The morning times., 1896-02-02
IN IN Me. XAVIER kept a shop AT the
IIWlI end OF Tie street. Such shop,
III w III with only one window in IL and


u W u with only one window in IL, and
a bit "r counter, piled high with lunches Of
gay yarn and boxes Of cheap tinsei. There
was bird in cage in madames window.
He always sang furiously in tie early
| morning, ard pot Of mienonettc in bios
som adorned the sill.
just across the road lived the saus:I ge ven
der-a litii, old man, who wore a wig and
dressed III snuff-cnlor. He was early N his
post every morning, FRYING sausaccs, but,
| being cruelty afflicted with asthma, he
could only speak in IA loud. tcarse voice;
his daughter Annette. a very dream Of
health aud beauty, would stand beside him
in her neat staff gown and call in u voice as
lusty as a chanliclcer's:
Hot sausaGes! Hot sausagesr'
Now, diagonally across on the ncxt street
was "A tan brick bUlding used aS a store
house. It's lower rooms Were Piled with
dusty white bags fun of grain, over which
the sa atin-cnlorcd mice froIickcd and grew
fat the livClong day. but up in the peak of
The building was Il barge rarret, rented iu a
povert y-stricken artist. Here were pic
lures sirewn all about The room. while III
the middle of the floor stood a stout easel.
supporting a bare canvas.
Every morning the artist crept down from
his lofty quarters 10 buy hot sausaces of NJ.
Laubeau, and TO cast sly glances of in
tense regard at Annette. who for her part,
kept on at her calling as If there were no
young men in the world. But when he
turned to go back Ia his garret then would
Annette smile ana toss her head. with its
wnite cap. in coquettish nod To- the little
madame across the road. saving a. much.
See, / have an admirer,' and madame
would smile hack. for she dearly bowed a
romance. Sometimes She would b.ckon
10 Annette. and when the girl ran lightly
across the street the old woman would SAY.
When shall the wedding be7''
'Ugh.' Annette would answer Gould
eat paint? Thrive now and ain cOmfort-
able. Monsieur must make his fortune
ere Annette weds him."
And he shall DO IT," returned madame.
Il viii speak myself to monsieur
Thai very day when the artist passed her
shop with a canvas well wrapped 10 paper
under his arm. the little French woman
called to-him.
Come in" said she. ''aBd show me ihe
picture.'
Reluctantly he undid II and disclosed q
pensive-facci Madonna.
on. monsieur" exclaimed madame.
she has a sickly look. do not wonder
you may not sell her. We have enough like
her. Monsieur must paint differeni-some-
Thing gay and cheerful fresh. you know
Il am too poor to hire a model said the
artist. gloomily.
An. true replied madame; but sup
pase could find a model, would monsieur
paint?"
Perhaps"
Come, them
She led the way through the tiny shop to
n TIMER living-rOom. There in one corner,
looking very hig and clumsy, stood an oaken
chest with the lilies OF France carved upon
it. The old woman unfastened a key from
her chatelaine and knelt before the chest.
She paused.
Monsieur must know" she said. grayely.
long way back in France my people were
not poor, but rich. That was before the Rev
olution, monsieur: before their names were
knitted into the cruel madame's stocking.
They fell. We have been always poor enough
since. This chest contains my grcat-grand-
mothers bah gown. Monsieur shall see.''
She unlocked the chest, and lifting Il COW
ering OF tissue paper shook out rich white
satin gown, heavily embroidered with pale
blue forgetmenots. The stomacher was
thickly sewn with seed pearls and wide ruf-
files Of rare old lace edged the neck.
The artist gave a cry of admiration.
"A costume of the time of Louis XVI.
How exquisite"'
Here archer slippers. continued Madame,
holding up a pair OF white satin slippers,
adorned with tarnished gold buckles land
these are the gloves she wore. To think
have them yet. monsieur. and my great
grandmother dust these one hundred years,
We might have sold her toilet over and over
again. when we were hungry and cold. but
we always preferred to suffer for my grand
mothers sake. Now. listen, monsieur.