"Alphonse."

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIIC, Issue 13715, 3 October 1908, Page 1 (Supplement)

"Alphonse."

-(By Frank Layton in '•London." Alpbonse by upon the sofa in m; roomVbewairing the fate which ha. mad* him a. black and white artist .1 "Why did i kuw my so below Paris?" he «ied. "Why did I«l myself, my body and my soul, wrthuu feeling, without imagination, witnoui 3> T r T*ntnred to suggest that he l«ac committed this imprudence, owing to tn. fact that his beloved Paris had treatec him so coldly that he was in danger' ol Irving, until ha shook her dust fron bii feet. I * L «° P° inte<l ont tbat " had found the English alitor very use Jul. But he did not listen"4b that editor!" he exclaimed. H< is-wba* do you call it?-a lump « mud, a clod. Ye*: be is a clod, tb* nan without thoughts. Listen Bui last, week be gives me a story, and says: •Illustrate this.' And when this "ion* in* I took him the drawings, he did rmVlangb, and say: «B*J th» does™ illustrate the story.' 'Well then 1 St«d, «yon must make the story dta* trate- or pictures.' But he only said he" wouW give me two days in which t» do.:wbat w« wanted. How can 1 Bake pictures for an English love-story —a. love-storr in which there is no pa*aion* And* how can I make this man nndersland-thi* En S l»-h *>* , or who knows nothing,of lore?" - hi* face to the wall and groaned; and I, having lf"* d . from part Experience that his fits of pessimism are best treated with neglect, went on rth% writing. He did not reman, quirt, for long-he Tery seldom does.thatSpringing suddenly, from the sofa, he beg»n swiftlv to pace the room, mntter inz to himself in his own tongue and wiring bis arms. Then. etoppmg ahruitiy before me. he cried: "I lore! I love as a Frenchman, with mr whole being! Oh. miserable, that ?ak3d wholly loret But why . should I explain lp you. an who cannot know-what. love is? Awl be threw himself ouee more upon tue s#,^*But ■" I replfed, "surely there is no reason for despair, - unless, which I can hardly believe, the lady i* WP""™- - Responsive!" be shouted. Not reapoarive! Ah, but that is the reason for mv misery. She * too resP™*^ "That can scarcely be possible gested, "seeing that you love her. •• 4Jv rou do not nnderstand. " aba were 'single, be well: but abe is not single. Hence my despair. Mr friend, yon cannot help me . I looked as severe as I could. J»7 dear Alphonse," I, protested, "you have never been so foolish as to become entangled with a married woman? "?A married woman!" he shirked, springing to his feet. "But who .3 meakinx of a married woman? spoke of vonr lady-love as not "Single! She b TiolTsingte. There are three of her I dropped back limply in my chair I J accustomed to Alphnuse and hj« grange and, it must be admitted irregular ways; but hU present confession rather took my breath away. "But yon not engaged yourself to three ladies at one and the same time '.' I asked. "Engaged? 1 do not know what, yon mean. Each wish** to marry me; and „cb is more adorable than the others. Oh. my friend. I burn with love. I mi consumed with pa^iou: hut for which of the three 1 cannot tell. Tam tormented. I weep. f tear my. hair. "But my good chap, how the dickens did you ge't yourself into such a mess, I asked. "*' ; , - ♦„ "1h tbere> is first the charming An-; Mtte—Anetle. the little, black-haired Annette wjth^r, and her"Ußghrng ted h>~!ips, made only for kisaes—and her little waist, which I can almost encompass with the fingers of one hand. And she is of a nature so rrmpatbetic that I have told her of my troubles these many times: and slje has always been more, enraged even than 1 myself with that .so impossible editor. She has gone to Paris with her father for the vacation: and the day before they went I said to her: 'Annette, wilt thou be mine?' And she emiled it me. and •aid: 'Wait, and I will tell you something when I Teturn.'" "So the adorable Annette has not actually promised?" I interrupted. "She did not sav 'Yes,* hut she did not say 'Xo.' My friend, I have no doubts about Annette." Things began to look a little l«=* tangled. "And what of the other two?" T asked. ~ "There is Lnrv—Lucr of-the. golden hair It was at a ball at your—what von call it? I fnr?*t. but it was a "public ballroom—that 1 met lwr 1 »aw her dance. 1 was enraptured. 1 •ought the master of the ceremonies, and demanded an introduction. Oh. that ball' Mv feet were winged: and to aether wo" werct wafted through walu aft*r wait*. Afterwards I said In her: 'Why cannot we dance: through life together. Lucv?" She smiled at me through B*r 'ashes, "and tapped my hand with her fan,"and eaid : 'Silk boy.' And then "we- danced again. I could see that she wa« consumed full of love for me. ***. here is the rosebud which she gave roe. - And have you met the fair Lucy only ence?" I asked. , "Ab, ron English!" lie replied with «orn. ""Have I not told yon that. 1 love her? And she Utohe at the ball next week, and I shall once more dance 1 wHh' her. Yam counting the mmut-s, r and I am certain >he > counting them, '' too Xo; I have no doubts about

there »■> R»W," he went on , Arr "Ethel of the >.. divine vo.ee. j t^SThTr .L *t a dinner patty la»i ! IX ? JT afterward, .n the drawing ™ '.fcTl. ! »<k«> her t.. s-n* *onv worn»l* >■">& . , f me ttß( . San* love»nnß. , en HE'S i-.~. »V »=«• «!»«■ i/E t„ ne onlv that *he un* 1 widlo &herr ' And she langhed. and rr b r i^Xre^^ l 1: : «la»t*d her 'm n»y arm*. "luckv vou did no,.' I intern,,..-! -So *he"ha< not yet promi-ed t- mam Siphon-* WW g««ly *• »*• .. "J ,ball %~ aga.r, **.n. he .a.d. An «b* w.» «n* ... me «a,n. and we shall tT alone. 1 a«ked her l» v„,l n.- at ttV .indio. where I said that I t«' ci'ino Which remind-, me lan y»u t Vn» where i-„ »^ l^'-u \»'^. "And did «hc- «ay -d.- »..ul.l %>«'• <eoT> v " I asked • "Sh« laugh*d. W,,m-« always Uhrli when they mean ' Y.-» ' I ha** "•• doubt* about Kthel 1. on the contrary, had d»uMy «rave donbtv-about all three l.ul I did ~»t « 4 y ,„. lnde-d. a- Al[,hou<e 1....1 |hr.,wi. hiuvlf fa- downward u|-n the >.. a. and had become ol.ee mor- a i»i-v «" >"* «ma«w. » contented my«ll u.ih >*yu.w notbin? at alt: and when ..t ieii ß th he llowlv"got up and d-.e.t- d.lly departe-i 1 only »bcot ray h*ad at him ar.d w.ih'.d Jain lock*

( A week later he'turned Tip "again, radiant.- " Ah, my friend," he exclaimed, as he danced about the room, snapping his fingers, an,d behaving generally like a madman, "" felicitate me. Behold in me the most happy man in this dismal city." "Congratulations, old chap," I replied with enthusiasm. And which of the Indies has the- good fortune to be the "elected unr!" J He stopped short in his dance. ,; La : dies!" he cried. " What have Ito do with ladiesT My rich uncle is dead." I felt just a little staggered, which l i* hardly to be wondered at after his surprising confidences of the previous week. But, after all, he is Alphonse. """ "My uncle ' is dead." lie continued, " consequently I am rich. Last week f was sad. I loved. To-day Ino longer love. I am—what do yon call it?—a cynic; and lam happy. " Listen. I went to the ball io dance with my Lucy. She was not there. Itdid not matter: theTe was still Ethel. I waited for Ethel in my studio on the appointed day. She did not come. It did not matter: there was still Annette. This' morning I received a hiter from Annette telling me that she is betrothed to .her cousin. Was I sad? Did T teir my' hair? Xot at all. Isv the same post came a letter telling me that my uncle is dead. "My friend, what did I tell you? Did not-I say that all the women are jades? But you English, yon do not understand women. Gone, we will dine together. T am rich, and we will celebrate my good fortune. Also, we will drink to the happiness of little Annette."