River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1897-01-07
TWO MEN AND A MAID.

''Why don't you tell Louis of his
cousins persistent attention to you?'
asked Mime. Dupuis of her daughter
Hortense, as they stood opposite each
other before their easels, copying two
of the old paintings in the Louvre gal
Iery.
why should l annoy Louis, who is
quite jealous enough without any prov
ocatiOn?" said HOrtense.
Jules is = lazy, incompetent. I'M
worthy fellow" remarked the mother.
'and will not earn ell his life as much
as Louis makes in year"
Poor Jules. He cannot sell his pic
lures" said Hortense.
Louis had no such ambitions!" ex-
claimed Nine. DupUis. Ills mother
placed him in an Office when he was IS.
now he is only 26 and he is the conf
dental manager of Henri Constant &
Company, with an income of 10000
francs, the chance of making as much
more with his own commerce, and the
prospect of becoming a partner. On
the other hand. his rascal of a cousin
never thinks of beginning a picture
NnAAG AatH a AItA(oh IT, - NAAs N--~
sale of his previous one"
Hortense merely said: Poor Jules. |"
and went on with her painting.
Nine. Dupuis was a widow with a
moderate amount of rents, which she
and IIortense 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 mas a republican form of
government. though why the constitu-
JionaI changes should act upon the in
dependent rule of art Is difficult to say.
n few months from that morning
when HOrtense and her mother were
talking over their work, the world was
10 see the beginning of that great crisis
from which France has not yet recOv-
cred. The terrOrs of CONSUMPTION are
only too truly emphasized when the
hazard of the drawing is really game
of life and death, " hen the augmcnta-
tion of country's soldiers is rendered
needful by the imminence of war. Such
was the case IN France on the eve of the
FTanco-German struggle. All the re-
serves were called out, and the empire
prepared for the mighty combat with
its redoubtable antagonist.
jules LemOine walked into the Office
OF his cousin Louis. His visits had
been rare enough at the bureau of his
prosperous relative, whose success EN-
FILTERED the feelings of his needy and
irregular cousin. but Louis had never
quite broken off association with the
painter
Good morning, NJ. Louis" said Jules,
somewhat fiippantly. Il have dared to
intrUde upon your valuable moments TO
bid you goOd-by."
"GoCd-by?" echoed Louis. inqniring-
", as he looked up from his CORE spond-
ence- "IIave you some commission
abTOad2'
II have a commission to paint the
fields of Germany bloOd-red," answered
Jules. bOastfully; lat least" he added
81 have no commission. being only OF
the rank and file, but that is the work !
am going TO execute"
"Oh. YES" said Louis. "you were
drawn two years ago"
Our corps IS now called out, and ]
Join tomorrow" explained jules. u
think you paid for a substitute
YES" answered the other; lit was
not such an expensive proceeding then
nsit would be now; am surprised tina
you did not study .our convenience n
the same way"
Il had no money TO spare" said
Jules; besides. what did IL matt,~ tC
me whether was handling brush or
welding a rifle? \ poor beggar with
nothing to live for may console himself
that re has a country TO die for"
~ country gains ny citizens life
not by his death. \ man no extends
the commerce of his fellow-counrrv.
men into foreign markets is more of 4
patriot than he Who writes his eoun
tTy's name in blood uTon the stranger:
soil"
AT any rate, his life is mare comfort
able and rcmuuerative." said Jules
AS fer myself, Nine. Dupuis has mad,
life valueless for me-"
Louis eyes flashed for second. ther
the lids feG. and he replied quietly:
u do not see how Nine. Dupuis car
nave aNecteH your NE
do you wish to see. Louis Lemoine .
nslSed the other. 'In the same WAY
that YOU have done; you have blightet
my life by thwarting my love"
please DO not talk nonsense" sale
louis. DO you think that your lov,
was hindcrcd in its fulfillment b,
either Mime. Dupuis or myself2 ID,
YOU think that a Young lady like Tor
tense, whose existence has never beer
in discord with the refinemeuts Of he
social surroundings, could ally hcrsel
with" he was about TO say "A vaga
bond but he corrected himself ar,
addcd-"a bohemian Ike you2'
'.She may not have the same con
tempt for me that you have for your IA
theirs nephew" said jules. Well.
does not matter much now, At any rat
for tn present. We shall see II re
turn With my shield or upon il. Mean
while. do not think that you know al
the secrets OF lIOrtensc's heart"
Then he STROBE out of the office. leav
ing his cousin With another sudden &C
cession of passion. which only coole
down into suspicion and discomfort.
What secrets did IIortensc confid
20 jules mich she did not tell her lover
Thus she has enabled III man TO boas
o. an intimacy which she ought not {
have accorded TO him.
lie would have questioned Hortens
on the subject that very day, but sh
and her mother had gone to Englan
on a visit to a relative who had mad
that country his home He did not car
to write 10 her on such an indefn;t
statement as that suggested by julie.
who. after all. might be only braggin
rnd lying. Then LemOine applied hin
se-f TO the details Of commerce one
more, and tried 10 forget his previou
annoyance.
The next morning jules. deeked
his regimentals. entered his cousin
Office again. He was flushed and e.