Daily camera., 1901-05-31


ANXl. Benoit went; be fs Hot q
home" (Mme. Benoit IL the con.
ciergs of the other house.)
"Ahi"
ut IL urgent, sir; the poor woman
10 90 very sick, screaming, writhinR
with pain; she says she will die.
Nine. Benoit, who knows you. seeing
you pass every day, thought OF you
who are a. good a. doctor, and she
begs you to come"
II win 60 at once. Which Of the
two IL sick?" added, following her
down stairs.
(which Of the two7" repeated Nine.
Antoine. entirely bewildered.
"Yes, the mother or the daughterT
"But. Mr.. Jules. 1 do not know.
Nine. Benoit said: Ny lodger on
the fifth floor She did not speak
about the mother"
II will see anyhow"
Nine. Benoit was expecting me anx.
iously. II lighted the gas again.
she remarked. Monsieur the doctor
will come up7 will accompany
him."
Monsieur the doctori" Such lit.
tls things please you. especially II
you have not yet your shespskin!
On entering the room saw the
patient. 1t was the mother. sittinR
up In bed in her calico wrapper and
knitted shawl, bent in two by the
violence of her suffering.
"And her daughter 10 not here; ]
knew II would he so. the ungrateful
one" l thought.
Doctor" moaned the poor woman.
II am in such pain"
II will soon relieve you. madame"
replied, touched with such misery.
To Nine. Benoit: I'VE must have hot
water"
There II IL, doctor"
prepared soothing potions, and.
with the help OF the two good wom-
en-, made hot applications. The pa
tient fell into quiet sleep.
ives boiling over with Indignation
at the thought Of the heartiess
daughter. In . low voice not to
waken the sleeper: "And her daugh-
ter. where Is she7' I asked of Nine.
Benoit.
"Hsr dsughter!" she answered.
dumfounded. what daughterr
"The one who lives with her."
-No lady lives her besides her:
she has no daughter. She il sim
gle woman"
II was my turn to be Astonished.
'she has no daughter7" I rctorted.
almost angrily. Then do tell me.
II you please. who is the person who
eoes out Of this house every morn
ing At q quarter to nine? ! know II.
OF course. my window being oppo-
Sdte."
Nine. Benoit looked at me for .
minute. then laughed outright.
"But it IL hersen-there II NO
other"
What could l do bat laugh at my
own biunder and put Il al on my
short-sightednessf
THE fact 10. monsieur" resumed
the good woman. "she makes up so
we'll that one can easily be deceived
by Il. Still. she il neither ms young
nor - old as you suppose. She Is
Just 50. However, at q distance. un-
der her veil-but she is brave wom-
an. who honestly earns her living
a. ahe has always done. She IL cash
Ter in . Safe. where she stays till
midnight. Naturally she has to keep
up a certain style. She Is not seen.
Of course. with her scanty gray locks
behind the deak. She would lose her
plaee-and what then?"
"Yes. l understand now-the wig,
the rouge. Anyhow she has . fine
figure for . woman OF So"
True. indeed! And she il 10 good.
20 resigned-she has had 10 much
sorrow! Her hair turned xuddt My
gray IS years ago. when her intend
ed vas killed in railroad accident"
.Ah," exclaimed (thinking of the
elegant mauve-colored dishabille. and
the midnight reveries). rs she not
. little?"-(touching my forehead).
"Yes, il takes her ~ night, when
the moon shines. She imaginex her
lover is coming back. and opens her
window to watch for his return. as
she did the very night he was killed"
~Her arms and hands are beaud-
full" remarked. musingly.
'.She is proud of them. They are
her glory. and she takes the greatest
care OF them. 1t Was what he ad-
mired the most in her." replied Nine.
Antoine. $50 she said when she told
me the story Of her life"
All this was said on the landing.
left Nine. Antoine. promising to come
back the next day to see my patient.
in whom ] took, / must confess. not
withstandinR her age-or rather on
account OF her age and coursge-a
decided intsrest.-N. o. Times Dem
oeraI.
SOoewhat Di1eeeat.
A GIri-of-the- Present she calls herself