Evening journal., 1899-07-29


penter had been at work while they
were out Of the room. and the door of
the closet hid all traces of his worl,
really thought l had captured N sen
xation which would confound the pirl
whose valet had waved his hand twice
worked her to the verge Of frenzy
during the study hour by moclxinr the
elegant gestures of the valet, aud indi-
eating delicately that my heart also had
been touched. AT the play hour
walked across to her.
"Hello!" I said
"Ello. vous-meme," she replied.
"what is the matter with you? Have
you seen him?"
"Iave l seen himi" answered scorn-
fully. "Nol have not, but" and so
on and so on, with the artful ingenuity
Of 1o. OF course, the news spread very
soon in spite Of the sworn secrecy. and
at meal time the girls eyes were fixed
on the closet door. Those whose homes
boosted Of modern improvements ex-
planned the dumb-waiter system to the
less fortunate.
While this was considered exciting.
the chief interest centered around the
charpentier, and as some unfeelino
man named Charpentier had edited
text book, there was a certain daring
in referring TO "Mon Charpentier
d'Edtelle," 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.
nodded TO him with an easy familiarity
which impressed the girls, and led the
superior, who disliked my manners, TO
point down the fiue, where, of course.
he was obliged TO look with respectful
interest.
II seems that be was 10 teach the
matron and the cook how to work the
machine, aud he stayed during the
meal. Itwas pathetic tosee tile wonder
with which the lay sisters regarded
the contrlvance. They nodded aud
whispered together, and rolled their
eyes. When called to use It they ham
died the rope as If it had been made OF
spun glass. they clung to IL as 10 a life
preserver when sending down heavy
load of plates, and unanimously dubbed
it la Bette"
/ have always attributed IL 10 the
conscious embarrassment Of the car.
pcnter 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 Ia
Bette. II went pretty well, but / could
see that she was nervous. In the morn
ing the head mistress and the matror
oficiated. Also at dejeuner and dinner
r In fact, for several days la Bete wal
t used and commended with discretion
l The Jolly little sister who used to brinr
! 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, as
OF yore. and beamed upon or hungr,
faces.
"Sursly, ma soeur," said the matron
politely, "you might have saved YOU
. steps"
"Ohl" she answered, 1T is so unstyl
7 ish. 1t must take away the appetite e
: have a dish sent flying up through tw'
stories, and the sauce all spilled in TAX
ing IL from the shelf" The matron di,
4 not reply, but when the time came q
d send the dish down, behold, la Bet
e would not work. A few timid tugs a
2 the rope only seemed to make it NOR
= stationary. / volunteered TO help bu
found that the rope was caught in tn
wheel, SO that none but the carpente
could remedy it, He was accordingly
e sent for. He did not arrive until W
had assembled for the evening meal n
D worked over it for a few minutes, eS
e planning with the greatest condescen
J. sion the theory and the art of IL. A
last he went down to the kitchen TO Sc
1 that the dinner was sent up in safety
A tinid little lay sister, who had JUS
IS been promoted TO the refectory service
e stood by the waiter, with her hand o
a the rope. The matron kept her eye o
II her while she cut the long loaf int
e thick slices. The girls. who had revive
7, for a moment in the presence of the cal
y penter, had settled down 20 n gloom
y silence. We were all hungry and tire,
y We could hear a slight murmur of voicC
: coming up the fiue. The ropes creake
d and we all rejoiced in the prospect {
having our dinner, when a loud shri
20 whistle from the spealing-tube frigh
ened the sister so that she let 60 Of III
"a rope and screamed. Il is needless
e say that there followed loud crash {
~ china falling two stories. In a M
u ment, the carpenter, followed by n
cook. rushed into the refectory. He b.
le gan 10 expostulate with the sister. IT
e, cook explained that the dinner was
"a mixed with broken china that there WI
r not a mouthful fit to eat. The girls b
at gan TO complain and disorder reigne
Is supreme.
70 The poor little sister fatty refused
al 60 near the waiter to have the tube an
10 whistle explained TO her. The matro