The citizen., 1901-06-21
TWO DEBTS
AND A DINNER
The Story of a Girl brought
Up on the American Method.


NJ. Aristide Chapoulot, retired haber,
dasher, 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 pa.
per in his hands, but derived little infor.
nation from it for the simple reason that
he was holding it upside down. The
glances which he cast at the table alter.
mated with other glances bestowed on the
old oak cuckoo clock ticking monotonous.
ly on the mantcl. 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 NV, with whom he had nc
other point of resemblance he hated to
wait especially for dinner. In business,
punctualty had always been a fad with
him, and now he made a point of eating
his meals at IL and 6 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 chrped half
past 6 may be better imagined than de-
scribed.
Ills eyes wandered from the spoons to
the forks, from the forks to the knives
as if he were seeking an effective impe
ment of self destruction. At this critical
moment old Gertrude entered, muttering
10 herself. She was his cook and wait
ress his daughters maid and all the rest
of the servants.
"Well!" she mumbled.
"Woll, Gertrude" he sighed.
shall | take away the soupW
"By no means, Gertrude. Charlotte
will surely be here in a minute 1t is very
strange that she is not here now When
did she go out?"
AT 4 o'clock, as usual, for her piano
lesson. An hour for the lesson, an hour
to go and come. she should have been
home at &. as usual
And now it is G:39r'
Perhaps the omnibuses were full, or
perhaps mademoiselle as it is such a fine
day, is walking home. And there are the
milliners and the jewellers, you know.
so many things to attract young lady"
"Confound the mlliners and jewelers.,
and the young lady, too, if she can't be on
time! What can there be to see at din
ner time, ! should like to know"
To say nothing of the young men,"
"Oh, | 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. | 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 resou-
tion.
Take away the soup and keep it
warm" he. said. "And bring me my
boots. will 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 isl"
Gertrude dropped the boots on the floor
and hurried to the door. and the next in.
stant Charlotte entered like a young cy-
clone-a little face. all puckered with
smiles, fluffy hair, is years. 30 teeth.
slender figure. graceful carriage, dimin-
utive feet and hands. shod and goved to
perfection, ribbons. flowers. etc.-in short.
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. papa! have something to tell
you
'Dnner first, or you can tell your story
as we eat. l shall understand it better.
I've waited long enough already. Ger
trude, the SOUP"
"Oh, but. papa, you don't know what
has happened. have had an adventure,
a real adventure"
IAN 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 tell you so?"
"Hes, papa, an adventure in the omnibus
with young man
"Good heavens" groaned the Mortified
father, dropping his spoon and jumping
up like jack in the box. "An adven.
ture? What do you mean?"
"This is your bringing up n 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, 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. | merely forgot
my pocketbook. That happens every day,
doesn't it?"
Him. yes: especially to people without
pocketbooks. Go on"
u did not miss it until the conductor
held out his hand for my fare. What
should l do or say? might have
been taken for pauper, or even for