Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1905-11-23
AN ORDER FOR HOUSEHOLD
DECORATION.

My dear. Madame Duvenant. in her
brothers name. requested your hand in
marriage and
NJ Hustin paused suddenly for his
daughter had begun to paugh. irrisistibly
and contagiously. filling the severe-look-
ing library with joyous music. Nj. Hustin
was embarrassed. this overpowering
gaety III the midst of a conversation
meant to be solemn and serious. disturbed
him. the more since he felt a keen desire
to join in it. Silent and hesitating behind
his enormous table covered with papers
and letters, he presented the amusing
appearance OF Il man who desires To be
serious and cannot. who is anxious to
laugh and whose dignity will not allow
it.
oh. OH sighed Genevieve at length
" iI.iny away tears OF merriment. Glenn
ent Morel! Marry Clement Morel.'
She burst in u second peal of merry
laughter, leaning her arms on her father 5
desk NJ Hustin looked fOndly at her; she
was so pretty that he could not restrain
a smile.
See" Genevieve cried quickly. seizins
her advantage you can't help laughing
yourself
Nevertheless you ought to think about
it a little" replied her father. He has
"A good fortune and comes of u good fam
lily. 1t would be Il very advantageous mar
riage."
And the husband?' demanded
Genevieve.
We'll he isn't particularly handsome
surely, but
You mean that he is frightfully homely
with huge, china blue eyes and hooked
nose and figure like a barrel.''
Yes no one would accuse him OF
being SLENDER but Z"
And he is not only homely, he 10 so
awkward! so grotesqueV
he * 1r-Si
dear. and surely, the poor fellow is not
to blame for that"
Look, this is the way Clement Morel
comes into your library and springing
up, Genevieve seized her fathers eye
glasses and his hat and coat At the door
she turned. and STOPPING, her nose screwed
up beneath the glasses. took three steps
into the room, upsetting a chair on the
way and losing her hat as she bent to
| pick it up, then, stumbling against an
arm chair, she bowed profoundly to the
mantel piece and rnally discovered NJ.
Hustin behind his desk, shouting II Good
Morning, Sir" in his ear with grimacing
| smile which caused her glasses 70 drop
into the ink-wel
NJ. Hustin fastened to rescue ms
glasses, laughing heartily.
| Poor fellow! lie certainly is awkward
but he Is a kind-hearted boy and or ster-
ling value. l am sure So you will not
/
mot for IA moment. No and doubly no,
replied the young girl decisively, and left
the library.
With regretful sigh, NJ Hustin wrote
a courteous letter to Nine. DuNenant'
refusing her brothers offer Of marriage
As he sealed it he thought more regret
| fully than ever of Geneveve's mother
dead eight years before, longing for her
mothery counsel and guidance. But he
Ihastened to drive away these Thoughts
and busted himself in his work. verifying
Ian important combination which was 10
rescue from perilous position the So
ciety whose director he was He felt GER
tain OF success for his prudence and In
genuity had fOreseen all that 1t Is human
~ possible to foresee. But he could not
foretell fates nor could he know that
within a week he would be dead, overcome
lby n sudden. terrible fever. Near his bed
Genevieve knelt. sobbing, but her tatheT
smiled peacefully. relieved forever from
all the burdens and combinations or So
cieties.
A month later NJ. Hustin's death would
Ihave left the young girl with an almost
brilliant fortune: occurring when 1t did
lit meant a complete ruin. On Inc very
Iday of the funeral. Genevieve learne1
that all there was left was paltry IN
come of a few hundred francs year. q
sum fare less than what she had heen ac
lcustomeu to spend merely for her owr
pleasure.
Proud, in spite of her sorrow. GeneVieVt
refused all her friends offers of assist
ance and for home and sternly made
lup her mind to live as she could Th'
Thought OF Clement Morel and his offel
l'""'ild not fail ~ rise before her but sh'