The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1900-06-29

in on Eleche and point out to him the
faults in the poem he had under way.
Surely, now he was in for 1t, he could
think of a hundred things which would
assist in pleasantly passing the time
till evening and the theater. Now for
the small glass at the Americans, for
he was shaky after last night. And
what drollery there had been last
night. Arsene with castanets was in
imitable in that grotesque imitation OF
Calve as Carmen.
ManNelle. in the Place Lacrosse,
heard him at daybreak fumbling at the
lock. She often had to go down and
admit him at about this hour, as he
had more than once filled the keyhole
with bits of pencil and the like, mis-
taking them for his latchkey. So 1t
was better, all things considered, to let
him in as soon as one heard him.
81 regret. Mamzelle," he said when
she opened the door, ito be the cause
of rousing you from the morning slum-
Der which increases beauty. / have
been TO the theater."
''As any one may know" Mamzelle
responded shortly, though not unkind-
ly.
Her father had often gone to the the
ater and come home to this very house,
at this very hour, in this very condi-
tion. Indeed. old Cariere, across the
way. had told her on more than one oc-
casion that it must seem like old times
to have her lodger going on like this.
And it was bad play" Besson was
saying, smiling SO blandly that Nam
Zelle frowned. 1t too yividly reminded
her of the old times. "Sardou knows
no more about French affairs than
than you do The next thing we shall
have you doing historical plays, Nam
zelle."
1.-THE good God forbid!' she ejacu-
lated. And If monsieur would kindly
enter | will close the door. Monsieur
is still outside"
Il believe Aamzelle is correct" he
apoogizetl Permit me-" And, enter
ing. he shut the door in an elaborate
fashion. Does s.amzelle ascend?"
1T il; my hour for beginning the
day." she told him.
ut is an admirable hour for begin
ming anything" smiled Besson and zig
Jagged his way up to his room, Nam
zelle waiting at the foot of the stairs
| in case of an accident. Then she took
the lamp from it's stand and went into
her parlor.
But" she sighed, 81 only wish he
would pay me 60 francs on account. ]
pity him. l pity all men. They are OF
the sex Of my father. l cannot press
| him for the rent Of his room, and yet
| have promised Dalcour 60 francs by
noon of the 25th of the month, and
| have not franc of it. fully expect
ed monsieur to settle the 1st of this
month, which made six months rent
| due me, but he has not done so, and
now that he has taken to going to the
| theater every night, in place of twice
week, and writing not at all, see nc
prospects of the money"
She threw open the window so that
| she might catch the first light Of day
| and have a box of flowers under way
by the time she partook of dejeuner.
II will wait as long as possible
l lAOuSA, oaC Will ii SIGH Illus
not despair. Despair ruins my skill
and this time am making orchids"
The days passed, and Besson offered
| no part of the money he owed her. OF
course In the midst of her increasing
perpleXity old Cariere had to come
over, when he saw her working at the
window He folded his arms on the
window sill and talked in at her.
| "Ah, MamZelle," he chirruped, "sucf
tombstone as your father will have
1t must be pleasant to rest under sucl
tombstone. Dalcour is proud of Il
himself. He says that but for my
friendship for you 1t would have cos
you considerably more than he charges
you. He is an agreeable man, that Dal
cour By the way, our young man, oul
Besson-I hope his late hours do mo-
interfere with his work. Is he always
prompt in paying what he owes?
| ask as q friend
81 find no fault with monsieur
MamZelle stiftiy replied. HE is writ
er for the newspapers. Writers for the
newspapers frequently keep late hours
| ! understand"
Again old Cariere sauntered over.
.Dalcour says the marble of tha
tombstone is without a flaw. have
seen it. Dalcour says that go francs
| you pay him on the 25th will just de
fray the expense of the marble and thu
carrying of 1t to the cemetery, not {
sou for the carving he has executed
such ravishing wreath of acorni
round your fathers name. Our young
for the newspapers? meet him s,
frequently on the boulevard"
| DOUBTLESS it Is wearisome. But, then
these writers for the newspapers gath
er ideas on the boulevard" said she.
Old Cariere smiled and disclosed hi:
two eyeteeth. which We're separated BY
a sad stretch of unrelieved vacancy
and. dustIng his elbows, went away
only to come back in q day or so ant
say something to the same effect, fol
he watched Mamzelle and saw tha
something was on her mind. And a:
in former times only one thing hai
been on her mind-namely. her fathel
so he now decided that only tive
things could have the old eftect-hel
fathers tombstone and her lodger.
j By the 23d Mamzelle was nearly be
side herself. She had promised Dal
cour that he should have 90 francs OF
the 25th, and she had never broken hel
word. The flower making was/ bu
poorly remuneratiye. She earned only
enough to keep her In the bare neces
saries of life. The landlord must b,