
of his cousin Louis. His visits had
been rare enough at the bureau of his
prosperous relative, whose success en-
FILTERED the feelings of his needy and
irregular cousin. but Louis had never
quite broken off association with the
painter.
Good morning, NJ. Louis" said Jules,
somewhat fippantly, Il have dared to
ntrude upon your valuable moments to
bid you good-by."
"Gocd-by?" echoed Louis, inquiring-
", as he looked up from his correspond
-ence. Have you some commission
abToad?'
II have a commission to paint the
fields of Germany blood-red." answered
Jules, boastfuIly; Eat least" he added,
al have no commission, being only of
the rank and file, but that is the work
am going TO execute"
'oh. yes" said Louis, you were
drawn two years ago."
"Our corps is now called out, and L
Join tomorrow" explained jules. II
think you paid for a substitute"
Yes answered the other; 1T was
not such an expensive proceeding then
nsit would be now; am surprised that
you did not study your convenience in
the same way"
II had no money to spare" said
jules; besides, what did it matter to
me whether l was handling brush or
welding a rifle? 4 poor beggar with
nothing to live for may console himself
that he has a country to die for
"a country gains by citizens life,
not by his death. a man VINO extends
the commerce of his fellow-counTTy
men into foreign markets y more of a
patriot than he who writes his coun-
try's name in blood upon the strangers
soil"
AT any rate, his life is mere comfort
able and remunerative," said Jules.
AS tor myself. Mime. Dapuis has made
life vaIueless for me-"
Louis eyes flashed for n second, then
the lids fell. and he replied quietly:
II do not see how Mime. Dupuis can
have affected your life"
DO you wish 10 see, Louis Lemoine?'
asked the other. "In the same way
that you have done; you have blighted
my life by thwarting my love-"
PLEASE do not talk nonsense" said
Louis. do you think that your love
was hindered in its fulillment by
either Nine Dupuis or myself? Do
you think that young lady like Hor-
tense, whose existence has never been
in discord with the rehnements of her
social surroundings. could ally herself
with he we'd about 20 say "a yaza-