The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1898-09-06

Today all that remained OF that afore-
said pride was a pitiful record of incar-
nate spitefulness, which never lost an
opportunity to flash forth from Miss
Penelope's lips at the smallest provoca-
ton, cutting like a two edged sword
both ways as it marched Oh it's trium-
plant way. She had a large following Of
persons who had not the courage of
their convictions, but who took every
suspicious occasion to rejoice openly in
person who had the courage of theirs
and her own. They regarded Miss Pc
nelopes utterances as proof of rare
strength of character in telling the
truth, Of undeniable perspicacity in
roofing out and exposing fraud, and
they laughed shrilly over her so called
witticisms, which, had her followers
been wise enough to discern it, were
very inadequate attempts at that sort of
accomplishment indeed.
Nine. Picaud was the widow of q
diplomat. At least SO she advertised
herself in the newspapers in the col
umns which were most likely to fall
under the eyes of gullible foreigners in
search Of French family which COM
bined with the comforts of home the dis
comforts of a foreign language radically
administered in allopathic doses at the
hours of breakfast and dinner.
Nine. Picaud wisely RETAINED from
mentioning in what her defunct partner
had been diplomatic, but nobody ever
dared to doubt that NJ. Picaud had once
existed in that capacity if only from the
marvellous talent his widow displayed
in her cumulative policy. Having made
his mark, he had gone out, leaving his
widow to languish under the shadow of
his greatness, her sole visible Inherit
ance the aforesaid diplomacy.
The butcher could have told Of it, but
he did not. The baker might have done
so, but being wise in his generation he
RETAINED. Once Il recalcitrant foreign
or, struggling frantically with strange
tongue, was caught gossiping, where
upon Nine. Picaud swooped down upon
him-this was whispered in the pen
sion with bated breath-like a vulture
upon carrion and bore him off to the
juge de paiS, who forced the wretch
ed creature to pay 200 francs, my dear,
for his ilnpudence and go without his
trunks "-rlntil Nine. Picaud had hand
ed them over silently after pertinent
visit from the American vice CONSUL
This goes to show that it was pretty
generally considered safer to bear with
Nine. Picaud's diplomacy. 1t consisted
of meager fires for mellow prices, bad
Wine for good money, inferior candles
in return for honest gold, meat which
was evidently as fresh as paint as we'll
as tougher than sole leather, and vegeta-
bles which had long ago seen their best
days.
Perhaps, therefore, tho little pension
was more to be pitied than blamed for
having deteriorated into a gossip caldron
instead of mere innocent lodging for
man and beast, scandal bureau in
stead of a registry office.
Thursday night was ball night. That
evening the pension rejected its dingy
weekday curtains, to replace them
with stifiy starched epitomes of the
washerwoman's art; frotteur came
in shirt sleeves and felt slippers to poll
ish the freshly waNed parquet floors,
one of the boarders played the role of
the visiting pianist who hammered out
mixture of waltzes and polkas accord
ing to orders, i'll return for innumerabIe