The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-05-25
TWO DEBTS AND 4 DINNER.


Mons. Aristide Chapoulot, retired hab-
erbasher,a widower with an only daugh-
ter. sat in his dining room. and from
time to time threw glance of despair
at the neatly laid table. He held the
evening paper in his hands but derived
little information from it for the simple
reason that he was holding it upside
down. The glances which he cast at the
table alternated With other glances be-
slowed on the old oak cuel1oo-clock
ticking monotonous1y 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. ChaDoulot was
waiting for somebody.
Like Louis XIV, with whom he had no
other point of reSenlb lance, he hated to
wait-especially for dinner. In business.
INEQUALITY had always been a fad with
him, and now he made point of eating
his meals at IL and O'Clock, as regular
" as he used to settle his accounts on
the first Of the month And. on this oe-
casion, he was unusually hungry, SO the
state Of his feelings when the clock
chirped half-past six may be better
imagined than described.
His eyes wandered from the spoons to
the forks, from the forks to the knives.
as if he We're seeking an effective imple-
nfent of destruction. At this crit
icaI moment old Gertrude entered, NUT
tering to herself She was his cook and
waitress, his daughters maid and all
the rest of the servants.
fsWell2' she mumbled
''Vell, Gertrude he sighed.
s-Shan I take away the soup2"
BY no means Gertrude! Charlotte
win surely be here in minute 1t is
very strange that she is not here now.
When did she go out2''
''At 4 o'clock as usual, for her piano
lesson. An hour for the1esson, an hour
to go and come, she should have been
home at 6, as usual"
And now it is 6s39r'
Perhaps the omnibuses were full, or
perhaps mademoiselle, as it is such a
fine day. is walking home. And there are
the milIiners' and the jewelers., you
knOw,so many things to attract young
lady
''Confound the milliners and jewelers..
and the young lady, too, if she cant be
on timei What can there be to see at
dinner time, 1 should like to know" Il
ITO say nothing of the young men,
"Oh, 1 am quite easy on that score.
Charlotte is able to take care of herself
She has been brought up a PAmericaine,
and I'm glad of it,"
Perhaps you'u be sorry. don't know
what bringing up a la mer, or whatever
it is, means, and she only a stupid old
woman, 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 reso-
luton.
Take away the soup and keep it
warm" he said. And bring me my
boots will so 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
door bell caused master and maid to ex-
claim in concert; There she isi'
Gertrude dropped the boots on the
floor and hurried to the door, and the
young cyclone. A little face, all puck
cred with smiles, fluffy hair. Is years, %
teeth slender figure, graceful carriage,
diminutive feet and hands, shod and
gloved to perfection. ribbons, flowers,
etc.-in shirt, a typical butterfly of the
boulevards-
WHAT Home so soon?'' her father
exclaimed with fine irony. as he seated
himself at table and began to unfold
oh, papa! 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.
| Gertrude, the SOUP
oh. but. papa. you don't know what
has happened have had an adventure,
a real adventure
AN adventure?" cried her father.
starting from his chair while Gertrude
| flung him, over the soup tureen, a glance
| of mingled reprOOf and triumph which
clearly meant. Didn't I tell you OF
Yes, papa, an adventure, in the omni-
| bus. with a young man
Good heavensi'' groaned the Mortified
father dropping his spoon and jumping
up like Observation-Disclosures. AN adven-
ture? What do you mean?"
This is your bringing up Ia. MARE
something or other" muttered the old
woman as she left the room
Oh, papa, he was very nice, a very
proper and correct young man, I assure
you replied Charlotte, all smiles.
a m lad hot
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 a very simple thing. poppy.
/ 1t really isn't worth looking so fierce or
talking SO loud about. I merely forgot
/ my pOcketboOk. That happens every
| day. doesn't it?"
Him, yes; especially to people with
/ out pocketbooks. Co on
Il did not miss it until the conductor
| held out his hand for my fare. What
should dO2 or say? I might have been
/ taken for pauper-or even for a swim
/ der. I turned red as a peony and then
1 felt that I was turning white by way
Of variety. Fortunately a very we'll
1 dressed young man who sat beside me
promptly handed the conductor coin,
saying. Two, This kind young gentle
man, seeing my embarrassment, had
OWNED the true state Of affairs and
came to my assistance in this delicate
and graceful manner"
We'll. mademoiselle. am proud of
/ you. Accept six sous from strange
young man. You might better have ap-
! pealed to the conductor to the driver,
/ to the whole company. How are you go
! ing to repay those six sous? Or do you
1 intend to preserve them as souvenirs ~
'.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 six 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 rufians; the vilest of scoun-
drelSi|
Dear me papa. how could I return