Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1897-06-03
A CAB ADVENTURE.

G0aG Gner0 never was d MARQUIS 80 ullu-
dent, SO timid, SO irresponsible, as the
Marquis Suetone Amentor de Lon
guerne. My hero possesses heroine
that is to say, legitimate heroine. a
24-year-old heroine, as beautiful as you
might wish and as unmusioal as you
can imagine From the rising Of the
sun till the last flicker Of the night
lamp she was constantly at the piano.
She strummed with such untiring zeal
that it was impossible to keep servants
in the house. There were times when
the marquis. surfeited with Schumann,
tortured by Mendelssohn and dead
weary Of Saint-Saens, even envied the
good fortune Of his servants, who could
escape the instrument Of torture.
''Will the marquis please settle my
ACCOUNT"
'sAre you going to leave us?"
Eyes, sir, on account off,
.'"The pianoP know; you have had
enough Of it"
''If it were only enough I could
stand it, but it's too much. It is driv-
Ing lue Crazy.
81 understand.
"You are not angry, them"
The deuce, no! But how can re-
place your
81 know a man who would suit the
place. He is quite deaf
"Lucky dogp'
Even the neighbors were driven to re-
bellion. Petitions and threatening let
tiers poured in daily, until at last the
poor marquis determined to move to
some isolated quarter near the barracks
where the cornetists and drummers
were sent to practice scales.
It is scarcely to be credited, but the
marquis deeply deplored the absence Of
better rival in his wife's affection
than the piano. He hated it with a
deadly hatred, and it is not surprising
that he seized the opportunity to escape
when the misguided virtuosa said to
him:
"Can count upon your escort Mon
day evening, dear? I have promised tt
play fantasia from Henry VIII at
Nine. la Marechale's. Are you fond oil
Henry WHIP"
"Yes-since I've learned to feel fo1
him.
The intended sarcasm passed un
noticed. as his wife thought he alluded
to the bold harmonies Of the modern
school.
| The marchioness, however. wa!
obliged to go unattended to Mime. IL
Marechale's. Monday evening, at II
O'Clock, she dropped her husband at hi'
club. and, extending the soft little hant
that was SO soon to torture poor Henry
WILL" she said to him:
"Will you call for me? play at hal.
past II. No applause would give me 81
much pleasure as yours.
The marquis bent his head over thu
extended hand and disappeared withou
a word.
He played at the club and lost, sc
heavily, in fact, that he soon foun(
himself wishing he had gone to the re-
ception, thinking that even 'tHenry
VIII" would be preferable to this. From
"Henry WHIP to thinking of his wife
was but short step, and he determined
to go after her. For you will remember
that Elizabeth Aida Marcelline de Lon
guerne, away from piano, was very
charming little woman.
Hardly conscious of what he was do
ing, the marquis allowed himself to b.
driven to the house of Nine. la Mare
chale. Not caring to enter at once, h'
remained outside, <stening to the hid
eous fantasia being performed by hi
wife. SIT is half past H." he though
to himself. cit is she playing-thost
discords are. unmistakable. Anne 30
1eyn and Catherine Howard are at las
avenged. Henry VIII, go thou to thine
execution!'
The noise of passing cab momenta
rily drowned the sound Of the piano
and the marquis forgot his wife's mu
steal shortcomings in mental contem
plation of her shoulders, her arms, hel
eyes, her luxuriant hair and her othel
PROJECTIONS This vision appealed to hi
aesthetic side. He felt that he had beer
too exacting in the face of so many al
Turing charms.
"By Apollol If piece of i'll lucl
should come my way, I'd get no more
than l richly deserve. What if her hear
is wrapped up in those little black hier
oglyphics with the long necks? She
loves me with constancy that is really
touching. I can put up with a little
music At any rate, shall not care
the less for her on account of it. Poo
woman, how abominably she plays! But
they applaud her. And II have play
ed the coward will wait outside herr
for her if it takes an hour to make VI
for it.
But his ardor was doomed to bt
dampened by a fine, cold rain that now
began to fall. Suetone Amentor grew
inpatient and was conscious that he
was getting tired He had waited full
half hour. Just then he noticed coup
come out Of the courtyard and draw III
near the curb behind a line Of carriages
"This rain will not last long," he sait
to himself. "In all probability the las
guest to arrive will be the last to go.