Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1897-05-07
A CAB ADVENTURE.


dent, so timid, so irresponsible, as the
Marquis Suetone Amentor de Lon
guerne My hero possesses a heroine
that is to say, a legitimate heroine, a
24-year-old heroine, as beautiful as you
might wish and as uEmusical 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 strammed with such untiring zeal
that it was impossible to keep servants
in the house. There were times when
the marquis, sarfcitcd with Schumann,
tortured by Mondclssohn and dead
weary Of Saint aens, even envied the
good fortune of his servants, who could
escape the instrument of torture.
"Will the marquis please settle my
account"
: Are You going to leave u.s."
Eyes, sir, on account Of
1.-THE piano? l know; you have had
enough Of it.
IF it were only enough l could
stand it, but it's too much 1t is driv-
ing me crazy"
81 understand. "
You are not angry, them
"The deuce, mol But how can I re-
place you;'
81 know a man who would suit the
place. He is quite deaf.
LUCKY dog!"
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
1t is scarcely to be credited, but the
marquis deeply deplored the absence of
a better rival in his wifes 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 l count upon your escort Mon
day evening dear? l have promised to
play fantasia from Henry VIII at
Mime. la Marechale's Are you fond of
Henry VIII?
"Yes-since I've learned to feel for
him.
The intended sarcasm passed I'M
noticed, as his wife thought he alluded
to the bold harmonies of the modern
school.
The marchioness, however. was
obliged to 90 unattended to Nine. la
Marechales. Monday evening, at 10
O'Clock, she dropped her husband at his
club, and, extending the soft little hand
that was so soon to torture poor Henry
VIII, she said to him:
"Will you call for me? play at half
past IL. No applause would give me so
much pleasure as yours.
The marquis bent his head over the
extended hand and disappeared without
a word.
He played at the club and lost, so
heavily, in fact, that he soon found
himself wishing he had gone to the re-
ception, thinking that even Henry
VIII" would be preferable to this. From
Henry WIZ to thinking Of his wife
was but IA short step, and he determined
to go after her. For you will remember
that Elizabeth Aida Marcelline de Lon
/
charming little woman.
Hardly conscious of what he was do
ing, the marquis allowed himself to be
driven to the house of Nine la Mare
chale. Not caring to enter at once, he
remained outside, listening to the hid
eous fantasia being performed by his
wife. 1T is half past II, " he thought
to himself. 1T is she playing-those
discords are unmistakable Anne Bo-
leyn and Catherine Howard are at last
avenged Henry VIII, 90 thou 20 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, heI
eyes, her luXuriant hair and her other
Projections. This vision appealed to his
aesthetic side. He felt that he had been
too exacting in the face of so many al
Turing charms.
by Apollo If piece Of i'll luck
should come my way, I'd get no more
than l richly deserve. What if her heart
is wrapped up in those little black hier-
oglyphics with the long necks? She
loves me with constancy that is really
touching. | can put up with little
music AT any rate, l shall not care
the less for her on account of it, Poor
woman, how abominably she plays But
they applaud her. And II have play
ed the coward will wait outside here
for her if it takes an hour to make VI
for it. "
But his ardor was doomed to be
dampened by fine, cold rain that now
began to fall. Suetone Amentor grew
impatient and was conscious that he
was getting tired. He had waited full