The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-05-12

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less Of her for believing that she did not
mean it. S.
Yet It befell on an afternoon that Mrs.
Zines found herself in populous side
| street, driving home from asvisit to the
rheumatic scrub-Woman who had now to
be supported by the papers her miserable
offspring sold. Mrs. Bines had never seen
| so many children as flooded this street.
She wondered If an orphan asylum were
| In the neighborhood. And tho the day
was pleasantly warm, she decided that
| there were about her at least a thousand
cases Of tncipient pneumo nia, for not one
child In five had on 9 hat. They ragged
and dashed and rippled from curb to curb
so that they might have made her think of
swift mountain torrent at the bottom.
Of a gloomy canon, but that the 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. It
was O clock, and he would be resting
from his work. The man found the num-
Der. The waves parted and piled them
selves 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 "Ph.'' appeared.
She rang one of the bells, the door mys-
teriously opened with a repeated double
click, and she began the toilsome climb.
The waves Of children fell together be-
hind her In turbulent play again.
At the top she breathed a moment and
then knocked at q door before, her. A
voice within called:
"Entrez! and Mrs Bines opened the
door.
It was the tiny kitchen Of Philippe.
Philippe himself, in shirt sleeves, sat in
chair tilted back close to the gas range,
the Courier des Etats Unis in his hands
and Paul on his lap. Celine ironed the
| bosom of gentlemans white shirt on an
ironing boz I'd supported by the backs of
two chairs.
Hemmed in the corner by this board and
by the gas range, seated at a table COW
cred by the oilcloth that Stimulates the
! marble Of Italy's most famous quarry. sat.
undoubtedly, the Baron Ronault de Pal.
lac A steaming plate of spaghetti a la
ltal1en was before him, to his left a large
bowl OF salad, to his right bottle Of red
wine
For space Of three seconds the en-
tire party behaved as if it were being
photographed under time exposure, Phil
ippe and the baby stared, motionless.
Celtne stared, resting no slight weight on
the hot fiat iron: The Baron Ronault de
Palliac stared his fork poised in mid air
and festooned with gay little streamers
Of spaghetti.
Then came smoke, the smell Of scorch-
Ing linen, and a cry of horror from Celine
| An, Ia seule chemise blanche de Mon
sieur lie Baron!'
The spell was broken. Philippe was on
his feet bowling effusively.
| An! It Is Madame Bines. Je suis tres
M worry 7,
you; madame. It is madame, ma femme,
Cel1ne-and- lie Baron de Pal
| lac, sZ".47s.f .>,:-!>0'j
Philippe had turned with evident dis
tress toward the latter, But Philippe was
only waiter. and had not behind him the
centuries Of schooling that enable a gen
tleman to remain gentleman under adj
verse conditions. 5es--li
Inc Baron Ronault de Palliac arose with
lunruffled aplomb and favored the caller
with his stateliest bow. He was at the
moment graceful and silencing rebuke
f TO tnose VINO aver that manner and attire
be 1nterdependent. The baron's manner
was ideal, undiminished in volume, fault
less as to decorative qualities One fitted
1 to SAVIOR its exquisite finish would scarce
have noted that above his waist the noble
gentleman was clad in single wooden
under garment of revolutionary red.
Or. If such a one had observed this
Us ".
have treated it as Of no value to the mo-
ment; something to note, perhaps. and
then gracefully to forget
I The baron's own behavior would have
served as model. One swift glance had
shown him there was no wav III
; instant retreat That being 1innnossih1e
| none other was graceful; hence none other
was to be considered. He permitted him.
Z sell not even glance at the shirt upon
whose fair, defense1ess bosom the iron III
the overcome Celine had burned its crue
brown lmpr1mature. Mrs. Bines hao
greeted him as he. would have wished
unconscious, apparently, that there could
pc cause for mbarrassment.
An! madame he said, handsomely
you see me, / unfast with the fork Yor
see me here, have envy Of the simple
life. am content of to do it-comme ca
as q: that see YOU waving in the direc.
ton or his unfinished repast. Cali thai
magnifcence Of your grand hotel, there il
not the why of it, the most big Of the
4 world, and suchly Supplying, with it's in.
fernu racklt as you say. And Of more
what droll of idea enough curious, b,
example! to dwell with the good Philippe
and his femme aimable. Their hotel is al
unteerly since longtime. Is it that one
can to comprehend liking the vast hote
American ~ s
Monsieur lie Baron lodges with us: we
have so much of the chambers venturee
lCeline.
Monsieur lie Baron wishes to retire t
. his apartment" said Philippe, raising The
ironing board. will madame be SO gooc
to enter our petit salon at the front, nest
Ice- pas?''
The baron stepped forth from his corne,
and bowed himself graciously out.
Madame, my compliments-and to tn.
> adorable Mademoiselle Bines! Au revoir
madame-to the soontime-ayant peu-be
! fore little''
s On the farther side Of his closed dool
, the Baron Ronault de Palliac swore-once
d But the oath was one Of the most awfu
!, that a Frenchman may utter in his ma.
: tive tongue: "Sacre Name of a Name!'
But the baron wasn't done eating
!. protested Mrs. Bines.
:, aAh, yes, madame!" replied Philippe
Monsieur lie Baron has consumed enough
), for now. Paul, mon enfant, ne touch,
:. pas la robe de madame He Is large, i.
! he not. madame, as I have told you? a
monster, yes?'
: Mrs. Bines,. STOPPING, took the limp ans
! wide-eyed Paul Up in her arms. Where
: upon he began to talk so fast to her il
. French that she set him quickly dow1
lagain, with the slightly helpless air Of on,
: who has. picked up an innocent lookin,