The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1897-06-01
A CAB ADVENTURE.

will wager my chances for the
throne of France against box of cigars
that there never was marquis so diff.
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, 6
24-year-old heroine, as beautiful as you
might wish and as unmusioal 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 strummed with such untiring zeal
that it was impossible to keep servants
In the house. There were times when
the marquis, surfeited with Schumann,
tortured by Mendelssohn and dead
/ weary of Saint-Saens, even envied the
| good fortune of his servants, who could
escape the instrument of torture.
viii the marquis please settle my
account?"
Are you going to leave us?''
Yes, sir, on account off,
"The piano? know; you have had
enough of it."
IF it were only enough I could
stand it, but it's too much. 1t is driv.
ing me crazy"
II understand"
"You are not angry, then?'
"The deuce, mol But how can l re-
place your"
II know man who would suit the
place. He is quite deaf. -
Lucky dogp'
Even the neighbors were driven to re-
bellion. Petitions and threatening let
ters poured in daily, until at last the
poor marquis determined to move tc
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 wife's 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 count upon your escort Mon
day evening, dear? I have promised to
play fantasia from Henry VIII at
Nine. la Marechale's. Are you fond Of
Henry WHIP"
''Yes-since I've learned to feel for
him
The intended sarcasm passed un-
noticed, as his wife thought he alluded
to the bold harmonies of the modern
school
The marchioness, however, was
obliged to go unattended to Nine la
Marechale's. 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
WIZ would be preferable to this. From
Henry VIII" to thinking of his wife
was but short step, and he determined
to go after her. For you will remembe
that Elizabeth Aida Marcelline de Lon
guerne, away from a piano, was very
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. ut is half past IL, +" he thought
to himself. st is she playing-those
discords are unmistakable. Anne Be-
leyn and Catherine Howard are at last
avenged. Henry VIII, go thou to thine
executionp'
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, her
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 ApolloI 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. l can put up with little
music. At any rate, shall not care
the less for her on account of it. Poor
woman, how abominably she playsl But
they applaud her And II have play
ed the coward. will wait outside here
for her if it takes an hour to make up
for it. i"
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
half hour. Just then he noticed a coupe
come out Of the courtyard and draw up
near the curb behind line Of carriages.
"This rain will not last long," he said
to himself. "In all probability the last
guest to arrive will be the last to go. I
shall wait in her coupe and rest.
Taking advantage Of the absence of
the coachman, who had sought shelter
in neighboring doorway, he entered
the coupe. 1t was bijou little convey
anoe, upholstered in blue silk and ex-
haling an aroma of youth and elegance.
The marquis settled back in the corner,
which was still warm, and availed him
self Of a wrap that had been left behind,
and in that blissful state of comfort he
soon fell asleep. How long he slum-