Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-03-10
XII.
A Ticklish Business.

Pierre was fierce and fat and forty, but
he could cook the most wonderful roasts
and ragouts that Warburton ever tasted;
and he could take a handful of vegetables
! and an insignificant bone and make a
soup that would have tickled the jaded
palate of a Lucullus. Warburton present
ed himself at the kitchen door.
"Ah!' said Pierre, striking a dramatic
pose, ladle in one hand and a pan in the
other $50 you are zee new groom? Good!
We make a butler out of you? Bah! Do
you know zee difference between broth
and a soup? Eh?'
The new groom gravely admitted that he
| did.
Hear to mer"-and Pierre struck his
chest with a ladle. II teach you how to
sairve; I Pierre Flageot, will teach host
Ter to be butler! Bah!'
THAT is what / sent here for"
Hear to me! If gay hat oysters, gay
| are placed zee table before zee guests
enter. Via? Then zee soup. You sairve
one deesh at time. You do not carry all
zee deeshes at once. And you take zee
deesh, notwithstanding. Then you wait
till gay push aside zee soup deesh Then
you carry ze a,an away ,,. v la nasrs.ood
| II carve zee meats" went on the amfable
Pierre. You naf nozzing to do wiz zee
/ meats You rest zee deesh on zee fiat uf
zee hand so! Always sairve to re right
uf zee guest Watch Eat gay do not move
while you sairve. You spill zee SOUP and
keel you! To spill zee soup ees crime
| Now take hold uf thees soup deesh.
Warburton took it clumsily by the rim
Pierre snatched it away with a volley of
| French oaths William said that there was
10 be no "crssing, but Pierre seemed 10
be an immune and not included in this
i order
Idiot! Imbecile! Non, non! Thees way
You would put zee thumb in zee soup
| Zare! You hat catch Eat. Come to zee din
ing hall. 1 show you. / explain"
The new groom was compelled to put
forth all his energies to keep his face
| only his old mates could see him now!
| The fop of Troop A playing at butler! Ger
tainly he would have to write Chuck ABOUT
it-(which he most certainly never did.
Still, the ordeal in the dining room was
| severe one. Nothing he attempted was
done satisfactorily; Pierre, having in mind
Celeste's frivolity and this mans g19d
| Kissed "Idiotr' and "Imbecile!' and Jack
| asst as many times as there are knives
| and forks and spoons at course dlnner.
! 1t was when they came to the wines that
Pierre became Modified. He was forced to
| acknowledge that the new groom needed no
instructions as to the varying temperatures
| of clarets and burgundies. Warburton
longed to get out into the open and yell. 1t
| was very funny. He managed, however, on
| third rehearsal, to acquit himself with some
credit. They returned to the kitchen again
| where they found Celeste nibbllng crack
ers and cheese. She smiled
"Ha.' The vowel was given prolonged
| roll. 80, mademoiselle, you mar 10 come
and look on, eh?
rs there any objection. monsieur" re-
torted Celeste in her native tongue, making
handsome eyes at Warburton, who was
greatly amused. !,
"Ha, if he was hideous, would you be
putting on those ribbons l gave you to
I wear on Sundays?" snarled Pierre.
Warburton followed their F; French n.sho with n
| out any difficulty. 1t was the French or
| the Partisan, with which he was fairly con-
versant But his face remained impassive
and his brows only mildly curious:
II shall throw them away, Monsieur
! Flageot if you dare to talk to me ike
that He is handsome, and you are Jeal-
| Gus. and l am glad. You behaved horrloly
| to that coarse Nanon last sunday. be
| cause she scrubs the steps of the French
| embassy you consider her above me, me!
| "You are crazyi" roared Pierre. y GU
| introduced me to her so that you might
| make eyes at that apomiiidole foio' VI Inv
! celeste bounced (whatever means of loco
motion that Isl. abruptly from the Rlaeheh'
| go! And eef you look at her, IDIOT, naI
| revenge myself Oh, 1 am calm! Bah! Go
to zee stables cattle! Anu ne ia''ieo ii'
| pans at a great rate.
| Warburton was glad enough to escape. :.
Il have brought discord into the land 1t
| would SEEM. 1880.
I Rnt his trials were not over. The worst
| or5ea, was vet to come. At five, orders
| were given to harness the coach horses TO
the coupe and have them at the steps
| promptly at $50. MISS Anhesley ,ieiu as
| nified her intention of making call IN the
| CITY. Warburton had not the slightest sus-
picion of the destination. He dion care
where it was 1t would be dark and ne
| would pass unrecogniZed. He gave tne
| order no more thought Promptly at $50
| he drove up to the steps. moment later
| she issued forth, accompanied by seiltle-
man in evening dress IL was 100 ualA
| for Warburton to distinguish his FEATURES
II am very sorry, count. to leave you;
but you understand perfectly. 1t Is an old
| school friend of mine whom l haVent seen
in a long time; one of the best girl frlenos
| I have ever known. 1 promised to dine with
her tonight but I broke that promise ana
| agreed to spend the evening.
DO not disturb yourself on my account,
| replied the man, in broken English. which
| was rather pleasant to the ear. Your ex-
cellent father and 1 can pass the evening
| very we'll
| Karloff! Warburton's chin sank into his
collar and his hands trembled. This man
| Karloff had very penetrating eyes. even in
| the dark.
! But shall miss the music which prom
| Used myself. All. if you only knew now
| adorable you are when you play the violin!
| 1 become lost, l forget the world and its
| sordidness. l forget everything but that
| mysterious voice which you alone know
| how IT, arouse from that little box of wood.
| You are a great artist, and If you were
before the public the world would go mad
| over you-aS l haven
So she played the violin, thought the I'M
| happy man on the box of the coupe.
Count, you know that is taboo: you
must not talk to like that'-with
| nervous glance at the groom.
THE groom embarrasses you?" The count
| laughed. well, it is only groom; an AMI
NAL which does not understand these
| things"
Besides do not play nearly so well as
| you would have me misunderstanding him
| to safer channels.
| Whatever you undertake, mademoiselle.
| becomes at once an art"-gallantly. Good
| a
| he helped her, into the coupe.
How Msieu Thames would have liked to
jump down and pommel Monsieur lie Comte.
| Several wicked thoughts surged through
our jehu's brain, but to execute any one
of them in her presence was impossible
Good night. count. I shall see you at
dinner on Monday.
She would, eh? And her new butler
would be on duty that same evening? With
out doubt. M'sieu Thames vowed under
his breath that if he got good chance he
would make the count look ridiculous. Not
even king can retain his dignity while a
| stream of hot soup is trickling down his
spinal column. Warburton smiled. He was
| mentally acting like a schoolboy disap-
pointed in love. His own keen sense of the