Evening journal., 1899-09-05

PS"1cA hau peen AT work while they !
were out Of the room, and the door OF
the closet hid all traces Of his work.
l really thought / had captured q sen
sation which would confound the girl
whose valet had waved his hand twice.
l worked her TO the verge Of frenzy
during the study hour by mocldnF the
elegant gestures OF the valet and indi-
eating delicately that my heart also had
been touched. At the play hour
walked across TO her
"Hellol" l said.
"Ello, vous-neme," she replied.
"what is the matter with your Have
you seen him?"
Have / seen himl" answered scorn-
fully. mol ] have not, but" and so
on and so on, with the artful ingenuity
Of 10. OF course. the news spread very
soon in spite OF the sworn secrecy, and
nt meal time the girls eyes were fixed
ON the closet door. Those whose homes
boasted of modern, improvements cx-
/ planned the dumb-waiter system to the
less fortunate.
While this was considered exciting,
the chief interest centered around the
oharpentier, and as some unfeeling
man named Charpentier had edited a
text book. there was a certain daring
In referring TO "Nfon Charpentier
! ld'Edtolle," even before the head mis-
tress.
The excitement was at its height on
Thursday, when we all fled in to the
refectory and saw the superior and the
matron standing by the closet, the door
opened wide, and the charpentier in his
Sunday clothes, buttonhole bouquet
and all, gently toying with the rope. 1
nodded TO him with an easy familiarity
which impressed the girls, and led the
superior, who disliled my manners, to
point down the ilue. where, Of course,
he was obliged to look with respectful
interest.
II seems that he was 10 teach the
matron and the cook how to work the
machine, and he stayed during the
meal. II was pathetic to see the wonder
with which the lay sisters regarded
the contrivance. They nodded and
whispered together, and rolled their
eyes. When called to use it they ham
died the rope as II IL had been made of
spun glass, they clung to IL as to a life
preserver when sending down heavy
load Of plates, and unanimously dubbed
IL la Bette"
have always attributed Il TO the
conscious embarrassment Of the car
penter in having so many girls staring
at him that he omitted to explain the
use Of the speaking tube and whistle
beside the door.
At the evening meal the superior in
person superintended the use Of ID
Bette. IL went pretty well, but J. coulC
see that she was nervous. In the morn
ing the head mistress and the matroI
officiated. Also at dejeuner and dinner
In fact, for several days Ia Bette wa
! used and commended with discretion
= The jolly little sister who used TO brin,
up the plat au jour came up the frs
day empty handed and looking anxious
!. The next day she sent the potatoes
/, but appeared with the principal dish, nj
> of yore. and beamed upon or hungrl
, faces.
. "surely, ma soeur," said the matron
politely, "you might have saved you
A steps"
"Ohi" she answered, ''it is so unEtyl
p ish. 1t must take away the appetite &
! have a dish sent flying up through tw
A stories, and the sauce all spilled in TAX
ing it from the shelf" The matron di
4 not reply. but when the time came {
4 send the dish down. behold, Ia Bet
= would not work. A few timid tugs a
n the rope only seemed TO make II NOR
! stationary. 1 volunteered TO help, .bu
found that the rope was caught in III
wheel, so that none but the carpente
could remedy IL. He was accordingi
. sent for. He did not arrive until W
had assembled for the evening meal. II
7, worked over It for few minutes, e.
: planning with the greatest condescer
sion the theory and the art of IL. a
last he went down to>he kitchen to Sc
that the dinner was sent up in safet.
A timid little lay sister, who had Jus
.. been promoted TO the refectory servie
- stood by the waiter, with her hand O
4 the rope. The matron kept her eye o
4 her while she cut the long loaf int
Il thick slices The girls, who had revive
for n moment in the presence Of the ca
v penter, had settled down TO n gloom
~ silence. We were all hungry and tire
~ We could hear q slight murmur of voic
- coming up the nue. The ropes creak'
n and we all reioiced in the prospect
having our dinner, when a loud shri
IN whistle from the spealdng-t frigh
=, ened the sister so that she let 60 of Il
"A rope and screamed. IL is needless
No. say that there followed loud crash
,o china falling two stories. In a m
N ment, the carpenter. followed by Il
cook rushed into the refectory. He
10 gan to expostulate with the sister. II
. cook explained that the dinner was
"a mixed with broken china that therew
~ not a mouthful fit TO eat. The girls b
N gan to complain and disorder reign
IL supreme.
w The poor little sister fatty refused
al go near the waiter to have the tube al
in whistle explained TO her. The matro
q with the presence Of mind which cha