The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1914-05-19

Inc luJuIeu DOy idiScQ ululoCu Ou
his elbow and looked up at Nine. Per
rault. One glance was sufficient.
"D'hell it u.s. he said witheringly.
The clerk turned just in time to
catch Nine. Perrault as she sank faint
ing to the floor. Restoratives were ap-
piled and the little procession started
back to the Maison DucrocQ with a
faithful remnant of their late encourage
gathering at their heels.
One by one the staff Of the maison
returned to their labors. A stray cat
had entered the kitchen while the cook
was away and stolen the paddock for
that evenings flet de sole Mornay.
The young virtuoso improved the op-
portunity of the pages absence by
calling up three numbers unchanged
on the telephone Two OF the cham.
bermaids had helped themselves to
Nine Ducrocqs private brand Of
cognac, and finally NJ. pucrocq had
tripped in his haste and utterly ruined
new pair Of lavender trousers. to say
nothing Of causing an ugly bruise on
his knee,
Dinner that evening was a melan-
choly function in the Maison Ducrocq.
Such Of the special dishes devised for
the entertainment of the famille Per
rault as had not suffered from the
cooks neglect were wasted on the
coarse palates of M. Ducrocqs ordi-
nary clientele; for all the Perraults
were either watering the bedrooms
upstairs with their tears or securing
the city for the lost Aristide.
Out in the kitchen the good Nine.
Ducrocq wept unaffectedly into the
soup, while NJ, Ducrocq took up his
station at the front door and peered
up and down the street for some trace
of Aristide or his searchers.
AT length his labors were rewarded.
1t was striking seven as corpulent
policeman turned the corner of Sixth
avenue. In his right hand he held
leather tab which he consulted In COM
parison with the numbers on the
houses. His left hand grasped the
limp fingers of very tired young
ster indeed, whose face bore traces Of
recent tears.
At intervals little choking eobs
escaped him; nevertheless. he pressed
to his lips hollow key from which.
by the simple process of blowing into
It. he produced melancholy sound
It had all Of its old fascination for
Aristide, 80 much SO that they OBJ
served they had passed the matson
before they we're observed by Ducrocq.
"Aristide!" he yelled. almost over
come by Joy. And then there came q
revulsion. His lavender trousers, his
wtfe's cognac, the fllet de sole Nor
nay ranged themselves on the one
side and the famille Perraults heb
domidal flfty-odd dollars on the other.
The lavender trousers prevailed, and
he seized Aristide and shook him until
that unfortunate prodigal's teeth fairly
ratified in his head.
At length, from sheer exhaustion,
Ducrocq desisted. Aristide, to whom
shaking was a novel form of punish
ment and unrecognizable as such,
deemed the affair a sort of greeting
similar to the kisses of his previous
welcome, and forbearing to weep,
picked up his beloved key from the
mat where it had fallen.
The officer grinned broadly.
That's the darndest kid ever see,"
he said. For two solid hours he amt
done narthen but blow into that key"
And as he passed slowly down the
block toward Sixth avenue he was
pursued by the clamorous welcome
that arose in the Maison Ducrocq.
"Aristide!" was the refrain, and
again "Aristide! Aristide!"
Copyright, by the Frank A. Munsey Coz
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