The Red Cloud chief., 1900-02-02

ing 1901 DOC francs are attractive fea-
lures in tales for the multitude, but
such incidents rarely happen In real
everyday life"
And yet ! may say I enjoyed once
In my life a piece OF excellent good for
tune In quite another way remarked
my friend. and perhaps IN account of
IL may interest you. Would you like
TO hear III"
Most decidedly" ! saw the old deal
or was In the mood for talking and
was equally In the mood for listening.
We cncored the extra dry and lit fresh
cigars.
Well. 10 begin AT the beginning. to
give you an outline Of my life. My
father was a clever upholsterer and
cabinet maker who understood both
branches Of the trade and earned about
10 francs a dav. As I was the only son
and as my mother was n prudent wo-
man We lived on the incone In ON
fort.
But when my father had reached
the age OF 80 and I had attained 19
| years he was stricken by a lingering
Illness. which rendered him UNIT for
labor, 40 that with all economy we
could not continue to live as we had
done. and our savings were nearly ex-
hausted. was at work, but. though
Industrious. I had not my fathers dex-
terity. and the most | could earn was
3 francs a day. My mother and felt
ii our duty to- quit our comfortable
lodgings and take a humble cottage at
a merely nominal rental. This was the
subject we discussed by my father's
sick bed, and very sad We all were at
the prospect OF the change.
Il looked forward to the time when |
should have the ability and the knowl-
edge to gain for my parents the com
forts to which they had been accus-
toned. I would tell my mother often
times of this proud aim of mine.
though again and again she assured me
that she did not regret the rigid econ
omy which she was forced to observe.
IL was one day at work in the shop
OF a dealer in secondhand furniture,
polishing a cabinet OF buhl, when there
entered a lady. not young. but distin-
guished in manner. Her dress, bear
Ing the delicate odor of the latest per-
fume. proclaimed her "A person Of fash
ion. possibly OF rank. Her carriage
and servants in livery expressed also
the rich. quiet taste that Is usually OBJ
tanned by the long possession of wealth
and cultivation.
Monsieur she said to Lemoine,
the dealer. have you among your stock
Of old stuffs a fabric like this sampler
The dealer took the fabric from the
lady's hand, examined II carefully and
ut last said in an admiring tone:
This is the most beautiful velvet
brocade that has ever fallen under my
observation. l have never met any
thing at all resembling It. ! possess
some exquisite brocades, but not n
equal to this. Indeed, madam, | should
say that you alone are the possessor OF
this superb stun
But why. monsieur? I must say
that l doubt II there was only enough
OF this brOcade made for my great \
grandfather. from whom ii zane to us, |
and. IL we have SO carefully preserved
1t, why should not some other family
have done the same? l require % |
yards. IL you will procure 1t for me
will pay you 500 francs the yard, or
even more II the expense attending the
search makes IL necessary
Then the lady told Mr.. Lemoine
that perhaps he would better under
stand how important the matter was
to her II she went into some details. |
She said that she was the Marquise de
Rayenne de Cluny and that she pos
sessed In her chateau of that name a
chamber called the brown ROOM
which was entirely appointed In bro
caded tissue like that which he held
In his hand; the window curtains and
convertures. armchairs, the priedieu,
all were OF this exquisite fabric. Louis
XIV, Charles ", and many princes of
foreign royal families. nuncios OF the
pope, cardinals, marshals-all had
slept In this brown chamber. 1t was
the pride OF her husband and herself to
preserve the aspect of this room for
her descendants as they had received
1t from their ancestors. A recent fire
had taken place at the chateau and the
flames had burst through one of the
windows and utterly destroyed the
curtains. To repair the damage II
would require twenty-five yards of ma
terial.
81 regret extremely to ~disappoint
you, madam said Mr.. Lemoine, but
would be holding out false hopes 20
say l could obtain 1t for you. I have
had a long experience in my business,
possess a retentive memory, and'I have
met with a fabric like it, and to
get the identical thing will. l fear, be
impossible. Besides. l believe that in
the first place 1t was unique. l can
give you stuffs very like It In design
and color in a tissue Of u own period
IAN imitation you mean, monsieur?
That would not do at ALL