The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1908-03-06
her little room. She got up, bathed
her face and hands and, standing an

l
her face and hands and, standing n
unconseionably long time in front {
the mirror, smoothed her hair, put o
a lace collar in place OF the stiff on
at her neck, and 10, she was ready fc
dinner. But she was too excited, to
quickened by the days events to cor
template with resignation the sti
little pension dinner, at which tn
snuffy professor OF boys school sa
in her right, and a deaf old languag
teacher on her left, She remembers,
( again that old friend Of her mother
--one Of the few people in Paris t,
whom she had letters-1who had lef
her card full week ago with prett,
little line on the back begging Ger
trude's daughter to come in an,
evening, but soon, and sup informall,
tete-e-tete with Gertrude's friend.
| And without giving herself time ts
change her mind. she jumped into I
fiacre(she dared not trust the street.
again) and had herself driven TO Ma.
dame Tournet's.
This Madame Tournet"--Oid de
Crussol put his artists hands to-
gether and looked about his studio as
though summoning everything in il
to corroborate what he said--"was a
saint on earth. Not gifted, not dow
cred, you understand; bourgeoise. so
to speak. in the empire of Art. And
yet with a heart so true and a spirit
so well-attuned to all that was fine,
that sympathy sprang full-fowered
from II, though you would say there
was no soil wherein appreciation
might grow. She"
''She lived all alone in dear little
old boxes OF rooms in the Rue de Ia
Huchette, and she was just setting
the table for supper when the girl
arrived" Madame de crussol broke
off the thread of her husbands mar
rative without compupction. and
spliced it merrily onto her own line.
at was her reception-a compound
of flattering doubt as to the girls ac-
tual presence, of admiration at any
thing so fearless and astonishing as
an Americaine, and of unquestioning
confidence that Gertrude's daughter |
was worthy of and entitled to all the |
affection that had been the dead
was this that shook the
American in the girl to her very
foundations; or rather, the Anglo
Saxon of her. She threw down her
arms, yielded up the cumulative heri-
tage of suspicion and reticence and
caution, and fell dead in love with
Madame Tournet.
She could not help it-no one
could" explained de Crussol. 1T
was always mystery to the old lady
Why everybody loved her. The real
miracle would have been to find any
,ody that could resist her. For in
For instance" went on his wife
,ayly, mote the effect upon that same
Americaine whose distrust OF the
french was inborn-and surely we'll
ounded, if you'll bear in mind the
vents of the afternoon. Well, in
ust minute of two, there she was
aking the dishes from Madarne's
'ery hands and setting the table her
elf with saucy assurance that
night have become daughter OF the
ouse, home for the vacation. But,
ried the little old lady delightedly,
put three plates, my dear; three, /
eg of you 'Threep repeated the
oung girl, a sudden chill striking
pom her lightheartedness. Her
mood was singularly expansive, but
could hardly be made to take in
mother strange Frenchwoman on
hese same terms. But, Madame |
he stammered, I thought you were ;
lone. Surely | would never have {
ONE like this, SO informally, if
Then said the old lady with a laugh,
lis we'll that you did not know J
When ! left my card it was to q
ouper a deux ! invited you. But y
MS week that poor child, my sisters !
on, has come to stay with me. A {
cart Of gold it is. And brave!-You
hall Judge: A good-for- nothing in :
ults woman in the street this very |
ay My Christophe, on his way {
ONE from the Beaux Arts, flies to
ne rescue. The miserable Chris t
ophe will not tell me this, but we'll 6
know it) the wretch is big,stout, a
trong. He resists. Ny little Chris G
ophe falls upon him. They fight. :
he miscreant is vanquished. He is I
arried away, half-dead from the fury i
+ Christophe.. And the child comes