The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1913-04-10

great personality, possessing q genius
for color and effect. a keen eye for q
doubtful customer. and a ready tongue.
His show rooms We're the meeting
place of h elegant world who came to
discuss silk and scandals, to try on
dresses and opinions, or simply TO ex-
anime new models and to talk Of hats
With BehrenS.
Behrens. great man that he was,
had risen to the occasion. He had
spent 0 $1,000 francs on the decoration
and enlargement of his premises, tall
footmen served chocolate to those re-
curing it, his female assistants were
plain of feature and modest, as though
to say. No du Barry shall ever sprout
from here" In short, in an age when
modesto was the synonym of a hotbed
of vice, Behrens made his establish
ment all propriety, and it paid. His
customers, in fact. We're the only blot
on the fair name OF his shop, and this
was not his fault, for they were the
best he could find.
On the morning after De Sartines'
interview with Lavenne, Madame de
Joyeuse, a woman of SO, the ghost of a
beauty, dressed In black, as If in
mourning for her lost self, was seated
in the silk room of Monsieur Behrens.
examining ~brocadcs. This lady, who
had gained a great name for piety and
- SoAASSSs WoS ~ q vi
that young gentleman whom we ave
already seen accosting Monsieur de
Sartines at Versailles. She was seated
in a stiff, high-backed armchair, her
feet on a footstoo1. while behind her.
motionless, dressed in a crimson livery,
four feet high and looking as if carved
from ebony. stood Zapolite, her black
page boy.
Though Labille had been excom-
m%unicated by the ladies of Paris, his
former shop girl, strange to say, set the
fashions: women sneered at yet copied
her, and the sight of Zamore behind
her carriage had set the fashion for
negroes. Their scarcity helped the
craze.
The history of zapolite was less the
history Of a human being than that of
a toby jug or rare piece of china, be-
longing to this person and that in
turn. 1t was said that Madame de
Joyeuse had won him at cards.
Behrens' chief assistant was on his
knees before madame. holding the bro
cade this way and that for the light
to strike it, when from the doorway
leading into the hat department, Nom
sieur Behrens himself appeared, fol-
lowed by a lady.
1t was Madame de Stenlis, a oma
of 80. yet looking scarcely 25, exquis-
itely dressed in a robe of striped white
and lavender material, wearing a large
picture hat adorned with plumes of
ostrich feathers, and bearing in her
hand. as was then h fashion, a tall
walking cane adorned with a bow of
ribbon.
The two ladies bowed one to the
other and exchanged greetings, while
Behrens went to fetch the silk that
Madame de Stenlis wished to see.
And how is dear Monsieur de joy
~euse?" asked the younger woman. TAX
ing her seat on a fauteuil almost facing
tho other and with command Of two
mirrors.
"Monsieur de Joyeuse is very well,".
replied madame. with an edge on her
voice. for her female friends, with that
kindness of heart so distinctive Of the
sex, were never forgetful of this in
quiry, which was often the opening
gambit Of a duel of tongues.
And as youthful as ever"
LAS youthful as ever. madame, and
happy In his youth. All, madame. what
a great thing is youth! One can say
for it this, at least, 1t has no past"
Now, Madame de Stenlis possessed
a past both political, social and moral.
of which more was guessed than known.
That is So" replied so. yet have
you not often felt, madame, what a
dismal thing is age in that 1t has no
future? Before heaven. / think that
the union of youth and age is the
wisest, for Is it not the union OF 81 past
and a future? One gives the other
what the other has not got"
Madame de Stenlis' conversational
PHILOSOPHERS held more in them often
than the wit of the listener could Crap
pie with on the instant, for she was a
rapid speaker and she gave no points,
as a rule, that one could catch hold of.
Madame de Joyeuse, feeling the ridiculs
of the others remark and unable to
attack 1t because of its cloud Like ma
ture, blinked her eyes.
She was on the point of replying at
last when a voice, bell like. golden-a
woman's voice that, once heard, became
a treasure of the memory-came from
the adjoining room.
Thank you, but I wish to see Mon
sieur Behrens himself. He is in the
silk room? A thousand thanks"
THE Austrian" said Madame d.
Stenlis and Madame de Joyeuse, as
though they had been automatons
tongue-tipped with the same word.
One could see hat in a fash the pair
had forgotten their mutual differences
in the recognition of the presence of a
common enemy, inc scarcely had they
spoken when she appeared, preceded by
an assistant who ANNOUNCED In a loud
voice, so as to draw the attention of
Behrens, Madame la Baronne Lin
den."
Continued Next Week.)