Griggs courier. (Cooperstown, Griggs Co., Dak. [N.D.]) 1885-1902, 1899-11-16
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS,
s The Lace Of the Empress )
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES

A CCORDING to the calendar of street
~ songs, it was about ten years ago
that Marquis de St. Pol sat by his open
window mending his coat.
Far down below in the street a hand
organ was grinding out 'McGinty,"
which classic was then in its prime.
The sound of children's voices singing
and husky shutting of feet indicated
an impromptu ball on the pavement,
and the marquis leaned out to look.
''They dance, my angel" he an
cit is gay, the youth"
The marquise, who sat propped up
in big chair, smiled family, but did
not open her eyes.
cart thou very tired, my dearest?"
asked the old man, anxiously, pulling
the coarse thread with jerk through
the cloth.
sit is the spring air, Anatole."
& The marquis looked at her with tear
thought. es
After pause the marquise asked:
ssHast thou no lessons to-day, Anatole?"
"Only one. This great heat is too
much for rich people, dear" He spoke
with quite unconscious irony. 81 must
go now. Do you think you could eat
nice little ragout when come home?"
She hesitated. "If-if I could only
have little sweetbread timbale," she
said, longingly. ''But yes, my friend, a
ragout will be charming"
He kissed her good-by with trem-
bling mouth, and, carefully drawing on
his old gloves, went out.
"Une petite timbale de riz-de-veau,"
he muttered, stepping carefully over
baby who had gone to sleep on the
stairs. ''Mon dieu, mon dieu!" It was
very warm, the bricks steaming in the
sun after shower.
The organ man had gone on, leaving
an excited little group of children be-
hind him.
''Hello, Mr.. de Poll, cried one of them,
alittlegirl carrying anextremely fat ba
by. Mother was took up this morning,
so I've gotter take care of all of 'em.
But I'll go in to see Mrs. de Poll jes' the
same. They took her off in the Black
Mriar. 1t took four men to hold her."
finished the child, proudly.
When the marquis reached home that
afternoon strange sight met his eyes.
The marquise sat as usual in her big
chair, but her shabby, dark gown was
almost entirely hidden by delicate
film of beautiful old lace. "Sapristi!"
calculated the old man.
HE 70 1o,,rl,od ~ IN CIR
zette, but she did not even know who
Napoleon was,' she said.
Apretty color was in her faded cheeks
as she looked up at him.
He sat down heavily. SIT is very beau
tiful; shall put it away?"
"Non, cheri. Leave it little longer,
and let us forget that we are poor"
The marquis WINGED. How could he
tell her that his last pupil found the hot
spring weather too enervating for more
lessons?
With sigh he undid parcel he had
brought with him, and displayed lit
tie tin in which was the promised
ragout.
But the marquise could not eat it. It
was greasy and tasted like cat, she said,
trying to laugh.
Snow, dear, if you will put the lace
away, I will not put it on again; it
makes me homesick. Oh, Anatole!
Paris! The Bots, to-day! five were in
q carriage, driving down the Champs
Ulysses!
"And see the lights budding out in
the sweet-smelling dusk! And then,
dear, we'd go to restaurant and have
q timbale de riz de veau, and salade,
and little Chablis! Oh, Anatole, it is
dreadful to be old, mon ami"
She put her head down on his shoul-
der and they both cried.
Presently the marquis rose and put
3 the lace tenderly away in the little
trunk, among the old camphor balls
l switch had almost lost their odor. Even