Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1904-03-05
CHAPTER TX.
MADEMOISELLE.

MADEMOISELLE.
In the morning of the following day
we were engaged about a business
which troubled me no little. Had 1T
not been for Jerome / fear l a never
come through ii at all with credit.
First, we repaired TO another house
which Jerome possessed in a more
fashionable quarter, and thither by his
directions came a fawning swarm OF
tallors, bootmakers, BARRIERS, wigmak-
ers; vendors Of silken hose and men
with laces, jaunty caps, perfumes-it
was a huge task. this making a gentle
man Of meas Jerome phrased IT.
| worried over 1t g~rievously In the
beginning, but at length sullenly de-
livered myself into his hands, murmur-
ing an abject praye for the salvation
Of my soul. That, at least, was not to
be remodeled by all their fashionable
garniture. These heated discussions
concerning what 1 was to wear were
not for me to put a voice in. Verify,
l knew nothing and cared naught for
the cut of a shoe my lord Of Orleans
had made the style, nor did 1t matter
whether my Goa was slashed with
crimson or braided with golden furbe-
lows. Like some wretch a~-quivering
of the palsy 1 heard the learned doc
tors wrangling over my medicine,
which they must needs hold my nose
to make me swallow. For all their
biases and twistings l knew full well
they could carve no sprig of fashion
from so rough q block as l.. Certes, 1
must now have a squire to fasten this
new harnes well upon me, for by my
word, l knew not one garment from the
other by the sight OF 1t. Jerome went
Off into fits Of laughter seeing me try
ing to struggle into things l could not
even guess the use OF.
When tthe worst was over, late in
the afternoon, 1 felt like a play-actor,
dressed for his part, but who, for the
life of him, could not recall one sylla-
BILE of his speech, nor breathe because
of his wig. Jerome surveyed me with
a half critical, half-approving scrutiny,
until 1 essayed to buckle on my sword.
by my lady, sir, that dingy old cut
lass will never do for a drawing ROOM.
AS we'll q miller's dusty cap to w
those glorious borrowed curlS of thine;
we must get thee one shaped in the
mode" This quip eXterminated my
patience.
ITO the foul fiend with all this ever
lasting style of thine. / know this
blade, have tested 1t on many fields,
and by all the gods at once I'll not re-
place 1t with a silly toy"
"A most v~irtuous resolution, a most
godly oath, but my mettlesome friend,
I'll point out thy error"
To his i~nsinuating argument, even
in this matter, at length 1 yielded; sur
rendered with the better grace perhaps,
that he provided a most excellent
piece OF steel, which he said had seen
good service. / tried its temper, and
the edge being keen, l laid my own
aside with some misdoubtings, casting
off an old friend to strap on a new.
He now added a touch OF rouge here
and there, a black line to my brows
and in the corner of my eyes, stepping
back ever and anon to observe the eff
feet. 1t CALLED me raw, yet must per-
force submit. When the whole job was
finished, and l was allowed to sit,
gained no comfort. My clothes were
too tight in some places, while in h
ers l rocked about as loose as a wash
erwoman's arm in her scrubbing tub,
Jerome must now give me some les
sons In department, he called 1t. 1t was
but another name for a Sinking and
allowing and a~-grimacing, what was
denominated the etiquette OF the
court" Jerome sat himself contented
down, and put me through my PAGES
like some farrier showing off a foun-
dered nag. l more than half believed
he was all the while making game OF
me, yet l knew no better. AT any rate
| IL bS lit ' SI ICoI
After a series Of rehearsals Jerome
withdrew to make himself ready, leav-
ing me to practice my new acquire
ments of gait, Of gesture, and OF
speech. What had taken me the better
part of a laborious day he accom-
plished in n short half hour. Coming
back u~nannounced he caught me bow
ing and %scraping before a mirror, like
a man stricken with idiocy. l felt as
ashamed as though l had been detected
hiding in face of the enemy.
Jerome Knocked and tainted me in.
to a fine rage, which he deftly pacifiec
In wonderment at himself. l should
never have known him for the plair
Jerome. Arrayed In much the same
character of fnery which bedecked me
l could give no accurate description o.
his dress, except that with glossy wis
and q bit Of color in his cheeks III
strutted v~aliantly as q growing cocl
In his own barnyard.
Come, Placide, we are going to
ball; we car do nothing in our ques
tonight"
ITO a what?"
"a ball. / thought it might be wei
to have you look in upon Madam
Ms and recite your lessons. 1t !
to be a famous gathering and wei
worth your seeing"
/ was in a whirl, a stupor, by thi
time, and obeyed implicitly; beside, /
required such al infinite skill to keel
my sword from swinging between m
legs and throwing me down, 1 had N
time to consider Of minor matters. II
led the way and 1 followed meekly as
lap-dog.
Al the great entrance gate we be
came ~entangled in a medley of soldier:
coachmen, torch-bearers and servant
coming n going-such a babel Q
strange oaths-I wished 1 were SAT
again in the quiet of Biloxi. I pleade
with Jerome to turn again, but he wa
J memorable.
II expect to find out somethin
tonight" he explained.
/, OF this ball l remember nothing ou
that the slippery floor. in which a ma
, could see his own face, kept me ]
) deadly fear lest my sword trip m
Jerome was gay and talkative, pointin
/, out many people of whom / heard, Du
/ they did not look so great after all.
For sake of heaven, man,, wear nc
SO long a face; Ii Is not the funerai
, thy mistress ! have brought nee 70
maryeled that 80 many ola lAQ|s