The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-10-01

something more than boardins-schooi
 GiseIe~You are right. It was learned in the school of life. | Rancy-So you have a secret sorrow?
 GiseIe-Dh! Ard l have had it so long! Have you?
 Gfseie-r was only three years old when | papa died and l remember him only as | some one who kissed me and was very good to me Then, for two or three years the most elaborate attentions were tavfshed on my small person, and I was l often brought to the salon to be admired by visitors, Oh. how many visitors! At | 1, you see, one does not make ones par l ents appear venerable.
 Rancy-No. Sometimes it Is the other | way.
 Gisele-But at l became a recluse of the nursery, with an Ens.:sh governess. me to mamma for a minute every morn- ing. for a sort of official kiss.
 Rancy.At what age did you enter the
 Giseie--At eight. It seems that looked | very much like mamma-too much. l have been in prison eleven years, and I am afraid I shah stay there until I am of age
 Rancy-Do you never go out?
 Gisele-Only for an hour or two now and then to walk or to shop; | Raney-But in summer, in the long va- 1 cation?
 Gfseie-I spend it with friends, or in I England, perfecting myself ia the lan- fishFl fsaF'' oh' I am a past master in Eng l kancy-And in other things. suppose atter so many years of study. Gisele-Oh. l have scores of certificates. If 1t were the swell thing I should be sent to the university. 1 finished the con | vent course long ago. I Rancy-How do you employ your time? l Gfsele~-I read good deal. As see | life l learn it from the great books of l humanity. It is the better way, pc chaps. You acquire the wisdom of experience sionS.
 Rancy fmuch impressed, but stili cu- rious)-I fancy you will have little mercy on the husband who may be selected for you.
 Gisele-T shall probably make the seiec- zion myself, and shall be very kind and
 oh, so grateful to one who will simply Rancy-Ah. (After a pause)-But you
 cannot read all the time. What else do you do? : Gisele--I teach the little ones. I am d
 mother to them The youngest feel the
 need ot affection most strongly. Oh, how
 well know what they want!
 this.
 Gisele--No. it isn't. It is my pleasure, my Joy-aH have. Stepping in sudden confuslonJ Oh this Is very wrong mon- sieur. You keep asking me questions and
 before l know 1t have told you my whole history
 | one could have heard it with greater in terest than I.
 Gisele~You! Why, pray? Rancy-I -Insttnctfve sympathy. suppose. Il am not quite as superficial as people
 say. l am little better than my rep
 utation, and it is not surprising that
 your story moves me. A young girl, like l you, intelligent, warm hearted Gisele-Please do not pay me fine con- i plfments monsieur. The art of parrylng them is one of the few things omitted Rancy-They are not mere commitments
 GiseIe-They must be- for mamma calls | me CindeI ella and that means that have no merit worth speaking of. Mamma Is a good judge and she knows me much | better than you do. Rancy-I think not Gisele-What! After nineteen years | Rancy-Of Heglectt Gisefe esrniling)-Oh, It isn't quite SC
 bad as that! And you have known me
 scarcely nineteen minutes.
 Rancy (warmly)-MCre than enough for
 revelation-yeS, revelation, And
 assure you that I could not have expe- rienced one more astonishing or more de-
 Gisels (simply)-wiH you please hand
 me that little Dresden vase, monsieur? Rancy tcomplyingl-Here it is. Slowly.
 I hope you will forgive me for being SC inquisitive.
 Gisele Burning to go)-It was my fault. I have been, as we say in the convent
 very ncSnss!Sn Nnt [, Far rai, too 9ss much so!
 
 | Gisele Hooking straight into his eyes for a moment, then offering her handl-I do trust you. "A bell rings.) Oh: It's mamma. | must escape. Please don tell her you have seen-her niece. Adieu, monsieur.
 Rancy (pointedly)-Au revoir, madem- oiselle.
 (Gisele goes out, leaving De Rancy standing as if in a trance, gazing after the retreattng vision of youth and inno- II eenee a vision so rare in his life of a "a bt1If ito cd tn II believe in it's possibiIity) II Mime. de Noircourt (entering hastily and almost aggressively)-Wha is this hear-that you have been talking with little girls?
 Rancy-Only one and no longer very little one. A very superior young lady who promises to become remarkable woman.
 Mime de Noircourt-How? Cinderella remarkable woman! HoI must be out of your mind
 Rancy-Is my family good one, bar
 Mime. de Noircourt-It is unexception-
 Rancy-Do you consider me fairly well Mime de Noircourt-You are very rich.
 Rancy-What do you think of me. as
 man?
 Mime. de Noircourt-1 think you are very Rancy-Then as I have all the require l ments of an eligible parti. beg that you
 will permit me to become your son-in- law
 Mime de Noircourt (stunnedI-My son ln-law? Yop? Rancy-Do not answer hastily, beg. ! have made my offer. There is no valid
 objection; still l comprehend that you need a little time to get used to the idea. will return In day or two for my an- swer tNNith a low bow to the baroness who remains transhxed and speeches.
 with anger Do not trouble yourself about the arrangements. baroness. We will go down to the country. wherever you choose. and have a simple wedding in the presence of a few intimate friends. It VIII he the easiest thing in the world. You cannot imagine the rejuVenating ef-
 feet of seeing the children of ones friends especially when one didn't know they had any!