The Somerset reporter., 1898-04-28
AN ABDUCTION.

Ohamponnet' one female domestic, Me-
LAME, serving in this bourgeois house
hold in the double capacity of cook and
cham bermaid, opened the door to Raoul
de Malplaquet and ushered him into the
salon.
my MISTRESS" she said, will be
down in a minute"
A minute? Yes, but such minute as
one only experiences i'll hairdressers' or
BARRIERS shops, and which enabled
Raoul to completely inventory the fur
niture of the room in which he found
himself while the hands of the clock
were making the round Of the dial.
On the stroke of the half hour, in
fact, Nine. Champonnet appeared, hot
flushed breathless with the speed of the
toilet she had made.
"Your pardon, monsieur, for keeping
you so long, also, as do not know you
at all, for asking you the object of your
calling here. "
Raoul rose to his feet.
Madame" said he solemnly, "to
come to the point at once, you have a
daughter, Mile. Georgette, l believe.
She is charming
'She is monsieur.
$50 charming that it only remained
for me to see her once to know that it
is useless for me to attempt to resist the
passion with which she has inspired
me. l am cursed, you see, madame, with
a most impressionable nature"-
"You have come then, monsieur, to
ask Of me the hand of my daughter in
marriage?'
But, no, not at all, madame. Impress
sionist though l be- am also poet and
could not reconcile myself to the idea
of marriage in the vulgar, prosaio fash
ion of nowadays. / am here, madame,
to ask your permission to-abduct your
daughter. "
ITO abduct Georgettel You are mad,
monsieur
with love-I confess itl'
but no, no, tell you. Your propo-
sition is simply preposterous. "
but reasonable, all the same, ma
dame. since simply loathe convention
atty and seek my happiness in an indi-
vidual way, I love your daughter. i
prove it by wishing to abduct her. If
she on her part permits herself to be
abducted, it establishes beyond oavil
her profound love for me. We become
at once, madame, with your permission,
the talk of the town"
Exactly, and do not like scandal. I"
but fame is not scandal, madame,
and see-always with your consent
how easy it will be- We rush to the
station; we leap aboard sleeping car
we dash into Spain that land of chiv-
airy and Of Towering orange trees, and
there, at midnight, by the light of the
moon, we marry clandestinely
(Which is just what l object to, 1
tell you, monsieur.
Marry clandestinely, l repeat, In
some obscure little chapel, dimly light
ed by a single taper. The romance ends
you observe madame, in the most ortho-
dox manner.
"But Georgette herself-she will
never consent, monsieur. Abduot girl
like her, with every accomplishment
and suitors by the score!"
Granted, madame; but ask her and
see Your daughter, as the Comtesse de
Malplaquet''-
"Eh? What name did you say, mon
sieurl'
"Comtesse de Malplaquet. Further
more, madame, would add that waive
the payment of that 10, 900 francs that
you have put aside as your daughter S
dowry. My own fortune is an. ply suffl-
cient; my income, alone, 200, 600 francs
a year. You will, my dearest lady, you
will permit me to abduct Georgette,
whom l truly adore?'
Comtesse de Malplaquetl Two hun
dred thousand francs year
Nine. Champonnet began to soften.
but wait, but wait you go too fast,
monsieur, - said she. "You spring up
in my way like Jack in the boxl Your
credentials, your references, please for,
after all, understand l do not know
you.
Credentials? Certainly, madame; n
perfectly proper precaution. My notary,
Maitre Pitou, II Rue Bonjard, will put
you an courant of my entire history"
"And Georgetts-she does not know
you, monsieur. "
Wrong again, madame. | saw her
at the vaudeville some days ago, and
she responded to the ardor of my gaze
with a sympathetic blush. Ask her,
madame, ask her if may abduot her.
! desire no more. ~
"Well, 50 be 1t. monsieur. l have
only the interest of my child at heart.
Six days from today, then, return for
your answer"
"Six days from today, madame.
Raoul bowed and departed.
Raoul. Comte de Malplaquet, had
really been, up to this hour-so Maitre
Pitou, IS Rue Bonjard, said, whose in
come was large from his care of the
oomte's estate. and larger still from his
care of his morals, according; that is.
to the report he gave of them--a Young