The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1900-03-17

lcIt, cTicQ d udiEty IAN pdihtCu ny
Boucher. "They handle fan as if it
was hoe, those peasants"
IF we only knew what it was all
about" complained the old grand pi-
ano, in its faint, ghostly treble.
what! didn't you find out?" said
the mirror. 'sHow some people can
take in so little of what goes on before
them is more than can understand"
''Oh, spare me your reflections" cried
the old piano, which never very harmo-
NOUS was more out of tune than ever
after the trying events of the day, land
if you've anything to tell, give it to
u.s."
well, heard pretty Marie telling
that stupid Achille of hers that the
| count is coming home tomorrow from
| America, and that a young lady and
her mother, natives of that country,
are coming with him. And Marie said
it was the talk among the servants that
the count is to marry her, the young
lady," finished the mirror, triumph
antly.
IAN Americana" groaned the piano.
Then she wears feathers on her
head" gasped the Louis Quatorze sofa.
And ring in her nose!" added a cor
pulent ottoman with a coat-of-arms
embroidered on its back.
"And beats a tom-tom," whined the
piano, shiEering till its strings fairly
tangled, '.all Americans do that"
But Alike" cried the sofa. what of
herr"
Her heart will break" moaned the
Boucher fan, which had received so
many sentimental condolences in its day
it felt it was an authority on such sub
jects.
Poor child" sighed the mirror. 'But
then, these Americans are all so indie
Gently rich; they say their houses are
made of solid gold, and we, my chill
dren, are poor-miserably poor!"
But sympathy was with Alike, and
they all voted it shame the count
should treat her so. And how they ad-
mired her the next day when she came
in, giving her arm to the feeble old
countess and looking pale, but, oh, so
proud and pretty, to await the coming
of the expected guests.
"She shows her good blood to-day"
they whispered to each other, and then
a thill went through them as a group
appeared in the doorway.
There was the young count, also pale,
and a little shamefaced, with a stout
lady in gown that looked agonizingly
tight, and a young girl, little brown
thing in a mannish hat and jacket, and
oh, horror! skirt so short as to show
her stout little shoes. And her man.
ners were the strangest for young
girl that the yellow salon had ever seen.
Shegreeted the stately countess with
out the smallest indication of timidity,
shook hands in frank and friendly
fashion with Alike, and then flew about
the room exclaiming over everything
she saw, in clear, high voice which
rang startlingly but not unmusically
on the ear, while the salon loked or in
wonder.
They decided she was not at all pref
ty and very queer indeed, after the
people had gone up to dress for din
ner and they had chance to talk her
over. And when later she came down
in.an elegant evening gown, showing
her rounded arms and pretty shoulders,
they had to admit she had her good
points, but still told each other she was
far inferior to Alike.
The old house thrilled strangely into
life after that. The American girl
whose heathenish name was Dorothy
danced Through the big rooms like
freakish spot of light thrown by
mirror glancing in the sun.
She took great fancy to the yellow
salon and spent hours exploring its
dim corners and antique cabinets.
Sometimes the count came with her.
when the room was 1t once relieved and
little disappointed to observe that
no word of love ever passed between
them
But more often Mistress Dorothy
was accompanied by Alike, of whom
she had grown very fond, and the two
would play duets on the Anticipated
piano, set the medallioned music boxes
going and fill the stately apartment
with their sweet youthful laughter over
the jingling, tuneless melodies they
evoked
The occupants of the salon got ae-
customed to these innovations with
difficulty 1t was the first time in their
history that they had been treated with
SO little respect. They pronounced the
American girl pert and noisy. Only
the big mirror defended her.
she certainly is kind to Alike" it
said land l like her anyway. She looks
me in the face as if she didn't care a fig
what said to her.
'She knows you're never to be trust