El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1911-08-10
(By Paul De Brabant.)

n not dwell upon my feelings ]
had just refused two offers OF
tickets to the theater. Thus, !, now
that / no longer had the means Of at
tending the first night of the Closer
ie," wished to be present with as
much tenacity as 1 had previously
shown in refusing to go.
l had been living in the Hotel Pr
madon about six months. together with
some artists and newspaper men. We
had princely apartments, but we had no
furniture. On the floor, in one corner,
I hunted up the garments which COM
posed my wardrobe. At that time I
still had some very fine remains Of
vanished opulence / still retained my
dress suit, my black trousers, my en-
broidered waist coat. my vanished
boots. and cream colored gloves. but
alas, out Of my dozen linen shirts of
dazzling whiteness. there remained
but one One shirt. you will say, Is
enough for one man. Yes, but there
are shirts and shirts Just as there are
faggots and faggots. This shirt was
of linen, and as white as any of the
others. But 1t was at the point of en-
tering upon the last state OF shirt.
1t was becoming lint
Nevertheless. after a careful scrutiny,
I arrived at the cheering conclusion
that 1t was capable of doing duty for
one evening. The collar. the front and
the wrist bands were sound; and, as
to the vest, had no need to fear
any great catastrophe If I conducted
myself with decorum.
Thus treasured, dressed hurriedly
and went down stairs.
When I arrived at the Ambigu I was
told, as 1 had expected, that there
were no seats to be had. This did not
discourage me. 1t is just when there
are no seats at all that ] find the
most. Not being able to get place
downstairs I resolved to go into the
boxes
Ny task. admit, did not at first
seem easy. I tried here and there, in
the balcony. in the first gallery-there
was not room for a pins head. I was
beginning to sigh for my solitude in
the Hotel Pimodan. especially as the
heat was something awful when I saw
In an avant-scene. in company with my
friend Beraud. two of the prettiest
and cleverest actresses from the
Boulevard du Temple. There was one
vacant place. I was saved
They welcomed me like a comrade
Beraud was inclined to grumble, but
my two fair neighbors pleaded my
cause and had no difficulty in win
ming 1t. 1t was true they were ex-
pecting someone. but the said some
one was So much dreaded by one of
my neighbors that my advent could not
have been more appropos.
The conversation, which my arrival
had interrupted, was soon resumed,
and I began to take my share in it.
There is no man whose tongue -strings
are not loosened by the presence of a
pretty woman, so that I'm not laying
claim to much merit when I say here
that I raised a certain amount of elo-
quence wherewith to narrate a fairly
adventure, of which an ac-
heroine-an adventure as yet only
known to three or four people.
Women love scandal; they experience
infinite JOY in hearing Others spoken
evil of in their presence-actresses es-
pecially My two fair nefghbors were
too clever not to be a little mischief
vous; and this they were in such an
honest open hearted way that no one
could be very angry with them.
Ny story was a long one, and I can
not bring myself to narrate rapidly
TENS that gain all the more piquancy
by delay. { The "Claserie des Genets''
ovated before I had been called and
ovated, before I had touched the de-
nouement of my tale
MY carriage is on the boulevard"
said Esther, still laughing. ''Wili you
accompany me. Paul? You can finish
your story on the way"
My second neighbor had been unable
to avoid the someone who had been so
much dreaded throughout the piece,
and had taken leave of us in a bad
temper.
I went with Esther to her carriage.
She hoped in quickly like a bird, and
followed
Scarcely were we comfortably set
led on the cushions. and scarcely had
resumed the thread OF my narrative,
when we were already at the Rue
raitbour.
My companion continued laughing, |
Ind began to be strangely moved by |
her presence at my side. Robert |
lAbrissel, the saint of saints, most |
yirtuous of the yirtuous, whe, accord /
ng to the legend, resisted all temp |
ations, would have felt the triple |
BRASS that surrounded his heart, melt |
ike butter.
We'll, I was not so Robert d. Abris- |