The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-09-26

more than cool, dim, aesthetic nght In
partially, to behold the impressive figure
of the baron towering above the others.
Had the baron proposed for her hand, IL is
not impossible that, facing the question d.
rectly, she would have parted or evaded.
But certain events befell unpropitiously at
a time when the baron was most certain or
his conquest; at the very time, indeed,
when he had determined TO open his suit
definitely by extending a proposal to the
young lady through the orthodox medium OF
her nearest male relative.
Il admit" wrote the baron to his expect
ant father, that IL is what one calls very
chances in the English, but one must ven
ture In this country, and your son is not
without much hope. And IL not there is stu
Mile. Higbee''
The baron shuddered as he wrote IL. He
preferred not to recognize even the exist
ence of this alternative, for the reason that
the father of Mile. Higbee distressed him
by an incompleteness Of suavity.
He conducts himself like a pork, the
baron would declare to himself. by way or
perfecting his English.
The secret cause of his subsequent de-
termination not to propose for the hand of
Miss Bines lay in the hopelessly middle
class leaningS of the lady who might nave
incurred the supreme honor of becoming his
mother-in-law. Had Mrs. Bines been above
talking to low people, a catastrophe might
have been averted. But Mrs. Bines was not
above it. She was quite unable to repress a
vulgar interest in the menials that served
her.
She knew the buffers life history two
days after she had ceased to be afraid of
him. She knew the distressing family al
fairs of the maids; how many were the ig-
noble progeny OF, the elevator man. and what
his plebeian wife did for their Group; how
much rent the hall-boy's low-born father
paid for his mean two-story dwelling IN
Jersey City; and how many hours day or
night the debased scrubwomen devoted to
their unrefining toll.
Brazenly. too, she held converse with
AlSatlan
who served her when she chose to dine in
the public restaurant instead of at her own
private table. Philippe acquainted her with
the joys and griefs of his difficult profess
sion. There were fourteen thousand walters
in New York, if, by walters, you meant any
one. OF course there were not so many ike
Philippe, men of the world who had served
their time as assistants and their three
years as subwaiters; men who spoke Eng
lish, French and German, who knew some
thing of cooking, how to dress salad, and
how to carve. Only such, Ii appeared. could
be members of the exclusive Geneva Club
that procured a place for you when you
were idle. and paid you eight dollars
Having the qualifications, one could earn
twenty-five dollars a month In salary and
three or four times as much in Gratuities.
hundred and twenty dollars month: for
was he not one who had come from Europe
as a master. after two seasons at Paris.
where a man acquires his polish-his per-
Philippe could never enough prize that post
graduate course at the Maison dor, where
he had personally known-madame might
not believe 1.-THE Incompatible Casmir, a
chef who served two generations of epicures,
princes, kings, statesmen, travelling Ameri-
cans-all the truly great.
With his own lips Casmir had told him,
Philippe, of the occasion when Dumas. pere.
had invited him to dinner that they might
discuss the esoterics of salad dressing and
sauces; also of the time when the Marquis
r. ,4I IL for In
venting the precious soup that afterwards
became famous as Potage Germine. And
now the skilled and puissant Casmir had re-
tired. 1t was calamity. The Maison d Or
Paris-would no longer be what they mad
been.
For that matter since one must live,
Philippe preferred it to be in America, for
in other country could an adept acquire
apartment that would really amaze madame
by its appointments of luxury. in East
Thirty-eighth street. and only the four
flights to climb. And Paul was three, the
largest for his age, quite the largest, that
either Philippe or Cefine had ever beheld.
Even the brother Of Celine and his wife.
who had a restaurant of her own-serving
the table dhote at two and one-half francs
the plate with wine-even these swore they
had never seen an infant SO big for his
years, as Paul.
And so Mrs. Bines grew actually to feel
an interest in the creature and his wretched
affairs, and even fell into the deplorable
habit of saying, II must come to see you
and your wife and Paul some pleasant day
Philippe" and Philippe being a man of the
world, thought none the less OF her for be-
lieving that she did not maan 1t.
Yet ii befell on an afternoon that Mrs
Bines found herself in populous side street
driving home from visit to the rheumatic
scrubwoman who had now to be supported
by the papers her miserable offspring sold
Mrs. Bines had never seen so many chill
dren as flooded this street. She wondered II
an orphan asylum were in the neighborhood
And though the day was pleasantly warm,
she decided that there were about her al
monia for not one child In five had on a hat
They ragged and dashed and rippled from
curb to curb 80 that they might have made
her think OF SWIFT mountain torrent al
worthy woman was too literal-minded FOR
such fancies. She only warned the man to
drive slowly.
And then By a street sign she saw that
she was near the home of Philippe. 1t was
o clock, and he would be resting from his
work The man found the number. The
waves parted and piled themselves on either
side in hushed wonder as she entered the
hallway and searched for the name on the
little cards under the bells. She had never
known the surname, and on two Of the cards
Phi" appeared. She rang one or the bells,
the door mysteriously opened with re-
peated double click, and she began the toll
some climb. The waves of children fell to-
gether behind her In turbulent play again.
At the top she breathed a moment and
then knocked at door before her. voice
within called:
"Entrezr' and Mrs Bines opened the door
1t was the tiny kitchen of Philippe. Phil
ippe, himself, in shirtsleeves, sat in a chair
tilted back close to the gas range, the Cour-
Ter des Etats Unis in his hands and Paul on
his lap. Celine ironed the bosom of a gentle
mans white shirt on an ironing board sup
ported by the backs of two chairs.
Hemmed in the corner by this board and
by the gas range, seated at table covered
by the oilcloth that Stimulates the marble OF
edly the Baron Ronault De Palliac. A
steamng plate of spaghetti la Italien was
before him. to his left large bowl Of salad
to his right a bottle OF red wine.
For a space of three seconds the entire
party behaved IL 1t were being photo
graphed under time exposure Philippe and
the baby stared, motionless. Celne stared
resting no slight weight on the hot fiatiron
The Baron Ronault de Palliac stared, his
fork poised in midair and festooned with
gay little streamers of spahgetti.
Then came smoke, the smell OF scorchne
linen, and cry Of horror from Celine.
"Ah la seule chemise blanche de Mon.
sieur lie Baronr'
The spell was broken. Philippe was on hi:
feet bowling effusively.
"Ahi Ii is Madame Bines. Je suis tres
honore-I am very honored to welcome you
madame 1t Is madame, ma femme, Celine-
and-Monsieur lie Baron de Palliac-"
Philippe had turned with evident distres:
toward the latter. But Philippe was only 8
waiter, and had not behind him the centu
ries of schooling that enable a gentleman Il
remain a gentleman under adverse condi
| tons.
The Baron Ronault de Palliac arose with
unruffied aplomb and favored the caller
with his stateliest bow. He was at the mo.