Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1901-06-26
TWO DEBTS v
AND A DINNER
The Story Of . Girl Brought
Up on the American Method.


M. Aristide ChapouIot, retired haber-
| dasher, a wjnower with an only daugh-
ter. sat in his dining room and from time
to time threw a glance Of despair at the
neatly laid table. He held the evening pa
| per in his hands, but derived little infor-
nation from it for the simple reason that
he was holding 1t upside down. The
| glances which he cast at the table alter
| mated with other glances bestowed on the
old oak cuckoo clock ticking monotonous-
" on the mantel. Now and then his
glance fell on the steaming soup tureen,
and then his eyes grew moist. The table
was laid for two. Clearly NJ. Chapoulot
was waiting for somebody.
Like Louis XIV, with whom he had no
other point of resemblance, he hated to
| wait, especially for dinner. In business,
punctuality had always been a fad with
him, and now he made point Of eating
his meals at II and o'clock as regular
ly as he used to settle his accounts on the
first of the month. And on this occasion
he was unusually hungry, SO the state Of
his feelings when the clock chirped half
past 6 may be better imagined than de-
scribed.
His eyes wandered from the spoons to
as IL he were seeking an effective imple-
| ment of self destruction. At this critical
moment old Gertrude entered, muttering
to herself. She was his cook and wait
ress, his daughters maid and all the rest
of the servants.
"Well" she mumbled.
"Well, Gertrude" he sighed.
"Shall l take away the soupT
"By no means, Gertrude. Charlotte
will surely be here in minute. 1t is very
did she go out?'
lesson. An hour for the lesson, an hour
to go and come, she should have been
home at 6, as usual"
"And now it is 6:39w
perhaps the omnibuses were full, or
perhaps mademoiselle, as it is such fine
day, is walking home. And there are the
milliners and the jewelers., you know.
so many things to attract a young lady"
"Confound the milliners and jewelers.,
and the young lady, too, if she can't be on
ner time, should like to knowT
ITO say nothing of the young men,"
ooh, l am quite easy on that score.
Charlotte is able to take care of herself.
She has been brought up on American
lines. and I'm glad of it."
perhaps you'll be sorry. I don't know
what bringing up on American lines
means. but don't like this fashion of
young girls running about the streets
alone"
But the unnatural father was not lis
tening. He had formed a sudden resolu-
zion.
"Take away the soup and keep it
warm" he said. sand bring me my
boots. l viii go to meet her,"
The old woman, still grumbling, went
off with the soup and had come back
with the boots when the sound Of the
doorbell caused master and maid to ex-
claim in concert, There she isv'
Gertrude dropped the boots on the floor
and hurried to the door, and the next in
slant Charlotte entered like a young cy-
clone-a little face. all puckered with
smiles, fluffy hair. IS years, 80 teeth.
slender figure, graceful carriage. dimin-
utive feet and hands. shod and gloved to
perfection, ribbons, flowers, etc.-in short,
a typical butterfly of the boulevards.
"What! Home so soon" her father ex-
claimed with fine irony as he seated him
self at table and began to unfold his nap
kin.
"Oh. papal / have something to tell
you
DINNER first, or you can tell your story
as we eat. / shall understand it better.
I've waited long enough already. Ger
trude, the SOUP"
"Oh, but. papa, you don't know what
has happened. l have had an adventure.
a real adventure"
can adventure !" cried her father,
starting from his chair, while Gertrude
flung him. over the soup tureen, glance
of mingled reproof and triumph which
clearly meant, Didn't I tell you so?"
Eyes, papa, an adventure in the omnibus
with young man.
"Good heavensp' groaned the Mortified
father, dropping his spoon and jumping
up like jack in the box. IAN adyen-
ture? What do you meanT
This is your bringing up la MARE
something or other" muttered the old
woman as she left the room.
"Oh, papa, he was very nice, very
proper and correct young man, l assure
you," replied Charlotte, all smiles.
'Let me inform you. young lady, that
very nice, very proper and correct young
men do not have adventures with young
ladies-not in omnibuses, at any rate.
Explain yourself"
1T was very simple thing. poppy. 1t
really isn't worth looking so fierce or
talking SO loud about l merely forgot
my pocketbook. That happens every day,
doesn't it?''
Him, yes; especially to people without
pocketbooks. Go on"
II did not miss it until the conductor