Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1903-09-30

at this unceusing, imp0ssibIy tender
devotion of her future father-in-law.
1t appealed to her finest woman's SEN
sibilities. seemed the first palpable evil
dence of the existence in man of that
ideal chivalry Which is the cherished
dream of every young girl, of coarse
or fine fiber, the dream of the knight
and the dragon. She began to regret
In quiet moments that Dece had not
inherited these exquisite characteris-
tics from his father Yet withal she
was very happy in way, for now that
which had been MS a very milestone
about her neck In this wooing of Dece,
the pity and contempt of her friends,
was transformed, as by magic, into q
necklace of pearls which she might
faunt before their envying eyes. If
there was one predominating, over
mastering quality in Jaquette's nature,
that quality was vanity. How well
aware the willy (and himself as essen
TALLY vain Caliste was of this remains
to be seen.
By special request of Dece, who,
contrary to every rustic precedent, dis
liked nuptial show and ostentation, the
cure granted a permission, not an un-
common one, that the banns of mar
rage be published from the altar but
once instead of three times on sue
cessive Sundays. The marriage was
to be performed on the Monday follow
ing the first and last publication of the
banns. The last week came, and Ja-
guette brought the material for her
bridal gown to Dame la Rue, the vii
lage modiste. Concurrent with this
event the modiste was called upon by
Caliste.
Dame Ia Rue was one of the few
widows or spinsters in st. Pyx on
whom the gallant shoemaker had made
not the slightest impression. She was
woman of strict business principles,
setting much store by the Elusive dol
lar. entirely absorbed in outstanding
its ilk and altogether too practical, If
not too archaic, for sentiment Caliste
respected her very much and feared
her not little, SO it was with much
difficulty that he unfolded to her a
plan by means of which she might
come into possession of few dollars
without much conjunction of con-
science or great deal Of painstaking
effort. It was the knowledge Of her
mercenary spirit that buoyed him up
with hope. He dared hope she would
be susceptible. If not, why, then, Of
course. his cherished plans must come
to naught. His hopes played him
fairly
You see it does not put you in a box
either way, madame" said he, with his
prettiest pucker and a charming en-
phasis of distinction upon the name, al
ways SO delightlng to the modiste, who
had been In Paris for. short time as
whiting maid with rich Montreal lady
and who expected the fact to throw a
glamour of eminence about her forever.
II see, monsieur she answered II
am expected to keep the thing from the
ears of the gossips and to speak only
when the right moment comes"
Exactly. And, now. here is the ma
terlal,' said Caliste, breaking the cords
of certain large parcels he had carried
under cover of the darkness to the
house of the modesto
When the wonderful contents of the
parcels were poured forth upon the ta-
BILE, the little modiste opened her eyes
very wide and suppressed, with nice
tact, an exclamation of amazement.
Mounds of silks and satins colored like
the rainbow, cascades OF laces Of the
subtlest design, oriflambs of ribbon of
varied exquisite hnes, like the darting
frirSSes of the northern lights, were
tumbled upon the little table until II
fairly seemed to-groan with this weight
of opulence. Visions of her brief PART
sian days came to madame as she NUT
tered in mn unguarded moment, What
grandeur followed very quickly by,
Much as we have seen In Paris"
She could not suppress n smile, how
ever, looking upon the poor little pile Of
common stuffs Jaquette had brought.
Well, the two gowns We're made, one
by an assistant SO it would be inten-
tonally very crudely done, the other
by Dame Ia Rue herself in strict seclu-
sion and with infinite pains. Jaquette
came once or twice to be fitted, and 1t
was the common which was tried on
her. although at the same time the lit
tie modiste's mind was busily engaged
with secretly taking dimensions for the
other.
At last It was the Saturday afternoon
previous to the Sunday appointed for
the publication of the banns and two
days before the day set for the we'd