Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1897-06-02
A CAB ADVENTURE.

We shall have rest"
May Kendall in New York Tribune.
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, a
s4-year heroine, as beautiful as you
might wish and as unmusical 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.
"Will the marquis please settle my
account?"
i'Are you going to leave us?"
Eyes, 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. It is driv-
ing me crazy
81 understand.
"You are not angry, then?'
"The deuce, no! But how can re-
place your
~ 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
ters 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
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 60 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
WILL" she said to him:
"Will you call for me? I 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
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 VIII" to thinking Of his wife
was but short step, and he determined
to 60 after her. For you will remember
that Elizabeth Aida Marcelline de Lon
guerne, away from 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. "It is half past II" he thought
to himself. 1t is she playing-those
discords are unmistakable. Anne b.
leyn and Catherine Howard are at last
avenged. Henry VIII, go thou to thine
execution!"
The noise Of q 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
perfectio1s. This vision appealed to his
aesthetic side, He felt that he had been
too exacting in the face Of so many al.
Turing charms.
'tBy Apollo! If piece Of i'll luck
should come my way, I'd get no more
than richly deserve. What if her heart
is wrapped mp in those little black hier-
oglyphics with the long necks? She
loves me with constancy that is really
touching. I 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 plays! But
they applaud her. And IL have play
ed the coward. will wait outside here
for her if it takes an hour to make up
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 9cttinR tired. He had waited full