| Show I Daily Short Fiction Story THE LITTLE FRENCH GIRL By DOROTHY BLACKMORE Copyright 1915 1916 b by time the McClure Newspaper News Nes pap paper r Syndicate Raymonde Rou Rousseau U sl was a frail rail pretty prett little I French artist who lived In Inn Inn ina n a tin tiny studio In a great building She made mado her living b by painting wonderful ator color dance orders dinner cards holiday greetings and fanciful conc conceits for or social ent entertainments of all sorts Also she added to her Income b by sing ing In iii tho the choir of a big church Until tho the European war had broken broken out broth brother r. r Jacque Jocque had hod lived with her but when his country entered the tho conflict ho Imo wao waft called to Join his colors Raymondo Raymonde cried for days after Arter her brother sailed Railed for France but hut she sho knew she would have been ashamed of or Jl Jacque had he been unwilling to go 10 Tho The approach of Easter Raster brought much work to Raymonde and tho the lights In her studio burned late Into every night ns as she sat o er her desk making water watercolors watercolors colors She Sho looked or very much like a French print herself In tho the quaint costumes costumes cos cos- a sho 0 always alwa's designed for her own wear Her straight black hair and Ort her Ivor Ivory skin and fc scarlet lips lip made mado her a a. conspicuous beauty anywhere Added to this her unique taste In dross dress made her 1101 more moro than attractive Perhaps It was her continental manner manner man man- I ner Her perhaps mer merely ly her natural diffidence diffidence dence that made her difficult of or ap ap- ap- ap preach But she was admired by everyone everyone everyone every every- one who came camo In contact with her ker and andIn andIn andin In tho the choir where she sang sane sho she had many friends even though she sho did not realize rl It Choir r rehearsals henr ls for I r music made her attendance necessary and sh j found herself hurrying from her studio to the tho church wit without out taking time to eat at nourishing meals conscientious and Raymondo was very ery she sho did not ant to ne neglect lect either cither her painting or her choir work vork It was tho the w week ek between Palm SunIa Sunday Sun Sun- day Ia and I- I ster I day flay that found the lila little French girl Irl nearly exhausted A boat had ed Cd bringing h her r letters and papers from fromn h hr her r home In tho the suburbs lIu of Paris She Sho picked up her mall mail and went to church for fOI a n rehearsal without so 80 much ns S getting a hiPs of or dinner She feared eared ln b being lato late and conspicuous conspicuous con con- In entering the choir stalls Instead of being helm late lat Raymondo Raymonde found herself there before an any of at tho the others ami she almo was glad lad of or a 3 few quiet moments In which to rend read her mall mail She looked at her homo letters and then opened up a newspaper from Crom the tho suburb In which she sho lived Her face sudden suddenly became ns as sot as aft tho the face face- of nn nil ivory Ivor von von- Image she nage-she sho hall hail seen econ her list of oC soldiers sol sol- brother brothers brother's name namo among the the- diers who vimo had failed to return with their re regiments lm Jacque Jacque she berated d Just justas IB a n merry merr group of choristers came as her In the time dimly lighted church upon unon Why Its It's lit little Miss s Housseau hO tainted One of the time the girls bent over her and andas andas laid her on the tho broad church as at they ther seat Beat and administered red restoratives 8 a aman who had taken more than a l passIng pass pass- IJ roan man In iii tho tile French girl girland Irl Irland Ing and know knew something of her nor life lire picked up tIme the paper sho she had hod dropped from her herh h hand ns hn l her brother brother hos he's hes among those thoa Its s dead in iii battle Poor little EJi reported 0 Trenton Knox had always felt fell felta fella a Irl g-Irl girl Hort sort of Indefinable sympathy for the tIme soprano little opened her eyes oyes It Raymondo ayi be ic true true cnn can It ItT She sho asked d cant can't arching searching time the faces Caces of or those about her PI pitifully Trenton r n Knox no bent over her hel This w weeks eks old-It old should nev never r is two n paper nr readIed you ou ho no said ald- kind kindly o ha ave nut whY she he fisl asked ed In 10 agonized But tones and pushing back tho tIme straight of hair wisps haven't been bun confirmed d dor ports The Ihl ne r would havo have heard rd ho Ime said or YOU OU girls helped her to become calm and Tho The comfortable again and though she aho Sat through the thc r rehearsal h artal she was Vat Unable un- un SM sat ll to bring a a. note from her throat thront able aLlo for the tho lump that hat seemed to be choking h Imer let m me walk home with you OU asked Tr Trenton Knox tonight please pleaser I Igent gent gently smiled a wan ivan little smile I of the usual sparkle anti and th there rc was nono none fn In her brown eves It would be bo so 80 good od of ot you ou I I I have been foolish Coolish and wc k to faint but I I- I You e have been ben overdoing o It and you von look n as 11 If you rou hadn't taken time timeto to rest and eat the time big tenor said as ash her from the tho church h ho guld guided d On the thea a way home homo the they the stopped d and had iad a bite of supper In a quiet restaurant restaurant rant near Raymondo's Raymonde's studio and there out of sheer weariness she p permitted her herell Veil ell of re reserve erve to drop droll before tho the nan who had always b been en so 50 kind to her j herA A All the they walked w around the corner to I th the studio building she oho leaned loaned on his hla arm and he felt as If IC he could never ne leave cue her alono alone again The Tho elator f boy handed her a mes mes- sage sago She took It with trembling hands hand Gently but firmly Trenton took It from h her r. r Ithe saw that It was a R. trans At cable When h n we get upstairs well we'll open It II ho he said And It was he hc not Raymondo Raymonde who I tore ore It open and read time the words word Jacque wounded but safe at nt homo home Love It was waB unsigned but Raymondo I knew mew It was from her family and she sims knew knew too that the they realized that she might havo have received the paper with the awful printed In Ii ItI It I I 1 I felt Celt as If IC I 1 could not open It Ih she said to Trenton as she sho sank ank Into a studio ch chair lr by the tile small hard coal fire she sho always kept burning You You are are so 60 good to me met mc Good Good he said And then after n a minute In which he ho seemed to tobe tobo too bo be o pondering his Ills subject Raymondo Raymonde wont won't you ou let mo mc take care cans of or you I 1 Isea Isee see sea tonight how much you need some someone someone on one and I I ioe lovo you I t have havo loved you or lon long but you never no let me tell you OU so bo till tl now Tears streamed down the little French girls girl's pale palo hecks hek The nights night's gamut of or emotions had b been en too much for or her overwrought ht nerves Ive le felt Celt so so-so so so from you ou all she sho managed to toKay I So So Soo alone say Kay so o I Trenton leaned over her Dont 50 say alone alono again Raymondo If Ramondo If If jou OU au love lovo me me Oh she he breathed I t do I do-I I do And you'll marry me after Castor naMer and andoU well we'll have tho the whole blessed choir hero here In your studio to wish us Joy after we como come back hack from the tho Little Church Around th the Corner wont won't we dear And Ra Raymonde Ramonde monde nodded even on while willie she Rhe sobbed rl d |
