The citizen., 1901-06-21

saying, Two This kind young gentle
man, seeing my embarrassment. had di.
vined the true state of affairs and came
10 my assistance in this delicate and
graceful manner
'Well. mademoiSolle, | am proud OF
you. Accept sous from strange young
man. You might better have appealed tc
the conductor, to the driver. to the whole
company. How are you going to repay
those Is sous? Or do you intend to pre-.
serve them as souvenirsI"
''Oh, he gave me his card. papa. Here
it is-'M. Agenor Baluchot'"
Papa snatched the card from her hand
and roared:
What not satisfied with insolently
lending you & sous in defiance OF all the
laws of polite society. this very nice and
proper and correct young man gives you
his card in the bargain! He is the most
atrocious of rutlians; the vilest OF scoun.
drels."
Dear me, papa. how could return the
money without knowing his address,"
Nj. Chapoulot, being unable to answer
this ingenious argument in words, had re
course to action.
1T is fated that shall not dine today
he exclaimed angrily. Gertrude, go and
call Il cab. | will Immediately pay this
Agenor his G sous and also tell him few
plain truths"
"Oh. papa, papa. You surely won't
That would be very ungrateful. Remem-
her that he rescued your daughter from
an embarrassing situation"
with the intention of placing her in 8
more embarrassing one, no doubt. ST.
lence, young woman. My memory does
not need to be refreshed by young idiot
who forgets her pocketbook"
Gertrude having returned with the cal
the irate parent went out, banging the
door. Then Charlotte, all excitement and
bushes, proceeded to tell the old servant
that she knew much more of the nice
young man than she had dared to confess
to her father; that she had met him in the
omnibus every evening for month nt
least. and that she, without appearing tc
notice him, had soon noticed that he no.
ticed her. etc
Here's pretty how-de-do" exclaimed
the old woman. shaking her head ana in
volliug silent maledictions on education
la whatever it was. Meanwhile Agcnot
Baluchot, in his bachelor apartments, was
musing over his brief but pleasing adven.
ture in the omnibus.
lie was startled by Il furious knocking
at the door, upon opening which he was
confronted by a stout gentleman very
much out of breath, with big cane
grasped after the manner of club and
his hat cooked Gercoy over his right eve.
Monsieur" exclaimed the invader
your conduct has been most immoral,
unworthy of a French gentleman. Nc
man of honor would thus take advantage
of the innocence, the ineXperience. the
simplicity, the embarrassment of n re.
spectacle young woman. Profting by the
simultaneous absence of q father and q
pocketbook you brutally forced sous
and your internal card upon an unpro-
tected young lady. You thought it n good
investment. no doubt, but it was a dis
honorable action. Here are your 6 sous
monsieur. Neither my daughter nor !
wish to have anything further to do with
you"
While the infuriated visitor was con.
cluding this speech his hands were dill.
gently searching his pockets. but before
the stupofied Agenor could utter a word
a third actor appeared on the scene. This
was the cab driver, who came in brand.
ishing his whip and his tongue.
You're nice one, you are" he shout
ed. Il tell you | can only take you one
way. You agree. You keep hurrying me
up and when you get here you skip and
tell me to wait. Wait? Not much! I've
been there before. Come Pay up!
Never mind the tip but | want my 80
sous, and | want EN- quick"
All this was Greek to Agenor, but the
stout gentleman, who by this time had
turned all his, rockets inside out, had be
come pale, tlNyred crimson. violet and
was showing symptoms of turning green.
Convinced at last that his search was
useless, he feebly stammered. hopping
his forehead with his gloves in his dis.
traction:
i lhave-forgotten-my-pocketbook."
"Of course" growled the cabman.
That's an old trick. 1t won't work with
me. You can tell it to the police ser
geant. You are a nice one. you are"
And he was laying hands on the wretched
NJ. Chapoulot, who. utterly overcome and
apparently on the brink of apoplexy, of.
fered no resistance when Agenor, who
seemed destined to play tho part of spe
terfered.
with your permission" the young
man politely said to Chapoulot as he
handed the cabman his fare.
why, certainly. my dear sir, with
pleasure" replied ,Chapoulot. "But not
more than sous for drink money, beg
you"
The mysterious workings of fate had
brought it about that Charlotte's father.
who had failed to understand how sen.
sible person could ever be without omni.
bus fare. was forced to admit that il is
sometimes very convenient to meet a gen.
teman who will politely advance 35 sous
and get rid OF an implacabe cabman.
lie turned with gracious smile TO
Agcnor and said:
Monsieur-M. Baluchot. | believe? Siv
sous to my daughter and 35 TO me make
al sous that | owe you. If you will do
me the honor of dining with me this even.
ing, | shall take pleasure in settling tbe
little account at once. | am an old busi.
ness man, and hate to be in debt. BE.
Sides you know, prompt payments make
good friends"
quarter of an hour later Gertrude
laid another plate on the table. 1t is
there yet. for within a month the bapns
were read for the marriage of Charlotte
and Agenor. - Translated From the
French For New York Commercial Ad.
vertiser.
A Fent In Shooting.
"Ive seen good deal of sharpshootinp
in my day." said a civil war veteran OF