Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-08-07

cheerful burst of confidence gave Helen
her private opinion of monsieur, and from
her seventeen years experience warned the
American infant of twenty against possible
similar complications
One day, 1t was near the examination for
prizes and her funds were running low,
she was obliged to seek one of those hum
bier restaurants she knewsof, for her fru-
gal breakfast. But she was not hungry,
and after few mouthfuls left her meal
unfinished a young man entered and
half abstractedly took a seat at her table.
She had already moved before the compton
to pay her few sous, when, CHANGING to
look up in a mirror which hung above the
counter rejecting the interior Of the cafe,
she saw the stranger, after casting a hur-
RED glance around him, remove from her
plate the broken roll and even the crumbs
she had left and as hurriedly sweep them
in his pocket handkerchief. There was
nothing very strange in this; she had seen
something like 1t before in these humber
cafes-it was a crib for the birds in the
Tuileries gardens, or the poor artists sub
stitute for rubber in correcting his crayon
drawing! But there was a singular flush
ing of his handsome face in the act that
stirred her with strange pity, made her
cwn cheek hot with sympathy and COM
PEELED her to look at him more attentively.
The back that was turned toward her was
broad shouldered and symmetrical, and
showed a frame that seemed to require
stronger nourishment than the simple cof-
fee and roll he had ordered and was de-
vouring slowly.
His clothes, we'll made though worn,
fitted him in a smart soldier-like way and
accented his decided military bearing. The
singular use of his left hand in lifting his
cup made her uneasy. until slight move
ment revealed the fact that his right sleeve
was empty and pinned to his coat He was
one-armed. She turned her compassionate
eyes aside, yet fingered to make few p,lr-
chases at the counter as he paid his bill
and walked away. But she was surprised
to see that he rendered the waiter the I'M
exampied gratuity of q sou. Perhaps he
was some eccentric Englishman; he GER
tainly did not look like Frenchman
She had quite forgotten the incident and
in the afternoon had strolIed with a few
fellow pupils into the galleries of the Lou
vre IT was copying day." and as her
friends 1oitered around the easels of the
different students with the easy conscious
ness OF being themselves artists" she
strolled on somewhat abstractedly before
them. Her own art was too serious to per-
init her much sympathy with another, and
IN the chatter of her companions with the
young painters a certain levity disturbed
her Suddenly she stopped: she had reach
ed less frequented room; there was a
single easel at one side, but the stool be-
fore it was empty and its late occupant
was standing in a recess by the window
with his back toward her: he had drawn a
SILK handkerchief from his pocket. She
recognized his square shoulders, she recog-
nized the handkerchief, and as he unroIled
II she recognized the fragments of her
morning breakfast as he began to eat
'n nI II was the one-armed man.
one remained so motionless and breath
less that he finished his scant meal with
Out noticing her, and even resumed his
place before the easel without being aware
OF her preSerce. The noise Of approaching