The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-06-27

! her native place, the great tears coursed
down her aged face.
Handsome as an Arlesiennei Yes and
| / had my day. I was a beauty once-I
| enjoyed my little hour Helas! la jeun-
| nesse ma quen temps! LIE bonheur Maine
| pas ceux qui VieilHssent La fin de vie, ne
| Vaut Jamais grandchose! Enfn, l made
| the most of my time. L was admired.
! celebrated, feted, feared-oui ma parole
| d 'honneur-moi-qui vous parle-la miser-
! able Vouvray-I was powerful, and 1 did
| some mischief and some goOd'-she paus-
| ed and smiled as If recalling to herself
former happy and triumphant moments.
This smile was familiar to Mabel; she had
often seen it Pickering round the old lady s
| thin lips, as she covered over the fire
! whether humming an air, INDUCING in
! dreams and memories of long ago, or
| caressing and admiring her pretty arched
instep.
Certainly Madame was a lady-however
! eccentric-her hands and feet were tesd-
! monies of her good birth; of the latter she
| was extremely vain, even to the present
| moment, and she was well educated spoke
and read English, played the guitar with
! her stiff old fingers wrote a beautiful
| hand, and read many books mot novels,
! but heavy MoroccO-bound volumes by
| Racine, Corneille, Voltaire, and Fenelon.
| These were once bound in scarlet morocco
| and stamped with a splendid gilt (but
somewhat tarnished) crest; but now alas!
| ed! Before taking to her bed Madame, one
night, had stripped the gorgeous gold and
| morocco covers from their stately backs,
! and burnt them. File, what a smell of
roasting leather! The Dorans anxiously
| asked one another what had the OLD lady
| been cooking?"
Day after day passed, during which Ma
dame built magnificent castles in the air
for her young friends, but these edihces
came to nothing, whilst Dolly's cough in
| creased SO much as to disturb even the
fiddler and ticket collector
Madame, too, was growing feebler, and
actually suffered Mabel to see her, minus
her wig or rouge; and without these she
looked fully 50 years of age. She had
a good deal of money-hoarded in the
| sleeve of an ancient brocade dress-tied up
like a rOly-poly, and thrust under her pill
low; from this she reluctantly doled out
small sums to Mabel, for her own scanty
| expenses.
"rve ample for my funeral" she declar-
ed, "and it will take place soon; a plain
deal coffin, no monument, no headstone.
Vouvray is not my name; Vouvray is a
wine" and she cackled, and not a bad
wine either"
Madame stubbornly refused to see a
doctor, but eventually she consented to re-
ceive a priest.
One evening Mabel found him rapping
at her own door. At first when she open
ed it she stared: for she thought by the
dim winter light that he was carrying
sick child But soon she distinguished
that he had the Sleeve in his arms. 1t
was of very frail old brocade, tightly
stuffed with notes and gold-and appear
ed much too delicate to travel.
Can you kindly obilge me with bag
or basket?" he asked. I'm afraid all the
money will be rolling about the road, and
Wen be having Domnick street paved
with gold"
so she has given 1t to you. them" ex-
claimed Mabel, as she endeavored to
squeeze the bundle into a basket.
Yes; there's $500 al least in it, she says;
part for the Little Sisters of the Poor
part for masses for the repose of the soul
of dead man. You are to get the bulk
of her fortune"
II don't think she has any more than
she has saved in that sleeve" said Mabel,
gravely.
well, anyhow, hope she has for your
| sake. I'll return the basket tomorrow
with many thanks to you for the kind
| loan" And he babe the sisters good
morning"
Madame grew daily weaker-she was
| dying quietly of mere old age
ut was an article in the Figaro that
| finished me-" she declared. Il laughed so
much and so long, exhausted all my poor
| little stock of life. The joke killed me.
| Any news from 'ces barbares?
Mabel shook her head in melancholy
negation.
rein d'impossible You shall go south all
the same"
But I've no money. I've even sold my
mothers watch to keep out Of debt"
"Well, I'm going to give you something
| that you shall sell, and that will bring
| in more than a watch-but not until / am
| hal I ma X
| ", and soon. l wish I may go vite-vite
| that Dolly may live! l have here two
letters in this book-stamped and directed
this ten years. When l am gone post them
yourself-at once-and promise me, on
| your honor, not to read the address"
Certainly, l will not"
Now, open the bureau. Take care OF
| that big glass chandelier on the ground
| it was a marvellous bargain-and put your
| hand in the far top drawer, and grope till
| you find box. Have you got it? Then
bring it here. I've got no relations-that
| is, all possess, and it cost me dear, but
1t is my gift, my legacy, to you and
| Dolly"
And as she spoke she sat up with a
| supreme effort, and struggled to unite the
| piece of old window cord which held to-
| gether a dilapidated cardboard box. AT
last she succeeded, and dragged out a
lumpish parcel. wrapped in newspaper and
black wadding. From this she eventually
extricated a great green necklace, also
bracelets. tiara, stomacher. with brooches
and earrings TO match. The stones were
apparently dark green glass; they were
unusually large (vulgarly so). and were
set in most dainty gilt filagree.
Here, Marie. is your fortune! This YOU
will sell when l am gone, and when I'm
living in the corner of a horrible damn
cemetery over here in your country, you
and Dolly will, please God, be in an
earthly Misunderstanding in my native
sun. You must go and see Aries. some
day, cherie; sweet Arles-mon pays-kiss
one Of its stones for my sake
Mabel accepted The parure with due
gratlude-of course, It was green glass.
and absolutely useless-but the giver's in
tention was kind Poor old lady-she had
no doubt picked it up at some auction
like the chandeler-and believed that she
had got another marvellous bargain"
'Ha. ha! mechanic she cried excitedly.
IT see that you believe that they are false
but the stones are emeralds and form "A
superb parure. once ! desired them mad
~, ana they were given TO me in exchange
for something valuabla--a-a-secrct ''-she
sat more erect, her old eyes blazed as she