Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1899-05-25

cpluIuTtS vi u lOrClRn HnpllaRe rHt1CallV
administered in allopathic doses at the
hours of breakfast and dinner.
Nine. Picaud wisely rcfrained from
mentioning in what her dcfunct partner
had been diplomatic but nobody ever
dared TO doubt that NJ. Pcaud had onco
existed in that capacity if only from the
marvellous talent his widow displayed
i'll 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
refralned. Once a rccalcitrant foreign
or, struggling frantically with IA strange
tongue, was caught gossiping, where
upon Nine Picaud swooped down upon
him-this was whispered in the pen
sion with batcd breath-like a vulture
upon carrion and bore him off to the
juge de paix, who forced the wretch
ed creature to pay 200 francs, my dear,
for his impudonce and go without his
trunks "-until Nine Picard 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 mcager fires for mellow prices, bad
wine for good money, inferior candles
III return for honest gold, meat which
was evidently as fresh as paint as well
us tougher than sole leather, and vcgcta-
bles which had long ago seen their best
days
Perhaps, therefore, the little pension
was more to be pitied than blamed for
having dctcrioratcd into gossip caldron
instead of IA mere innocent lodging for
man and beast, scandal bureau in
stead of u registry Office
Thursday night was ball night. That
evening the pension rejected its dingy
weekday curtains, to replace them
with stifflv starched epitomcs of the
washcrwoman art; frotteur came
in shirt sleeves and felt slippers to poll
ish the freshly waXed parGuot floors,
one of the boarders played the role Of
the visiting pianist who hammered out
mixture Of WaltZes and polkas accord.
ing to orders, in return for innumerabIe
cups Ct weak tea saturated with fectIer
rum and brooches made of last weeks
butter, ANA all went merry as a mar
riage bell with the gold left out.
Constance Brilla in faded ball dress,
with her dazzling neck and arms re-
vealed, her soft hair lnotted low i'll her
neck and her pathetic eyes eagerly
watching the door, frightened up as tho
little party from the Avenue Montaigne
made its way into the ROOM
Priscilla was radiant in a white satin
gown embroidered with pompadour
flowers, a blue velvet knot in her sunny,
Furnished hair and a vivid smile flash
ing forth from her eager eyes and nos
Ting in the dimples about her moist,
half parted lips.
Aunt Mildred was respondent in
black velvet, with magnificent dia-
mond crescent holding iabot of price
less lace at her full, handsome throat,
and Il huge bunch of violets which had
arrived that afternoon from no less
person than Stornmouth. who with it
i'll town, had run over for a short stay
and was stopping at the Bristol. Mr..
StornmOuth. How charminpr' cried
Aunt Mildred, to which perfectly nat
ural exclamation Priscilla, flushing
wildly, had vouchsated no response.
So. leaving Il message with her valet
de chambre that if Mr. Stornmouth
called that evening he would find them
at the little pension in the Rue Lincoln,
Aunt Mildred, without making Priscil-
la aware of this percmptory blow at
that wlllful nieCe'S OutSpoken intention
to 'see as little as possible of that dis.
agreeable ~. StOrnmouth " had como
away with a subdued smile in her eyes
and puzzled wonder in her soul.
OF late Priscilla had worried her not
a little. From a simple little bundle Of
New York girlhood charged with
sparkling quips and pranks of harmless
coquetry, she had suddenly developed
into cool and dignitied young woman,
with the impress of great resolve in
her countenance and the silence which
was said to he gOldcn--a silence which
Aunt Mildred denoted as "of Lead as
regarded her niece's personal convic-
tions-on her lips. Priscilla wrote long
letters to her mother, whose answers
Aunt Mildred was not permitted to pc
rusc She spent hours reading French
stories about imperiaistic Paris, the
doings of royalty and chateau life, to
Aunt Mildred's unmitigated and out
spoken despair, "since, - as she piteous-
ly avowed, she did not know French,
!, I y. ~ !