The Van Buren press., 1898-02-05

bush with that young man, and, some
how, liked him for it.
"'Who is the singer% he asked at
once
"'Little French girl says I, named
Mile. Justine
"'Justine what"
"Lafitte.'
'Lafitte,' he repeated, as though the
name seemed familiar to him somehow
How old is she?'
"'About IT, says I, making rough
guess.
"The front door changed to just at
that minute, and light footstep was
heard.
81 peeped out
"There she is now,' says I, Mile. JUS
tine herself
Like a shot he was out of the shop,
but in few minutes returned.
Exquisite he said, his voice trem-
bling little. Her face is as exquisite
as her voice
"Well, to make a long story short"
broke off the cobbler, that young man
had fallen desperately in love with
ma'm'selle, but how to make her ac-
quaintanee was a problem that was
troubling him.
OFF you was only poor, now sayo
I, you might get chance, but
"The young man did not wait for me
to finish.
9TH come tomorrow in my plainest
suit of clothes,' said he. Thank you,
Mr.. Devine, for solving the riddle. You
can send me up to do little repairing,
you know-a friend of yours, steady
fellow, looking for a job, and so forth
"Well, the plan worked, and bless
me, sir, if Edward Pendleton, rich and
well connected, didn't spend about half
his time looking at. ma'm'selle, and
talking to the old man.
"And so the days passed on; mann
selle in spite of her shabby dress and
skinny fare, growing roster and pret-
tier every day.
"It was the night before Christmas,
and mossoo left his bench and sat ST.
lently down by Ned.
presently mossoo's thin white hand
moved toward the pocket of his worsted
jacket; and then, as the lapel of q pocket
flew up, Ned caught CLEAN of some
thing which brought him to his feet
with a cry.
"'What is it?' cried mossoo, scared
out of his senses. My poor Ned, what
hast thou?'
"'A diamond!' shouted Ned, grasp
ing the old worsted jacket, and tearing
a piece of it away. See, see, the jewel
has been hidden within the lining of
your jacket all this time
"'Twas re will of Cod said the old
Frenchman, little later. 'Ah! some
times my heart was like to burst. To
die thus-to leave my wife, my little
Justine. Who would care for them?
"T, sir said the young man, your
son.
"a little warm hand at that moment
crept into his own.
"'Hast beard, dost l1now?' said the
old man.
al know she answered, soft like,
a happy smile lighting up her face"
"Well," prompted, as he sat silent
for awhile, "there is something more
to tell"
"Well. Mossoo lit the lamp, and Ned
was about to ask him for his daughter,
when the old lady's voice was heard
from the corner.
"'And now says she, wen give It
all up and go back to France.
"We will, ma mie,' said mossoo,
kneeling by her bedside. We will no
longer strive for re eempossihle. Ze
documents
'Documents?' said Ned.
"T think I have told you before, said
mossoo, 'of re Marquis de Lafitte, who
was martyred upon re scaffold with
"'Louis XVI said Ned, who had
heard it 80 times. Yes, sir, I think
you have
"'But that which have not told
you,' went on mossoo, 'is that one of
his remaining family fled to America,
and became the proprietor Of large
estate. He died unmarried. The prop
erty is in alien hands thought had
hoped
"Taftte,' said Ned-Tafittel Sin
gular that 1t never occurred to me be-
fore' And then he told the family how
and why he had deceived 'em, confess
ing himself 10 be Edward Pendleton, the
junior partner of the great law firm Of
Pendleton g. Pendleton, who for some
time had been looking for the heirs 10
the LaGtte estate, but up TO the pres
emit had found no clew.
"And soon after that lost my lodg-
ers; but bless you, sir, they don't for
get me Mr.. Pendleton, he always will
think that but for me he would never
have got acquainted with ma'm'selle." !"
-Carter's Monthly, Chicago