The evening world., 1914-04-04
lEFORE the coming Of the
lodker. Mr.. Arlstide Brut-
ant, the households Of Fen
elon Rougot and Theophile

l1 elon Rougot and Theophile
Braquart had dwelt In neighborly
peace and amity-the fraternal amlty
of the French--helping one another
in q hundred small services, rejoicing
one another with thousand little
gifts and remembrances. Was Nine.
Braquart III. Nine. Rougot new to the
bedside, closed all the windows and
administered "tisane" Of herbs. Did
Nine. Rougot upset the ink bottle on
the best tablecloth. Nine. BraQuart
arrived simultaneously with salts-of-
lemon and absorbent rags.
Fenelon and Theophile played
checkers together. and halved the
subscription to the Illustration" and
journal des Debats." Celestine Bra
quart and Roger Rougot walked and
talked and iaus sed together as young
people will. when the two families
sat on the stoop and chatted OF an
evening. Roger was more often on
the steps Of the BraQuart house than
on his own. They lived on a wide,
old fashioned street where once the
elite OF New York had teetered erin
olines and sported stocks and bell
crowned hats.
Each OF the double row OF neat
brick dwellings boasted front yard.
where flowers or grass were tended
with varying results. quiet,
pleasant neighborhood, through which
a small electric train ambled, making
this odd corner OF old Chelsea access
sible to tho business districts.
Whole blocks, north and south.
east and west, the French Colony had
made it's own. Here one might dine
| luxuriously at small expense In one
Of the many little table dhote res
| taurants and drink excellent Call
fornia wines and chicory infected
coffee.
Into ,hi. ,, peaceful; , happy di,tric. list! !
friend OF cousin OF Nine. Ropgot In
Marseilles. He was reputed wealthy.
He dealt in wines, particularly the
translating OF California vintages into
French. He called, on Fenelon, dis
turbing a tense game Of checkers, and
after expressing himself delighted
with the surroundings, proposed him.
self as boarder. He did not fancy
hotels, he said, no. He wanted q
home. Thus came the viper to the
bosom.
In appearance Aristide was gro
tesque. His huge body appeared to
balance with difficulty upon his short.
round legs. His head was pear
shaped. with the stem. a fine uprising
roach" Of hair at the apex. and
double chins in abundance that
bulged as enthusiastically above his
collar at the back as under his deep
ly cleft chin. When he laughed,
which was almost continuously, he
shook all over, and he eyed the world
Quizically from many pouches. He
took up his abode with the Rougots
and at once fraternized with the
He was forever observing the two
families as they foregathered. and
chuckling fatly~at what. nobody
quite knew. but they felt reflection
on their dignity. "Childrens games
he called the simple recreation OF the
with the superiority of a Man-of-the.
World. Thereafter checkers ceased
to appear on the daily programme
The journal" and the illustration
did not find their way from one home
to the other with the old regularity
Mr.. Aristide usually got them first.
A word let fall, indicating that the
brotherly and sisterly conduct OF Gel
estine and Roger was hardly the
men and girls" produced sudden re-
straints that at first bewildered the
young people. and then produced in'
tense self-consciousness. Roger nc
longer sought the neighborinK stoop
Slowly, by steps so gradual thai
they could not be traced, the cordia
relations of the Rougot- -Braquart ar
filiation faded. At first a suspense
Of friendship, u hecaTna open irrt
| l,~ uyh
Aristide, smiling from ear to ear, let
home n magnificent white r'renci
Loodle, which he forthwith presented
not to his hostess. but to Nine. Bra
quart.
The Rougots were astounded. IL
the privacy of their room they sa
on tho cdge OF the swelling elder
down comforts on the reps drape'
bed and discussed the gift. II wa
agreed that Aristide had shown ba'
, taste, hut that Mime. Braquart ha'
not instantly refused was inconCciv
able. As for ThGophile, Of what, In
decd, was he thinking. that he per
mitted his wife to accept present
| from men! The I.ougotS decided tina
n certain GOODNESS on their part woul
be dignified.
The dog attached himself with pas
sion 10 his new masters, with sue
single minded devotion, that he b
I Ferflon. as an intruder, when. feclin
. more kindly disposed one day. he de
cidcd to visit his former friend. Thof
; philcs apologies and protes'a alton
:, were Of NO avail. Fenelon was MOI
y tally offended The lodser laughc'
n He took no sides, he made no con
y meut, but his many ch'ns shook wit
amusement.
= One balmy evening, the two familie
e silent now, and looking straight h'
: fore them. sat on their rcspect''
stoops. From the head OF the steI
=. Ceiestine looked across and smiled {
>, Roger. II was mot like the same q
q smile" There was a new element
" 1t that quickened Rogers pulses. u
a took the cigarette from his lips al
y blew the smoke at her. The mov'
~ ment was a caress. Ceiestine blushe
y Romance budded. Down the stree
came Aristide. In his huge hand, thi
resembled nothing so much as a bunc
: OF bananas. he carried a wicker baske
- "Ah, ha! my friendS" he cried. +,
:. he opened the little iron gate. ii ma,
u little present for YOU"
From the tail of her eye Nine. Br,