The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1897-06-29
ONCE.


The young man in his shirt sleeves,
who was searching the disordered cham
Der for cigarettes, stopped short and re-
piled:
Certainly not. How should know!
1t is so long since-and then," he add
ed, with an air Of bored indifference,
what does it matter to me?'
"Oh, but I know where she lives
and happily tool'
Then, changing her tone as she tied
up her bundle, she said:
However, If you do not care about
hearing
Maurier took long whiffs of his ciga-
rette. He had the day before, after read
ing his brilliant thesis, received his d.
ploma and was now an M. D. In an
other week he would return to Trivas,
his native city. The name and memory
OF Camille, the milliner, who had been
his sweetheart for year, at the end of
which he had brusquely cast her off,
were not altogether Indifferent to him.
"Camillel oh, yes, that was a long
time agoP' he said as he looked at the
laundress, good, ugly soul from Yer
sailles, whom he had employed since
his early student days.
Not so long, after ALL said the
laundress. She was looking at him
now, her hands on her hips, her keen
face expressing a sort of maternal in
terest She was not to be SO easily i'm
posed upon. She resumed:
You were rather cruel to the poor
little woman, weren't your"
Maurier shrugged his shoulders al
most imperceptibly as he took from his
closet bottle of cognac and two glasses,
saying, as he filed them:
II broke with her when 1 found the
matter taking too serious turn; that is
all. One must have amusement. But to
compromise career-zutl To your good
| health, Mother Legrain.''
The laundress as she drank the brandy
said:
1t does not prevent her being happy
now. -
As she did not continue. after short
silence Maurier, curious, asked:
What is she doing, anyway"
She is married. What do you think
Of that? To fat haberdasher-a hand
some shop, really-Aux Trois Princesses,
Place Olichy"
so much the BETTER
And three children-loves-ro
and rosy as apples. You would never
recognize her, said Mother Legrain in
Bidiously.
DO you still see her?''
Not longer ago than a week, M.
Maurier. Twas at my door. Rue Morgue,
when she passed with her husband and
children. They had come to Versailles
to visit the chateau and the park. She
stopped and talked with me full min
ute. And dressed Not as she used to
be-oh, mol One could see that her hus-
band was we'll to do.''
And satisfied, when Maurier feigned
to yawn, that he was inwardly piqued
to interest, she slung the bundle of
clothes over her shoulder with GOOD
day, M. Maurier-until Monday-good
day."
Maurier prepared to go out. indulging
Al Ou0 AOA4OW1uB IuOuOlORu6:
"Ah, me, poor Camillel Well, it is
better So She has found a chance to-
has got married, in fact. Curious
should so entirely have lost sight of her
She was pretty, was Oamille-a trife
thin, but good girl and full of droll
humor; piquant face, always busted
with poudre de riz, and her silky hair
lflro ON or7roOfo oh To- A.
years fly And she is married, and am
a doctor, ripe for patients and domestic
life. Really, am not curious, but 1t
would be quite amusing to see her again
to see her in her new surroundings.
And who knows? She loved me when
sent her from me and afterward wrote
me heartbroken letters. She lives in
Place Clichy, eh9 Stop minute-bah,
she must have forgotten mel Still, does
a woman forget when she has suffered?
No 1t would be queer if, after all
What have to risk? leave Paris in a
week. I'll go to see her. My heart tells !
me to try my luck. I"
With these edifying reflections Mau-
rier went down and took the Odeon-
Oliohy omnibus, upon the top Of which |
he sat humming until he reached his
destination, Aux Trois Prinoesses. In the
windows looked out upon the world an
artistic arrangement Of silks and linen,
a forest Of walking sticks and umbrellas
and gorgeous cravats. Although not |
large, the shop indicated prosperity.
Maurier hesitated. suddenly embar-
raised, not daring to enter for fear Of |
encountering the husband or perhaps a
clerk. At length, however, he entered.
Camille was behind the counter. He |
recognized her at once. Her fair face
was busted with rice powder, as it used |
to be. Her silky hair formed nimbus |
about her head, as he remembered it. |
She raised her eyes and glanced at him
expeotantly, but with no sign of recog-
milton.
"You wish something, monsieur"
This greeting was unlocked for. He |
stammered:
II would like some collars and neck
ties. "
She came out from the counter, say
ing, 1.-THE clerk is at breakfast, but l
will show them to you"
She did not look at him, opening the
boxes as though she had never seen him,
as though he were passing customer,
absolutely unknown. He felt actually
timid. She played her part without
affectation.
These ties are the most worn. Here
is an English article of very good quail
ity and extremely reasonable
Maurier stood mute zod undecided.
If she remembers me-" he thought,
"she must think me prodigious fool. I"
And believing that he saw lowering
about the corners of her lips an indefn-
able smile--a smile which he we'll knew
he said to himself, "She is paying
me back, that's certain" So he, too,
began to smile, foolish, fatuous grin,
which was promptly extinguished as he
realized that she was not looking at
him, but seemed to be absently waiting
until he should make his choice of a
cravat. Finally he said desperately:
Twill take this, and this, and that"
is there nothing else2 Monsieur
wished to see collars .
He nodded. Why did he not speak?
He was alone with her, the clerk at the
midday meal, the husband absent, and
he could not say the words which were
strangling him:
Camille, it is I. Don't you remem-
Der me?''
Yes, undoubtedly she did. Again
there fitted across her lips that half
smile SO familiar to him. Certainly she
knew him.
What size9" she asked.
He made an awkward gesture of ig-
noranoe. She unrolled her tape measure
and placed it in a businesslike manner
around Maurier's neck For second,
as she stood before him, their faces were
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