The Press., 1918-12-05
Bonhornnae'S Compliments
 ~D
 By ALEC BRUCE


 True, he did not do much business after five o'clock. But what had that to do with it? These young men did not mean business, no! Their time was their own. Bah, even Marie, his own beautiful, peachbloom Marie, had had enough. And enough is as good as a feast; her manner said so. Her tongue? More things than tongues can speak!
 Msieu rose suddenly from his ink splattered desk and paced slowly up and down the dimly lighted aisle of his old furniture store.
 'Yes. it will end, now-tOnight !" he muttered. 'T cannot stand 1t longer. These young men, young fools, will pack them home, where they belong. My daughter is my daughter, not a plaything! Her time, my time, is valu- able."
 Before a dust-cOated mirror in a tall mahogany wardrobe he paused a mo- ment, shaking his fist at the full-fea- tured reflection with It's curling gray hair and subdued foridity of cOunte- nance.
 %AAO JVOS XII AUSL pdCA LuCku home; you have been too long about it!
 His big brown eyes blazed Omi- nously.
 "Father!' A door opened in the clumsy tapestry frame screening the little living rooms behind, and a girl, tall and darkly handsome, a little past twenty, perhaps, with humorous and clever expression, beamed on him out of liquid wells of blue. Father" she repeated, "Mr. Moorson is coming. He-he-I think he is coming here again.
 ''Thank you, Marie, thank you," stammered M'sieur, his broad, clean shaven face pinking distinctly. "Er- and Tiff I am not seen, suppose that l will not be in the way, my dear?"
 "Oh, no, father, nOw she laughed, ''but make yourself heard up in the gallery. Walk about a little, tumble something, yes. Then I can say, Hush, MT, MoorsOn; someone is talk ing stock up there.' Ha hat" She laughed a nervous little laugh.
 ''My dear," whispered her father i'm pressively, "Of course you know that I do nOt-er-desire to listen. The sweet things these young men say are not for ears like mine, An, dauht not that l have heard them once OrI twice already. yes,"
 This time a low, musical laugh rip. pied through the long OblOng hall, and aahno1 ha
 "Nfon ami," she murmured archly, "the sweet things these young men say, now, are perhaps just little diff ferent from the things young men said-Oh, some twenty years ago. when the little mother heard you speak them, hey? And so, perhaps you might deSire-"
 "NIy dear," BonhOmme interrupted with a smile. "I hear footsteps Never fear, will walk about in the l gallery, or I will cough maEhe, But ! am busy this afterleaR, and I cannot | leave the store for the convenience of these yaung-visltoFs, ahem! And 1t is possible that I might hear some leetle snatch-eh2 Take care, take I care. ma'amselle!"
 Ting, ting.
 .'Ah, your visitor"
 Ma'amselle hurried forward with a l laugh.
 Click! The big swing doors opened wide and a well-set-up, muscular young man met her with smile that only half explained the meaning af his presence. "Your father is out, SUD- pose?" he whispered, glancing up the aisle.
 M'sieur, fat and breathless, had taken advantage of the greetings to tiptoe up the spiral stairway. Huh, your father is Out?" he Wheeaed wrathfully. "Listen to faint heart and" But he did not hear the fair lady'a reply.
 Bah! At gallery No. he stopped for moment and viewed with regret the many dust-cOvered tables near the door. If madame were only here! Hush He could hear, hut could not see his daughter and MT, MoOrson HOW,
 They had seated themselves on a rose-eOIoHed divan on the aisle, behind
 
 chose the spot with much persuasion.
 M'sieur heard him Huh, will go higher up, young man, higher up, where can get a bird's-eye view" he panted. WheW! Asthma and climb ing do not agree, and gallery Nc. ? was so high up. It contained the he'd ding, all the soft goods and M'sieur collapsed QA pile of cushions. Oh, la, Ia he was too high up to hear even & snatch of conversation, bUt he could see. And the young man was bending so close to Ma'amselle, His speech, his actions, betrayed the feyeFish anxiety of his mind, and Ma 'amselle had turned Ter crimson face away, Suddenly Mr. M0erson seized her hand. She drew it away, Mon Dieu! The psychological mo- ment surelyq M'sieur looked about For something to drop, something that would make noise, but there was nothing hig, nothing hard. He thought of cough, but in his present state of tha' also was impos- 'lble. A real Spasm would take the place of the feigned, and M'steur was 2 friend of discretion,
 Hark! Loud footsteps sounded on the tiling outside. Mir. MOorsOn Jumped to his feet, Ma'amselle also, md evidently at the young mans ur- gent solicitation, she threw open the ntrrOred door of the most convenient and pushed him in. il "Ha !" M'sieur noted that wardrobe two, three, four, five-Rve n the mahogany row. "Ah hal II will go down again to gallery number me-" he muttered, vague dlsappoint- nent discernible in his tones. q did lot hear one leetle word"
 The swing doors bumped, and