The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1907-05-31

ISaNWfSNMI ing?"
!; J : !: 4! 6
MS&EREM 'None that I
HB4ylNMElA know of, Monsieur
M&6xH@T Justin, except that
W2Saz8&0H Mademoiselle Rose
\N is to be married to-
s@M morrow"
!Mel9H much obliged,
" my respectable old
friend, for so interesting and unex-
pected a reply to my question. Con-
sidering that am the valet Of Mon
sieur Danville, who plays the dtStin-
guished part of bridegroom in the lit
tie wedding comedy to which you re-
fer, think may assure you without
offense, that your news is, so far as I
am concerned, of the stalest possible
kind. Take pinch of snuff, Monsieur
Guillaume, and excuse me If inform
you that my question referred to pub
lie news, and not to the private affairs
of the two families whose household
interests we have the pleasure of pro-
noting"
II don't understand what you mean
by such a phrase as promoting house,
hold interests, Monsieur Justin. I am
the servant of Monsieur Louis Tru-
dame, who lives here with his sister,
Mademoiselle Rose. You are the serv-
ant of Monsieur Danville, whose ex-
cellent mother has made up the match
for him with my young lady. AS serv-
ants, both of us, the pleasantest news
we can have any concern with is news
that is connected with the happiness of
our masters. I have nothing to do with
public affairs; and being one of the
old school, make it my main object in
life to mind my own business. If our
homely domestic politics have no in
terest for you, allow me to express my
regret, and to wish you very good
evening""
Pardon me, my dear sir, have not
the slightest respect for the old school,
or the least sympathy with people who
only mind their own business. How
ever, 1 accept your expressions of re-
greet; reciprocate your good evening;
and l trust to find you improved in
temper, dress, manners, and appear
ance the next time have the honor of
meeting you. Adieu, Monsieur Quill
aume, and vive la bagatelle"
These scraps of dialogue were inter-
changed on lovely summer evening in
the year seventeen hundred and eighty
nine, before the back door of small
house which stood on the banks of the
Seine, about three miles westward of
the city of Rouen. The one speaker was
lean, old, grabbed, and slovenly; the
other was plump, young, oily-man-
nered, and dressed in the most gorgeous
livery costume of the period The last
days of genuine dandyism were then
rapidly approaching all over the civil
lied world; and Monsieur Justin was,
in his own way, dressed to perfection,
as living illustration of the expiring
glories of his epoch,
After the old servant had left him,
he occupied himself for few minutes
in contemplating, superciliously
enough, the back view of the little
house before which he stood. Judg-
ing by the windows, it did not con-
tain more than six or eight rooms in
all. Instead of stables and outhouses,
there was conservatory attached to
the building on one side, and a low, long
room, built of wood gaily painted, on
the other. One of the windows of this
room was left uncurtained, and through
it could be seen, on a sort of dresser in
side, bottles filled with strangely-col-
ored liquids, oddly-shaped utensils of
brass and copper, one end of large
furnace, and other objects, which plain
ly proclaimed that the apartment was
used as chemical laboratory.
Think of our brides brother anus
ing himself in such place as that with
cooking drugs in saucepans," muttered
Monsieur Justin, peeping into the room.
II am the least particular man in the
universe, but must say I wish we
were not going to be connected by
marriage with an amateur apothecary.
Pah! 1 can smell the place through the
window"
With these words Monsieur Justin
turned his gack on the laboratory in
disgust, and sauntered towards the
cliffs overhanging the river.
Leaving the garden attached to the
house. he assembled some gently-risine
ground by winding path. Arrived at
the summit, the whole view of the Seine,
with its lovely green islands, it's banks
fringed with trees, its gliding boats,
and little scattered waterside cottages
opened before him. Westward, where
the level country appeared beyond the
further bank of the river, the land
scape was all aglow with the crimson
of the setting sun. Eastward, the long
shadows and mellow intervening lights
the red glory that quivered on the rip.
ping water, the steady ruby-fire glow.
ing on cottage windows that reflected
the level sunlight, led the eye onward
and onward, along the windings of the
Seine. until it rested upon the spires
towers, and broadlymassed houses Of
Rouen, with the wooded hills rising be.
yond them for background Lovely t,
look on at any time, the view was al:
most supernaturally beautiful now un