The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1904-01-29

joying his usual afternoon nap, and
banging the door behind her.
what is it? 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 l do" rejoined Cesar, with
some heat You have a delightful
way of waking man up and firing
conundrums at him"
Il woke you up to- l really beg
Monsieur's pardon, but | was.in haste
to tell him the great news"
"And what is your g-r-reat news?'
The little woman stood stiffly erect,
and said with great dignity: Il have
the honor to announce the approaching
marriage of Mile Juliette, your daugh-
er, to Nj. Albert Liredoux, of the De-
partment of Public Works"
"Ah! So you have rented the room, >"
exclaimed Juliette's father, with a grin
of amusement.
This may seem incoherent, and q
brief explanation is in order. Cesar
Chantepoulet was retired optician OF
modern fortune, highly esteemed by all
who knew him, and even by his con-
cierge, which is much rarer thing
He was devoted to his good wife, Hor-
tense, as she was to him, and both
were to their only child, Juliette, a
pretty and otherwise attractive girl u
10. Nine Hortense was a woman OF
good sense and good heart. She had
materially aided her husband in bust
ness, and was now the joy of her small
family-and even of her one servant
At So she was still good to look upon,
and in her youth she must have been
remarkably pretty.
Now this excellent woman it might
be supposed would have been perfect
ly happy in the companionship of her
beloved husband and daughter. But
she was not She was tormented by
one great, never-ceasing anxiety-to
marry off her daughter, advantageous
ly of course, but above all expedi-
tiOuSly.
1t would seem also that there ought
to have been little difficulty in dispos
ing of girl who was pretty, intelli-
gent and we'll bred, and who would
have a dowry of f.25,000 Yet though
her mother had been working hard for
the last three years, she had not un-
earthed a possible husband, and was
now reduced almost to despair. But,
it may be objected, as the girl was
only 10, why this frantic haste to get
rid of her?
This is why: Her mother, Hortense
Mignolles, had possessed similar per-
sonal and financial attractions, yet she
had remained unwedded until the more
than ripe age of 50. The daughter of
retired veterinary surgeon in easy cir
cumstances, she had nevertheless lived
a dismal youth with an invalid, selfish,
and ill-humored father, and spiritless
mother absolutely submissive to her
husbands will.
w uGu I1OI LCuo0 w do ~ hCl luObACl
timidly suggested that it was time to
enlarge the circle of their acquain-
tances and to go into society bit il
Hortense were ever to be married, but
her father replied sharply that he had
no intention of changing his habits,
and that closed the discussion.
Ten years passed, and Hortense was
still unmarried.
"I 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 her
marriage to M. Chante-
poulet. The first person on whom they
called was an acidulous old aunt, who
exclaimed: II am glad to hear it. 1t
Is high time!"
This cruel remark fell on the poor
brides heart like cold douche. She
never forgot it. 1t became night
mare to her, and when Juliette was
born she vowed that at her marriage
IL should not be said: 'At last! 1t is
high time!" but rather: What So
soon?" So when Juiiette was 16 her
mother began her campaign. She Gull
.iyated new acquaintance, had her
days" and even gave little dinners.
But by a mockery of fate, it happened |
hat none of her new acquaintance
aad manageable sons.