Evening journal., 1899-09-05
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{ "L-d Bette" :
= BY Ethel Ramsey. z
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cheerless quarter of Paris. Moreover,
the story is founded on fact" as they
say, and is devoid of that lavish orna-
mentation which bona fde animal
story permits for teller, whether he
be church member or not.
had been left in the convent TO com
plcte my education. A slight illness
had excused me from the routine Of the
schoolroom, and as l stood in the re-
fectory one morning, struggling with
the demon of homesiclSness, an uncon-
trollable desire to look out OF the win
dow seized me. Not the window which
overlooked the garden, where knew
there was nothing Of interest to be seen
except a few rowdy sparrows, or per-
haps a sister scurrying across the
walled court TO the other wing of the
building, but toward the opposite
house, where one of the girls declared
there dwelt a handsome young man,
who had looked out of the window
when we were playing in the yard and
had twice tried to attract her attention.
Had been less homesick IL might have
been a temptation 20 investigate, and,
II fortune favored me, 70 establish a
rival claim, but thirsted for a sight OF
the street. a forbidden pleasure.
soeur Marie. lay sister, had taken
me to task when first erriEed for de-
lliberately standing at the front win
dow, where I could see and be seen.
1T looked so bad" said she, "for a
demoiselle to appear before the pub
lie"
Presently a man carrying a box Of
tools came out of the house. Instead
of turning TO the right or left, he
crossed the street. The door-bell
tangled and a moment later Seour
Marie led the man into the refectory.
what are you doing, mademoiselleT'
she asked.
Looking out Of the window" soeur
Marie rolled her eyes.
"Imagines vous," she said to the car
penter, 'the demoisene likes to look out
of the window. She says that in her
country every young girl can look out
into the street all she wants to-"
He shrugged his shoulders politely
He was much younger than she, and
possibly had broader views. decided
to cultivate him as far as possible, SC
as to rout utterly the girl whose ad-
mirer lived across the court. There had
never been any doubt in my mind but
that he was a valet, and it seemed that
a present carpenter promised more ex
: citement than a distant valet.
Soeur Marie hustled around nervous
". From time TO time she eyed m'
curiously as though celebrating. sh'
finally beckoned me 10 follow her Int
the hall.
> 'I have to go down to the kitchen fo
q few moments" said she, "and don
like to leave him in there alone. AT
!. the silver mugs are out in full view, ant
: who knows when the hour OF tempta
ton approaches? Blessed is he who !
|, prepared to resist IL. Now you are al
!. American, and it will be proper fo
YOU to remain in the room while an
. downstairs, so just stay and watch th'
! mugs, but don't go TO the window"
: every well, ma soeur," ] answered
. quietly.
1 There was evidently struggle in he
! mind as TO the propriety of this, an'
q TO betray interest would have settle'
\ any doubt at once.
Q The carpenter by this time hal
+ opened the door Of what had suppose'
q was a closet. When I returned to tn
e room, he was lneeling by hole d
4 the floor cut in the bottom Of the close'
taking measurements.
s "WRat are you doing2" I asked.
r He stopped in his calculations.
+ "Les bonnes seonrs." he said, "hay
Il given me a Job. | wanted TO put th
o dumb-waiter out in the room, but nj
o II would look untidy, so they have mad
,e me use the closet for it, which is col
.e trary TO the laws of carpentering!"
Ie "Are there laws of carpentering"
d asked.
II "Oh, mademoisellel There are law
i. to everything, but carpentering is on
s. of the most difficult and complicate
Il Of artist" Having found already this
le every Frenchman considered his trad
ie an art, proceeded 20 converse amiabl,
m plying him with questions, and reall
is having almost as much fun as the da
ct the charbonnier came and brought m
ID lille dog and made him perform triel
ae until a. sister came up from behind an
n sent me on an errand.
20 The dumb waiter was a concession
Of the march Of time. Who shall say no
IL many years the patient sisters ho
toiled up two flights Of stairs, carryin
every mouthful eaten by the 10 or
. boarding scholars, and carrying dow
- every utensil used in the service?
N The meals and the service were Of Il
ba simplest. The refectory was a larg
a. well-hghted room, with whitewash'
ar walls and a bare floor. The only o
90 nament was a large ebony crucifx
=, one end Of the room. When the cir
a went to n meal they walked in ''tv
&c by two" not dressed in the tradition
=, yellow, pink and blue" but clad
y black mohair aprons. which complet
al IS covered every vestige of the dre'
- Each girl halted at her place at Il
,h long black marble table, and, fxiI
a. her eyes on the crucifix, hurried q
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