Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1912-08-13
Cynthia-ot -the-Minute
Copyright 1911 By Louis Joseph Vance
VII.
CINDERELLA.

NI-FErlnE II. AA0aluG 1aNdAaAA N----
heavily back into her chair. replacing
her cane in its corner. She sat in
silence for a long minute. her eyes
scintillant
Then her mood veered- The ten
.plunp and active fingers OF her two
hands drummed the devils tattoo on
the polished top OF the little table be-
fore her. Her handsome old face cloud
ed whatever shall I dor she soliio-
ouized in despair Il can neve replace
her. never"
To that instant Cynthia, urtroubled
BY the envenomed glance the discharged
maid had given her IN parting. had
been family amused She was so no
longer. She detected In the ola lazy
ordinations a very real and poignant
distress. sympathy stirrer in the girls
generous bosom
You musn't think that" she said
soothingIy. I'm sure there must be
plenty OF maids"
There's only one SidOnie!" declared
madame with vigor. That animal
she cried. Think OF IL, For ten-no,
for more years than I can say without
stopping 70 reckon. she mas been my
servant one doesn't uproot from one
heart the association OF that time and
not feel it, She was a paragon OF
MAIDS she AIWEAGA84A AAAE AAA~A --As q
: never had 20 tell her a word OF her
duties. Ii is true she would steal my
trfnkets and pawn them for money TO
get drunk or. she would lie 20 me and
carry tales to turn me against my COM
panions-she had got rid OF at least
one rival every year by such means;
hut then / could say anything TO her.
she was the only maid ! ever had who
could endure my temper nave a
6lthy temper" said Madame Savaran
complacentIy.
and YOU don't .hink you could take
her back
what? That snake? That migrate!
Never the old lady swore cheerfully.
Anything but treachery l could stand;
but let that once show its head. and
ID is over-all-everythin is finished!'
She waved her hands excItedly. folded
them. and breathed. or rather sighed
plaintively. a three-ply. copper-riveted
rnaIedfction on the head OF the de-
partine maid.
shocked. cynthia involuntarily sat
bolt upright. cycling madame in. wide
disuay. The movement did not pass
unreTnarked.
Il do swear wonderfully observed
madame. Sometimes ! surprise even
myself. But it is n great comfort You
mustn't mind; you'll get used 10 II In
time.
aT!" Cynthia exclaimed. amazed
You-certainly-my dear. Why, do
you ina CINE. did call you back If l in
tended 70 let you leave me?'
But
You needn't think 1 hold il against
you that you were sent me by that red
headed blackguard. Rhode 1t only goes
20 prove that good may come OF evil
You see. my dear, I believe you, and
don't believe that IL you were TO attach
yourself 70 me you'd sell me, like that
that" repeated madame slow
~; then she got her faculties well in
hand, and with the careful elaboration
OF the true artist. thoughtfully, fully.
an freely delivered herself of a charac-
ter sketch OF Sidonie. forgetting. extern
uating and emitting nothing, working
up through we'll chosen epithet and
smile neatly applied to soul-stirring,
hair-raising. blistering, blasting perora-
ton that borrowed its bolts from the
skies and sifted the abyss for its meta
phOrs-
Whesn she had finished. Sidonie's
ante-mortem obituary had been written
BY q master hand. Stunned. breathless,
hardly able 20 credit her hearing, Gym
thia remained spellbOund, unable TO as
sociate such fearful powers Of express
sion and the comedy old lady with the
stately manner UA0QCAGAEA ~ q 6A0h Va
creative enthusiasm and obvious self ap-
proval. from whose lips the TRADE is
sued.
Then the heavens cleared. Madame
Savaran folded her hands. compressed
her mouth primly. and smiled. radiating
good nature
I feel better now" she remarked.
Wen forget il and say no more about
it, II was Cynthia's thought that she
comfort 20 be old enough 10 have
Safety-valve like that, really: ever so
much better than what fools ,:au a good
CRY. Besides. women don't cry much,
except in novels. unless there's a man
concerned Now we viii talk about
yourself. How old are you2"
Recovering. Cynthia told her.
al your middle name-hOw 90 on
spell it?'
cynthia detailed the photography Of
Trcilla-
s Don't YOU wonder why I ASK
Perhaps you thought the name IN
usual" Cynthia ventured-
Rather" Madame Savaran affirmed
with strong. humorous drawl- But
had another reason. But no matter. III
explain later. Now tell me more OF your
self
In the course OF the next ten minutes
she proved herself an exceedingly able
practitioner OF the art OF cross-eXsmina-
tion- Cynthia was not permitted time to
think how entirely she was surrendering
her personal history and character into
the hands Of this pragmatical person,
80 swiftly did question follow upon the
heels OF answer. Things she had never
dreamed to tell another ran of her
tongue ere she thought TO impeach ma
DANES right to know Beneath the fre
OF Interrogation lay warmth Of sympa~
thy, a personal and friendly interest.
anzesthetic 20 maiden reticence- Before
this reserve melted like ground mists be-
fore .hA Era OF morning; Cynthia inno-
Gently revealed herself. with neither 80
picion nor misgiving-
Afterwards. wondering at this. she
vas never able TO account for it. save
under the excuse Of white magic; Ma
dame Savaram seemed undoubtedly
witch Of sorts. to have been able TO
insinusts herself beneath n strangers
guard
Cynthia told everything. indeed; what
Crittenden had missed in her more con-
strained self-accounting of the evening
previous: the story Of her mothers ar
rant infatuation with the notion Of mar
rying her child to money. through pur-
suit OF which her small competence had
ebbed as she moved YEARLY on from con-
tinental spa to capital. capital to seaside
watering place and thence to gambling