The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-10-24

rRlcs o. vlRonnAH.
The Marceau Mistake
BY MARTHA MecuLLocH WILLIAMS.

Copyright 1910 by Associated Literary Press)
HE will be famous" Monsieur Marceau said watch~
ing his Eustace. at work with brush and graver.
He viii be rich.'-Madame Marceau always conn-
tered. tossing her head
There the OF difference III the pair
Monsieur all for the great things, madame for
those of the comfortable earth Since the boy was
born had striven and thrven for him. The florist
shop under ministry was modest gold mine. II
cnly monsieur had not been bitten with idle doctrines
the Brotherhood and such like-they could
ago nave bought the house, well the garden be-
hind IL Monsieur had held his hand till the garden
secure-he loved the earth and pampered 1t So Ia
could not bear to think of it i'll other hands.
Some day you viii be big man--remember. then
said So Eileen oIsren Eustaces girl conrade said
to him often she stood in his backyard shop watch
ing his def fingers,
Eileen was not pretfs-a slim slip Of thing with
'oused faxen head alert gray eyes, and success
vas the youngest OF nine--her mother had earlier
taken in washing The fact stuck in Madame Mer-
eeaus crop even though now that big Terence was In
politics and rising fast, his mother washed for nobody
but the family
school, might have chosen among the richest girls
there 1t hard to have him take instead this wild
IRISH creature who had nothing recommend her but
hef warm heart. her unfnchng courage and her re-
She knew madame disdained her but always showed
her sweet, even an eager. Difference,
Monsieur gave her tolerant patronage--he was too
gallant to look Gnkfndy anything feminine which
50 evidently held hin, in admiring The boy would
ehtgrow Eiieen~~of that monsieur certain. Mean
time she amused him, helped him In his stood
patiently 10 be sketehed modelled. and
and and asked more than the happy prvi-
lege service.
Sometimes, TO be sure, she got more-when tbs
flowers bloomed riotousy and trade brisk
monsieur sent her home with laden hands Also upon
hoildass she was sure of nosesay, even though it
We're serapry one-for then the O'Brien generation
went to the cemetery to keep Baby Phiomena. who
had followed Eileen. and gone away very quickly. from
iesng up IN heaven that she WAS forgotten on earth
Life Went well and easily with the Barceaux until
Ens'aee came to seventeen. Then his mother wanted
him To to her brother In city learn tho
trade of decoration. Monsieur inclined
course Eustaee himself fer while said nothing
Ihen with much hating and stumbling he ade them
nnderstand-not art but architecture his passion
he wanted to study It seriousy-frst a appren-
great
monsieur aged almost vsiby the day his left But
time the healer brought them pale comfor,-so did
letters fun OF hope and courage
Don't ask me to come haek--not for long and long"
their lad ehtreated Not until am ready
myself a man through mans work"
1t was hard-but they sacrifice. comforts
Ing s anu ehsrshns each o,hsr az hes, they might
how-~aate beyond the other edge town. Fig Ter
enee. stth climbing. had taken his people all ths
green country He was In real estate and developing
suburb after suburb.
Hut Eileen nothing Of that and monsieur and
madame, who never read and had gossps
literary knew only vaguely of the change. They did
not dream that the oBreu We're now SO far
beyond. their Eileen had II pret, day OF coming
I" them not patched faded to sure but in .hs
simplest plain garments the demure honnets sha
told them she lad studied senography that by and by
she misht get regular place and money of hsr
own. They listened noddng approval. but gave the
matter thought-they too rapt In oontempla-
ton OF Eustaee and his
He was getting on--in Paris BY this-and Rad won
honorable mention more than once, and third
ionss-Ihat was the sore spot His parents did not
srudge what they spent for him, but they had tho
thrifty artisan instinct that. after all profit tho
supreme OF
Theirstoy was nnbounaed when letter cams saying
Eastaee himself would follow steamer He
had won tn a eompetition-an American competition,
he would have the JOY and the building from
his designs
Only this; nothing more-but IT enough to set
tne Maresau household afat.er adame was impatient
tc have Eileen come, and II must be added tribe
uneasy. Enstaee. architect FULL edged. could Of
course look much higher than potential
la nny
years back As for Euataee himself. she had litsie
iear-not In all time had he mentioned
Eileen
Eileen took the quietly am s,od he
Madame hurt-distinctN so
Ms'ss h. as, mss ut tho Jealous. Of tn.
70 far beyond these ohrens they needs beiis,ls
Yes ehimed IN madame. why. Eileen seems
I" think more of getting regular place than
sens eminenee. When he shall bid him have
iething to do with her beyond the civlity one
schooimate'
Mothers propose dispose. often otherwise n
vas 80 IN TINS case Eustaee came day early. When
he had been hngged and kissed cried over to
down at both his a little unsteadly:
- nave not been quite open with You. havA 1t IL
marry"
MY son. madame exploded
Monsieur sat silent aghast
Eustaee went on dogsedly. "yon ought % know.
AL about tit Is Eileen. of course There has
Viper deceitful cat" madame Missed. so this
my heart out in loneliness to has. yo
thus working slrl9"
Nv hat am but "A working n2' Eustace asked
IN turn Then he smiled aueerly. The shoe might
Well be on the other foot" he said. 1T is through
Eileen have won. The competition a whole
suhurb-honses, streets parkwaysTerence In building
it, She gave me pointers and, don't hesitate to say
Ideas OF course, the technical part In all mine
but right on the spot, knowing what wanted she
helpedoh the greatest lot the win was honest-
the Judges knew nothing OF beyond hfa
work so the prize, NOT through favor. but ~
grace OF inside information After Terence sent
, NE word L. hurry home--for the honor OF the
p'fsrien family. which had never had an old maid
in it, and didn't
Madame looked at Observation-Disclosures looked AZ
madame. Their both of them at their tai, snr
ard for sheer happiness they cried again When The
tears were dried madame said tossing her head:
since all is it is, shall gr,rd0e "a Eileen
the inheritance of my diamond brooch nor even nv
lace iehu." -
Eustace knew his mother we'll enough 10 understand
that here the ultimate expression her contritt
and her wish for reparaton