A STORY OF REAL LIFE

Dunstan Times, Issue 1199, 20 February 1885, Page 3

A STORY OF REAL LIFE

There is not one of the. regular patrons of the Bois de Boulogne and of the theatres who do not know, at least by sight, a pretty Parisieune who culls herself Marie Menotte—the same who gave last year several amusing mad enjoyable entertainments to the demi nionde and their admirers in her apartment on the Chause d’Antin. In a few days MJlle. Marie Menotte will appear before a Paris Police Court, together with a very well-known painter, who received a medal at the last Salon. She will be prosecuted on account of the circumstances set forth below.

lu the first place it is necessary to explain that Mdlle. Menotte is not one of those miserly persona who hoard up their incomes. On the con trary, she spends her money to the right and to the left without counting • hi-nce it sometimes happens that she finds herself very •‘.shoit.” Such was the condition of her exchequer on ‘ •ctoher 15 last, when she was compelled to send word to her landlord that .she was unable to pay (he quarter falling due. The landlord, a very prosperous c ockmuker, at once stout and gallant, hastened to call upon his fair tenant. . With eads of perspiration standing out upon his brow, and blowing like a seal, he reached the fourth storey, and was received by Marie i»> the little parlor. He offered to be lenient as to time, provided that his tenant would embrace him. This somewhat comic proposition was greeted with a burst of laughter Our landlord departed in a rage, and went at once to the office of Maitre Veroouter, the pr .cess-server, whom he charged to begin regular Rgal proceedings to collect the rent. Documents hearing the Government stamp began to be showered upon the dednquent Marie, much to her vexation. She told her troubles to the painter alluded to above, an intimate friend of hers. Two weeks later the landlord was amazed to learn that Mdile Menotte was having painted all the ceilings of her apartment. “The creature must be crazy,” said he to himself, “to go to so heavy an expense after having received her notice to quit. Never mind ; I’ll let her go ahead, and I shall p olir. by it ” > ext week he received from his pretty tenant, whose rent still remained Unpaid, the follow, ing note: My bein' Landlord, —You are unreasonable to continue to be cross to me. Not only will 1 pay your rent, hut I have had your apartment decorated magnificently by a painter who received a medal at the S don. I beg, therefore, that you will be kind enough to forget our little dispute, and that you will do me the pleasure of coming as my guest to the farewell entertainm. at which 1 shall give to-morrow evening.

Marik Menottb. The worthy clockraaker would not for the world have refused so tempting an invitation. At about 11 o’clock he walked majestically into Marie’s parlor, where everyone was laughing heartily—and for good cause. In the middle of the ceili s the artist had <e presented the clockm ker, with the spectacles and in all his aldermanm proportions, lu in the costume of Cupid, and fluting airily amid fleecy cloudy °f celestial blue. In the bedroom he appeared, still in the character of Cupid, frying to pierce with his arrow the heart of Mdlle. Meant.to. Finally, in the boudoir, he was pourtray ed with fluttering wings just vising from a nest of stamped papers. N ever b fore had a serious and respectable landlord been painted in situations so—mythological. The poor man was so angry that he narrowly escaped an attack of apoplexy. On the very next day both Marie and the artist were cited to appear before the police tribunal. As to .he frescoes, they are still on exhibition, and the owner of the building cannot have them obliterated until his vindictivetenant has been legally put out of possession,—P .ris paper.