The French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1896-1912, 1905-08-24
THE WHITE LIES
OF JULlETTE
Inconvan ence of Always Telling the
Truth Pointed Out in a
Girls Journey.
From the French.
JULIETTE TO HER FATHER.

A01& EAR FATHER - No one
R could possibly feel more
@ @ keenly than I your re-
u ; proaches yesterday morn
SF0% ing when I was just leav-
ing for Cherbourg with my g~overness,
Miss Harriet. and my little brother,
Paul. In spite of your having forbid
den it, the last thing I did before my
departure was to brush my cheeks
with my powder puff.
This you perceived as you babe me
goodbye. Caught unawares, I denied
the fact as stupidity as I did energeti-
cally, and you did not spare your de-
nunciation.
OF course I am heartbroken to think
that I have ever displeased you, dear
papa, so 1 Immediately made up my
mind that the best way. to prove my
repentance and show my respect for
you was to conform blindly to your
counSelS.
This is how 1 set to work to practice
them that very day.
No sooner had we taken our seats in
the train, Miss Harriet, Paul and I,
than the guard came to take our tick
cts. According to your instructions we
had bought Paul's at half price.
81 am sure that child ought to pay
the full fare" said the guard; 'he is
certainly more than seven years old"
"He is eight years old, SIR" I said,
openly.
Ten francs more, then," replied the
guard.
We paid and the train started. Miss
Harriet was not at all pleased with
my interference, and she scolded and
spluttered away until she finally
wound up by telling me that she did
not think we appreciated her sufi-
GENTLY.
81 heard your father say the other
day that I was stupid" she said. "You
needn't deny it, for you can'tr"
Of course 1 had to tell her the truth.
HE didn't say you were stupid" 1
answered, ''but he did say that you
were a goose.''
Mercy! That was worse than ever.
She looked at me as if she would like
to eat me up. She did not say much,
but I think, dear papa, that you had
better be ON the lookout for another
governess.
We reached our destination without
further adventure, except at the Gus
tom house, when we were asked to de-
clare the brandy, the cologne, the game
for my aunt at Cherbourg and all the
rest of the things. This cost fourteen
more francs.
After an hours ride in the carriage
we at length threw ourselves into the
arms of your sister. Thin and bony,
more homely than ever-I am still be-
ing perfectly frank, YOU see-she stood
waiting for us on the threshold of the
old house which you are so anxious to
sell to her.
why didn't your mother come with
youT" she asked me at once.
"Oh, mamma was delighted to get
rid of US so that she could have a good
time with papa,'' I replied, for was it
not the truth?
"She is not ill, then?"
"No, indeed"
"She wrote me that she was i'll. All!
I understand perfectly; I am to have
all the care and worry of taking care
of the children while she amuses her
SELF"
She did not seem pleased, somehow.
I tried to caress her and soothe her.
"But you love me, little one, don't
you?" she said.
"Yes, aunt" I replied.
! "As much as your mother?"
was about to tell a lie. Fortunately
1 remembered your words in time, so
answered her truthfully. t.8
"Oh, no, indeed, aunt, not nearly 50
much"
"Is it because you think your mother
is prettier and more agreeable than I?n
she persisted.
"That is exactly the reason" I re.
piled.
She frowned at me as blackly as Miss
Harriet had done, but she gave me one
last chance to redeem myself.
"Why, how old do you think I am:"
she demanded GROSSLY.
Again I was absolutely frank AND
said just what I thought.
Nearly sixty, I should judge"
Little fool, I am only forty-1ye,'
and as she seemed quite inclined IN ho,
my a r 1 thought it was high time II
get the presents that I had broupbt r.
her:
Here is a c~entrepiece that mamms
sent you," I said as quickly as I couli
get hold Of it.
1T is very pretty" and aunt ap
peared delighted. "But what esne
cially touches me is the thought of al
the stitches that my sister-in-law ha,
taken for me herself"