PARISIANA.

Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 132, 5 June 1926, Page 38

PARISIANA.

TO GRATIFY AN OLD LADY'S WHIM.

ißy G-EORGE CECIL.)

no. in. The highly indignant relative* of an plderly Parisienne, who recently died, are taking steps to deprive her sole legatee of the fortune which has been left him. The beneficiary is a eircumsapect youth nf twenty-five, who for three years had never missed a day in the old lady's company. Every afternoon he escorted her to a "dancing," where the pair sedately footfd it in the tanso the only modern dance which appealed to inadame. who, Buffering from shortness of breath, cared neither for the one-step nor the fox-trot. After a tub and a change into "Ie 'smoking." the partner made his way lo the lady's sumptuous mansion in the exper~ :, ■ < hamps Klysee?, the Park f.ane ( . Paris, where the hostess and her guest ♦lined tete-a-tete. And Achille (such is' his classic name) had no eye to t. ■ main chance. Kadi gave the other presents, those received by the youn" man being the more valuable. The elderly tangoiF.t could, however, well afford to burn money, while Aehille was m> Croesus. His modest gifts were (very properly) accepted in the spirit in which they were offered. The deceased states in her will that she has benefited Achflle because she knew his friendship to be dieintereeted. "Would my nephews have danced witn ! an aunt of seventy-three? Xo! Would my nieces have told mc the news of the day evening after evening? Not they; It was my whim to possess a pleasant and good-hearted companion, and the least I can do is to make up to him for his self-denial. To AchilTe. then, do j I bequeath my six million francs, pictures, furniture, and everything else in the house." The disputants have not a leg to' stand upon But the legatee, to avoid meeting them, has betaken himself to ' JUoiite Carlo, where he is unlikely to be pestered by the hungry crew. Tin , luxury of an expensive jo-arriey is more than any of the disappointed ones can run to. Legs and the Bishop. ■ Rare is tue spectacle of an English bishop hi Paris. Yesterday, however, a right reverend, complete with gaiters, ftpron and a corded and tasseled glossy topper, wended his way along the boule-' yards, and, like John iiilpin, "with eau-| tion and good heed." Later the circumspect divine, allowing himself to be' fascinated by the ankles ami calves of a seductive young l»d : y who tripped »Jong some paces ahead of him, was all but run over. Becoming as perturbed as it is possible for a bishop to be, his Lordship expressing himself in halting French, enlisted the aid of a policeman. "This earelesa brute of a taxi-driver," said the flustered dignitary irf the Church, "omitted to look where he was going." , "So did you," returned the ehaufleur. ''You were staring at the icge of the poule who had crossed the road at the moment when niv ear, greatly to your annoyance, came between you and the β-bjeet of your admiration. 1 ani as blameless as the stngels." ■ • ■ The possessor of the shapely cxi realities, though hurt at the driver's i:se of a rude word, swore, by" all tbc saints, that the highly-placed cleric had jMzed upon her charms instead of keepin? an eye on the traffic. The policeman, while offering to bring the the chauffeur to book, advised the ecclesiastic (who, try thfs time, was so angry that he looked like slapping everybody all round) to! withdraw the charge. "Two witnesses testify that you were examining the! ankles and calves of mademoiselle instead of choosing your path carefully. Should you insist upon dragging the driver into a court of justice, the gallant magis.trate is certain to commend your taste and to dismiss the case. Know, monsieur, that in Paris silkstockinged beauty shotild only be admired from the shelter of the pavement." His gaitered Lordship-, convinced that lie might again be misunderstood, hastily ■ought hie lodging, packed, and left the dangerous city by the first train. Paris, Le considered, was no place for him. For Ladies Only. One of the many clever doctors in Paris has succeeded in restoring to , *n actress of fifty-four fclie - appeauanee of voOth —and much of its vigour. Ten years ago she began to age, and during this trying period her jealous understudy and the cruel wits of the Press lost no opportunity oi pointing: out Jo her that 'tis better -to retire gracefully than to wear out welcome: Finally, she took the hint, resigned an enviable position at a, famous theatre, and disappeared into private life. For six months nothing, was heard ,of the tragedienne. Recently, Jiowfever; she drove up to her old theatre, walked into the: office of the venerable , director, who , had known her for thirty years, and laughed in tn e aged man's facev "Yoiii , "ilvery laughter seems familiar," quoth the puzzled manager. "Perhaps Mv flrer the- daughter of our late Ophelia, though 1 did not know that she possessed a hus-band. The visitor declaimed a few jinea of the part, and. with a certain inflection of voice which had endeared her to all Paris. '-I may be a nu - m . skull, said the directeur, greatly perplexed, "but I cannot.bring myself to believe that I see before nre tire Ophelia upon whose art every actress iii this theatre endeavours to-model her-efforts. Our- lost Ophelia is fifty-fbiir; you, mademoiselle, cannot be over twentvfour!' . The rejuvenated actress told the bewildered old fellow; her simple tale. She 'J.adl sought out the doctor and submitted to an examination. After three inodtlie in his clinic, and several applications of the Rpngten Bays to her interiior, plus rest apd a special diet, the hoped-for result.was obtain.edu Wrinkles ;tndl n cureworiri expression disappeared, pout-hes under \ho eyes following tltcir good example; iv 'ravishing dimple developed itself. Tlio neck, arms and chest became, us cmooth as a young girl's, while the hair acquired a new gloss. A most astonishing transformation. ! "And has Ophelia returned to the! «ii-enc of tier former triumphs'/" you will j «!*k. Not she. Hilled as "a modem Ninon de Lenolps," the fifty-four-year- j old charmer appears nightly in a music-, hull revue at. yt super salary of 1000 francs a performance. Incidentally, • very man (your eofdi-blooded seriue exeeni.eil) ie enamoured of her. {