Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1903-11-27
SHORT STORY FOR
EVENING HOURS
A FAILURE TO PROMOTE M.
TRIM0NY

SCSdl Nfodi 'ANi'ihN' '''''N
Nine. Chantepoulet. bursting into the
room in which her husband was en-
joying his usual afternoon nap, and
banging the door behind her.
What is 1t FIRE." her husband
cried. sitting up suddenly and staring
at her.
What Is It Success! Victory at
last! I've got him! But why do you
stare at me in that bewildered fash
ion? One would imagine that you did
not understand"
No more do" rejoined Cesar, with
some heat. You have delightful
way of waking a man up and firing
conundrums at him."
Il woke you up to, ! really beg
Monsieur's pardon, but | was in haste
TO tell him the great news"
And what is your great news?'
The little woman stood stiffly erect
and said with great dignity; 81 have
the honor to announce the approach
ing marriage of Mile. Juliette, your
daughter to NJ. Albert Liredoux, Of
the department Of public works.
"Ah! SO you have rented the room
exclaimed Juliette's father, with a grin
OF amusement.
This may seem inCOherent, and a
brief explanation is in order. Cesar
Chantepoulet was a retired opticiar
OF modest fortune, highly esteemed by
all who knew him, and even by his
coincerge. which is much rarei
thing. He was devoted to his good
wife, Hortense, as she was to him.
and both we're to their only child, Ju.
liette. a pretty and otherwise attrac-
tive girl of nineteen. Nine. Hortense
was a woman Of good sense and good
heart. She had materially aided her
husband in business, and was now the
Joy of her small family-and even OF
her one servant. At fifty-twO she was
still good to look upon, and in her
youth she must have been remarkably
pretty.
Now this excellent woman II might
be supposed would fmve been perfectly
happy in the cOmpaniOnship of her be-
loved huslsnd and daughter. But she
was not. She was tormented by one
great. neyerceasing anXiety-to marry
of her daughter, advantageously OF
course, but above all expeditiously.
II would seem also that there ought
10 have been little difficulty in dispos'
ing of a girl who was pretty, intelli-
gent, and well-bred, and who would
have a dowry of twenty-five thousand
francs. Yet though her mother had
been working hard for the last three
years. she had not unearthed posi-.
bile husband, and was now reduced
almost to despair. But, 1t may bC
objected, as the girl was only nineteen
why this frantic haste to get rid OF
her.
This is why: Her mother, Hortens'
Mignolles, had possessed similar per
sonal and financial attractions, yet She
had remained unwedded until thC
more than ripe age of thirty.two. The
daughter of retired veterinary sur
geon in easy circumstances, she hat
nevertheless lived dismal youth with
an invalid selfish and ill-humoret
father, and spiritless mother abso
lutely submissive 10 her husband:
will
When Hortense was twenty her mo-
ther timidly suggested that II was time
TO enlarge the circle of their acquain'
tances and to go into society a bit Il
Hortense were ever to be married. but
her father replied sharply that he haC
no intention of changing his habits
and that closed the discussion.
Ten years passed. and Hortense wa!
still unmarried.
81 shall live and die an old maid,
she said to her mother.
But she was mistaken, for old Mig
nOlles had one delicate attention in re
serve for his womenkind. He died
Within year Hortense accompanied
by her mother. was announcing hel
approaching marriage to NJ. Chante
pOulet. The first person Oh whom the!
called was an acidulous old aunt, whit
exclaimed; Il am glad to hear it, i
is high time!"