Los Angeles herald., 1906-12-03

eagerly. I'VE do so want to know how
you did It,"
We'll, II was seven years later and
I had spent another year in France
and Holland, painting and resting, and
incidentally buying many things OF
real value I had some antiques Of
merit. some Dutch silver, yards Of
uncut silks, handmade underwear
lace, and dear knows what all, amount
Ing in value to several hundreds Of
dollars. All summer long / had Won
dered how 7 could escape paying duty
without telling an untruth, for Of
course I didn't mean to lie out of
things. But neither did / mean TO pay
duty. The time had come for the gov
ernment, my own, my native land,
And just as I was about to give up
in despair tho inspiration came. And
1t was an inspiration.
when the hour came for the SOL
emn rows to form In the dining saloon
for declarations | took my seat with
the rest, ready to play my part, for
1t was to be a difficult one. My sense
of the ridiculous must be kept down
or l should spoil It all. At last my
turn came The business-lllte official
poised his pen over the paper and,
after the few usual preliminaIHes, said:
Well, madam, have you anything to
decare?
Yes, sir said I, speaking with the
greatest deliberation, and making my
speech unusually drawing, even for
southerner. I have great many
things to declare
Very good; what are they?' said
he briskly.
Well you see, one day as [ was
going through the bon Marche" 1 saw
a doll that l knew would just please
my niece, Marys littlest girl, and /
bought it and 1t cost Just one franc.
I've got that in my trunk
Yes, yes. Anything else?'
g Yes, indeed You see, another day
when | was walking down the Boule-
varde Montparnasse, that's a street in
Paris, you know, | passed a man sell
ing toys, and / bought a trumpet for
my smallest cousin and
Never mind things of that sort,
madam. Have you anything else?'
Yes sir. 1 have a great many
more things 1 repeated once again,
with JUNCTION. Every one in the i'm
mediate neighborhood was listening in
tently. Some people 1 had known on
board were wondering evidently
whether had suddenly lost my reason
and several grinned in open amuse-
ment. AS for me, the spirit of the
thing had seized me, and I was ready
to act my part with enthusiastic at
tention to detail.
so again 1 launched into descrip- |
ton of mechanical toy | had bought |
at the 'Magasin du Louvre when the |
now annoyed official, looking at his |
blank paper and remembering the
passing minutes, interrupted:
Z" You need not specify such trifies.
Have you dress goods by the yard or
any uncut materials"
Yes, sir: indeed, 1 have. You see,
just before l sailed my dressmaker
made me a black cashmere dress. she's
very thoughtful woman, and she sug-
gested that as the front breadth of a
skirt wore out much sooner than any
other part, I'd better get some extra
material. So | bought a yard and a
half-no. a meter and a half, that's
longer. you know-of black cashmere,
that cost three francs a meter
" But, madam, this is irrelevant. We
don't want to know these detalls;
Have you anything dutiable?' And
by this time he was decidedly vexed.
{" why, yes, sir; am sure 1 have. I
have a great many things. I've got
three meters of black silk that L think
I'm going to use for scarf. but I'm
not sure, and it isn't hemmed. / paid
TWO francs meter
In sheer desperation ne wrote
lown, Three meters black silk, $120,'
md waved me on, saying, That will
10. Next
But l was not to be dislodged so
asily. Keeping my seat, and speak
ng louder than before, I urged:
"'But that isn't all, sir. I've great
many more things to declare. There
ire lots of presents in my trunk for
ny kinsfolk at home, and I've not de-
Jared them!'
That will do, madam. These other
people are waiting, and I can't spend
more time listening to accounts of
rifles and he fairly pushed me oLt
# my chair 1 protesting, But lots Of
ny things are not trifles. and you
Won't let me declare them
with face still seriously distressed,
passed out between rows of astouhd-