The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1938-04-08

an undercurrent of the happy
The busting of two serving
girls under quick, shriu directions
of Widow Corneuil, the activity of
her two strapping sons, Jean and
Roy, and the unusual briskness of
the hands in the we'll kept, COM
pact farm yard which surrounded
three sides of the house -.
Even a chance visitor would
nave learned quickly from the
Widow Corneuil (whose smile
these days was as broad as her
bosom and her hips) that she had
no time to daily. 1t was but five
days now before her daughter,
Emelie, would become the bride of
Comte Jean Maria Pierre Francois
de Palontiere-s gentleman of
Paris with a fortune quite as long
as his name!
MET IN PAREE
Eyes they met III Paris . t.
but it is in La F1eche village
church that they will be we'd
and it is here, in Emelie's own
home, that the wedding party
will be held. On that I insisted!
Emelie pouts for she wants Paris
wedding. But LIE Comte-he
agrees with me. He will be good
son. You must pardon me {.
Jean Jean have YOU num-
bered the wine casks ?"
"Oui, mammal"
And the visitor would pe left
standing wondering and alone,
while mamma hurried, like a
sleek, important duck, quacking to
another duty.
There was one visitor who was
not met with courtesy 49,.
who was that at the door,
Jean?" called the Widow Cor
neuil from the bedroom where she
was rapidly sewing new rosebudS
on old plncuShlonS.
"Chautemps, the tax collector,
mamma"
The needle was dropped. Lift
ing her voluminous skirts mamma
rushed from the bedroom TO the
door. shouting in a voice that
could be heard to the pantrjes:
Keep him out! Keep him out!
How dare he come here on a morn
ing when he knows we are pre-
pairing for a wedding"
"I have slammed the door in his
face, mamma-but he will not go
he says he is to collect 200
francs back taxes"
COLLECTOR UNWELCOME
The Widow Corneuil waddled to
the locked front door, shook her
fist through the glass at the beet
flushed official on the other side,
and screamed:
"Go-you fool-go! Two hun
dred francs! Bah! have not 200
francs. If I had it would go to
my daughters dowry. You know
that-you fool-that is why you
are doing this-you want Emelie
for yourself-you seek to embar-
TaSS me
There was much, much more
so loud, so rapid, so vitriolic that
the Widow Corneuil couldn't pos
sibly have understood what Chau-
temps, the tax collector, was try
ing to answer.
Finally a smirk of satisfaction
wreathed her wide, round face.
The tax collector shrugged his
shoulders, turned on his heel and
strobe down the uncovered, lat
ticed path to the road where his
horse and buggy were tethered.
There! Now we can get on with
our work" grOWled mamma to
Jean and Roy who lowered and
gloWered behind her. ready to give
her all the protection against the
demon in hum n form"-the
French tax collector.
Nowhere in the world is there
such aversion to taxation as there
is in the French countryside. No
where in the world-not even in
the United States where it is said
a man increases his reputation as
he decreases his tax-is there such
adroit evasion of taxes as there
Is among French countryfolk.
"HELL COME BACK"
Only those who understand that
can understand the Indignation
and fury of the Widow CorneWl
that she should be questioned
about 200 francs in back taxes.
That Chautemps he is a Javert
he will come back" retorted
Jean gloomily.
II don't know what is JaVert-
but if Chautemps comes back he
will find that we are still locked