The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1902-12-26

There were many reasons why Mrs.
Blake's boarding house became the
home Of more odd characters than any
place of it's size west of thelMississippi.
Being a Dublin lady, whose husband
Fad been in the French army, she
called her house the "Maison de VILE.
Then her son Roderick, who had even
scandalized the Latin quarter before
he was Of age, was something of a
brought every vagrom Bohemian who
drifted into Kansas City from Paris,
Vienna or Rome. Sometimes they
failed to pay board, but she was a
eanny little woman, and when she
couldn't get the cash she made them
work out the bill.
AS long g as 1879 the Hotel de
Vile was populouS with statuary, Or
mate with all sorts Of paintings and
vocal Of the characteristics and handi-
crafts of nearly a decade Of queer
tenants. School teachers, soldiers of
fortune, painters, sculptors, writer's,
mostly made UP t2e:5clientele@ OF" the
Maison, n therefore Mrs. Blake, did
mot flourish financially But she was
sontent. I hope she has been
driven to the extremity of an auction
sale, but If she everscomes to that, I'd
like to know it. Some of the van
dering painters who paid her with IN
framed pictures are famous 10Y and
when last I was in her kitchen there
wal a landscape over the bread board
Shat is the best work of a. master hand.
The only rule of the Maison de Vile
that was held inviole. BILE was Mrs.
Rlake's forbiddance Of female. guests.
She seemed to have a deep-set dislike
for her own sex, n even when her
dead husbands sister called at the
house, she was uncomfortable until
she had gotten her out Of the place.
She wouldn't even sleep in her own
house, but every: evening at dusk
turned the management over to
Pond a Cninaman, and went to her
awn lonely room over Miss Finister's
millinery shop. Well, Pond, the China
man, slept all day in a little closet in
The attic, and3in the early sos the place
was always full: OneSevening in May.
aflapper little mar came inTsWhiJe. we.
weye all at supper. lin a pronounced
French accent he asked for Nine.
Blake. H eA had come right into the
dining, room, where we We're allsat5tea,
and WI couldn't help observing the
contrast between his naiyely audaciouss
Intrusion and the self-deprecattng man
IeTs&lof his address. When hi found
that madame a gone he asked for
4aaM'sieu Roderick." He had a$#1etter
from Bruce Patrick, a N artist then in
REdTlSS ASS mute young Biake
had read the letter and given the.
stranger an enthusiastic welcome TO
the hospitality of his mothers house,
The newcome was named CASTOR.
ssTheriot. He hafledsfrom Rheims and
was a teacher Of French ndfencing-
s.Maitre d'armes," he called 1t. He fitted
well into the mixed company, spoke
English Bithgasmost.piquant and saucy
assurance M was ev~erybody's friend
before Pondsbrought in the buckwheat.
The cuisine Of the Maison de Vile, you
nee, was not PParisian. Theriot was al
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS with glittering,
big, black eyes. closely cropped curls
and the face OF a boy.AsHe said he was
zzs but he didn'tSIook it. though he was
broadly built and spoke with the glib.
gRbandonsofa man OF He #orid.S4s5sas
Pr0fessor Dillou,S%a Trinity college
man who Ina servedsunder Blake%at
Paris and had tried his patience III the
PaEaI guard was one d the n star
hpsnders alBIake'sgand he took an In
slant fancy to Young Theriot. Dillon
Ea his quiet convincing way, had led
~ I'll to elisSe that he was an expert.