The Washington times., 1918-07-07


nay's injunctions to withhold her address
from everybody However, at a cafe table
a directory was to be consulted. From the
nearest Bureau de Poste he dispatched q
pneu to advise her Of his arrival; and then
he visited q BARRIERS and had the most
made Of the fun over his ears. When he
mounted to the fat his step was brisk.
Now. the pneu had not been delivered
yet. and It happened that at about this
hour Tome was expecting Tricotrin. to pre-
sent the final chapter Of his manuscript,
and a photographer, further to perpetuats
her beauty. When Lebobe inquired au-
thoritatlvely. Mile. viroflay. is she at home
Il have an appointment the new Bre-
tonne maid took him for the photographer.
For that matter, Tome herself took him
for the photographer as he was shown In.
and she wondered where his camera was.
"Ah. you have come. monsieur" she
yawned is your assistant with you?"
my assistant" said Lebobe blankly.
How my assistant? Do you not recognize
me? Have the years. then. changed me 30
much?"
"Oh, mon Dieu!" she mOaned In conster-
nation; "anotheri"
Il am your Achille, your Aehille Of other
days. You received my message? Toinel
You know me ndw?"
"Yes-I was expecting some one else.
know you"
my curls have vanished, helm! Such
Is lfei You also have changed, but for
the better; you are not 50 thin should
have known you anywhere. How It comes
back, the pasti / am touched! You may
see that am profoundly touched"
Listen. monsieur" she said, quivering
with annoyancs; 1t was very amiable OF
you to pay me visit, but am much Occu-
pied, and | cannot prolong the reminis
censes.v
Comment dOnc?" exclaimed Lebobe
"Ah, you do not comprehend my motive!
It is to see you that I am in Paris; have
things to say to you Of the first import
ance. Ever since / read your tender words
in La Voix have thought; have thought
very attentively; and am here to repeat
that you spoke for Us bothi To me, too.
time has proved that prosperity Is trivial.
compared with the claims Of the heart; ].
too. would exchange the profits that The
Ladies' Paradise has yielded to revive those
field flowers Of that Easter morn. We
were boy and girl; in those days there we
did not realize the eternal force Of our
affinity. What you wrote was bien true,
Of me no less than Of yourself! avoW Il
with contrition. l aVoW with contrition
that l was terribly culpable toward you
from the start. But despair not, my Tome,
well beloved! Where your reflections
were at fault, where you made an error
~ IN hat e. kr,.. enfn
$50 that is it-you have come to con-
sole me for my loss Of your she muttered
in strange voice.
Il have come to make amendss / have
come to say to you. In my youth l CON-
mitted great wrong. and l would atone
have come to say, You are the woman
that ] adore-and 1 ask you TO be my
wffe!'"
She stood speeches.. Her indignation
at the audacfty was so overwhelming that
she could not articulate She tottered Ike
dumb woman demented.
Have no misgiving!" proceeded Lebobe
magnanimously; Il do not speak on i'm
pulse; know well what am about tFoF
your infdelities In the meantime no re
proach shall ever pass my lips. Indeed,
they were not infidelities, those things
they were but efforts to forget me-"
"Espece d'idiot!" she painted.
You say?" croaked Lebobe, petrifed.
"lnsolent imbecile!" Her advance was
tumultuous; he backed from her in jerks.
As often as her volubility-for she was now
very voluble, indeed-permitted him to
make himself heard, he put in agitatedly,
81 regret, regret Do not get excited-it
was your Memoirs that misled met" But
every allusion to her Memoirs seemed to
excite her more; and interposing his hat
at the most dangerous moments he con-
tinued to back about the room till he was
breathless. The sudden announcement of
a visitor affording an opportunity for es-
cape looked to him dispensation Of ProVi-
1ence.
Not so to the visitor, who was the poet
responsible for the Memoirs. He entered
10 reap the whfrwind OF her resentment.
Ind see the final chapter hurled to the floor.
1T Is to you. little liar. that i am IN
iebted for these pests!" she cried furiously.
1t was not enough that you smothered me
lnder begging letters from every mendicant
IN France-that you conjured up enamored
obacconists TO make me ludicrous on my
doorstep, and the mothers-iIi-law of tailors
70 shatter me with abuse? You must also
see to 1t that this rag-tag and bob-tail ar.
i've with offers OF matrimony! Alors. |
1--WE your imagination more than I can pay!
But take your two hundred francs and be
'n' ana never dare to set foot In my fiat
gain"
Mon Dieu!" he gasped. 81 lose my
senses. What have / done? Explain,
mplore! My world turns topsy-turvy-I
vas the one who knew you best, and on
iudden know you not at ALL II cannot
De you who speak! Do you not see your
riend. your worshipper?"
Il see only the tool of poet who wrote
ny autobiography and muddled me I'D In a