The Portland daily press., 1897-03-16
TWO MEN AND A MAID,

"Why don't you tell Louis of his cousins
persistent attention to you?" asked Nine
Dupuis Of her daughter Hortense as they
stood opposite each other before their
easels copying two of the old paintings in
the Louvre gallery.
why should annoy Louis, who is quite
Jealous enough without any provocation?"
said Hortense.
Jules is lazy, incompetent, unworthy
fellow" remarked the mother, land will
not earn all his life as much as Louis
makes in a year"
Poor Julesl He cannot sell his pic
lures" said Hortense.
Louis had no such ambitions ex-
claimed Mime. Dupuis. "His mother
placed him in an Office when he was 10
Now he is only 36, and he is the confiden.
tial manager of Henri Constant & Co.,
with an income of 10000 francs, the
chance Of making as much more with his
own commerce and the prospect of becom-
ing partner. On the other hand, his
rascal of a cousin never thinks of begin
ming pictSTe while he has got a napoleon
left from the sale of his previous one.
Hortense merely said, "Poor Julesp'
and went on with her painting.
Mime. Dupuis was widow with mod
crate amount of rents, which she and Hor-
tense 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 repub-
lican form of government, though why
constitutional changes should act upon the
independent rule of art is difficult to say.
A 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 recovered. The terrors
OF CONSUMPTION arc only 4xuly emphasized
when the hazard of the drawing is really
game of life and death, when the augmen-
tation 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 reserves
were called out, and the empire prepared
for the mighty combat with it's redoubt-
able antagonist.
Jules Lemoine walked into the Office of
his cousin Louis. His visits had been
rare enough at the bureau of his prosper
GUS relative, whose success imbittered the
feelings of his needy and irregular cousin,
but Louis had never quite broken off asso-
citation with the painter.
Good morning, NJ Louis,'' said Jules
somewhat fippantly. ~ have dared to in
trude upon your valuable moments to bid
you goodby.''
"Goodby?" echoed Louis inquiringly as
he looked up from his correspondence.
Have you some commission abroadp''
81 have commission to paint the fields
Of Germany blood red,'' answered Jules
boastfully. cat least, he added, 81 have
no commission, being only of the rank
and file, but that is the work am going
to execute"
sob, yes, said Louis; 'you were drawn
two years ago."
"Our corps is now called out, and I join
tomorrow" explained Jules .'I think you
paid for a substitute.
eyes," answered the other; sit was not
such an expensive proceeding then as 1t
would be now. l am surprised that you
did not study your convenience in the
same way"
= had no money to spare" said Jules
Besides, what did it matter to me wheth-
er was handling brush or welding a
rifle? A poor beggar with nothing to live
for may console himself that he has
country to die for. F"
ga country gains by citizens life, not
by his death. A man who extends the
commerce of his fellow countrymen into
foreign markets is more Of patriot than
he who writes his country's name in blood
upon the strangers SOIL
SAT any rate, his life is more comfort
able and remunerative, said Jules. GAS
for myself, Mime. Dupuis has made life
valueless for me. ~
Louis eyes flashed for one second; then
the lids tell and he replied quietly:
II do not see how Nine. Dupuis can
have affected your life?'
Do you wish to see Louis Lemoine?"
asked the other. 'In the same way that
you have done; you have blighted my life
in thwarting my love-
Please do not talk nonsense" said
Louis. "Do you think that your love was
hindered in its fulfillment by either Nine
Dupuis or MYSELF Do you think that a
young lady like Hortense, whose existence
has never been in discord with the refine
ments of ker social surroundings, could
ally herself WITH He was about to say
ga vagabond,'' but he corrected himself
and added, "a bohemian like your
''She may Dot have the same contempt
for me that you have for your fathers
nephew" said Jules. "Well, it does not
matter much now at anv rate for the s,rec