The Topeka state journal., 1897-10-20
JEAN AND SUZETTE.


His leather belt was brightly polished He
wore shoes The occasion was too great
for sabots. He was going to Paris.
He waved a CHEEKY goodby to the bent
old peasant, his father, who stood on the
platform.
''GOd keep you, my son, - Inurmured the
old man the train moved off.
Jean sighed happily, for in three short
hours he would be at Paris. And Paris to
Jean meant seeing his beloved Suzette,
who had gone there two years before to be
a mi1iner's 8 apprentice.
Suzette and Jean were betrothed She
had gone to Paris to earn some money OF
her own to go toward the home which was
to be theirs as soon as Jean made money
enough to build a cottage on his little plot
of ground. He had worked hard and been
very saving. Now the house was in readi-
ness. He was going to fetch Suzette. How
delighted she would be with the pretty
thatched cottage that was to be all their
own, thought Jean, and how glad she
would be to leave the bustling, crowded
city for the pure, clean air of the countryl
He had written hdr frequently while the
little house was being built, telling of all
it's perfections, but there was so much
more than he could well describe on paperl
How happy she would be to see it all for
herself, and how her big black eyes would
snap with joyl
Jean smiled dreamily as he thought
how she looked two years ago when they
had said goodby.
sit will not be for long, you know"
she had whispered, seeing his eyes I'LL with
tears
Jean raised the paper from pot of field
violets he held carefully on his knee Su-
zette loved the violet above ali flowers,
and he wanted these to be fresh for her as
q present.
At Rouen he got of to sprinkle them
with cool water
Just before the train rolled into the
Care St. Lazare Jean opened his wallet
and took from it map of Paris. Then,
with straw, he carefully traced over it
the way to Suzette's house.
The noise and confusion of the great
streets were SO bewlidering to Jean, in
Paris for the first time, that he was forced
to consult his map several times before he
reached the Rue Bleue
Suzette was not in, and he was told she
would not be at home until 6.
Jean stood staring stupidity at the con-
cierge who gave him this information.
Surely there was some mistake. He had
written he would come.
'Mademoise1le will not be home till g."
repeated the woman.
Jean turned away. His heart was heavy.
Such disappointment Suzette had not
received his letter, else she certainly would
have been there to receive him And now
he must wait so long, for it was barely II
O'Clock
He wandered ainlessly about. The gay
streets and the shops did not attract him.
At 1 O'Clock he sat down on bench in
the Champs Elysees and ate a roll he had
bought at one of the booths. He was very
tired. The gendarLnes had pushed him
roughly across the streets. Doubtless he
had been awkward to get in the way of
the carriages, but everything was SO con-
fusing.
He thought once more of the peaceful
little home shaded by the poplar trees.
How nice it would be to go back to it
And with Suzettel
A man on the next seat went away and
| left his newspaper. Jean picked it up. 1t
was open at the amusement column. What
q lot of theaters there were in Paris,
| thought Jean as he read over the long list
Finally he read something which inter
! ested him-the announcement of the Salon.
| The Salon, he knew about that, for an
artist had come to St. Valery once when
| Jean was q little boy and had painted his
| picture and told him it would be put in
| the Salon. Jean had always been sorry he
| had been barefoot that morning, for the
| painter wouldn't give him time to run
| home for his shoes.
He took out his map and studied the
| way to the Salon, which he found to be
! unaccountably short If he went to see
| the pictures, the time of waiting would
| The beautiful rooms, lined with pic
| lures, took his breath away. He had never
| seen anything so wonderful. He forgot
| Suzette-he forgot everything. He met
| many old friends. Here was the old Cha
teau Silleron, with the gardens, to the life.
There was the beach at St. Aubin, and
| when he came upon the church at Sotte-
| vile it looked SO natural Jean bowed his
head and made the sign of the cross.
| Then there were some horrid pictures Of
surgical operations, the details rendereI
with an exactitude that made Jean shud-
| der.
| He went into one room where group
| of men were excitedly discussing one Of
the pictures. He caught scraps of their
! conversation.
1T is she in the feshI"
"Ah, you know her that way, old man?"
t'Marvelousl Look at those eyes, that
arm, that coloringl Superb Marceln' s
, fortune is madel''
| Jean pushed nearer. He wanted to see
! this wonderful picture. Suddenly he stop
| ped, his face colorless his eyes riveted on
| the canvas from which Suzette looked out.
i Her golden hair was piled on top of her
| head and caught by diamond arrow.
Her black eyes were half closed Her red
lips were parted She leaned against an
| azure velvet curtain-an excellent setting
for the slender form and wonderful white
! skin. In her hand was violet satin mask.
At her feet lay fading bouquet of Rus
sian violets Such was the picture which
made Marcelin famous throughout Europe.
| Jean stood like statue, his eyes fas-
tened on her who had been his Suzettc
Two s1nartly dressed men who saw him
nudged each other and grinned.
At last Jean turned away. He went out
into the noisy, glittering streets.
That evening, when the st. Valery train
left the Care St Lazare, Jean sat in one
of the third class carriages. His head was
bent forward on his breast. On his knee
he still held the pot of violets. They were
faded, but what did it matter now?-From
the French.