Brookville American. [volume] (Brookville, Ind.) 1858-1861, 1858-04-16

BR00KVILLE,
family physician, and he has no doub
as 10 tho nature Of the disease"
~ should not like to form so hasty al
lopinion," said tho Doctor; "canno
you manage to let me see him2"
"Iwill try" replied the Comto. al
the meantime / think think had bet
tor act upon your suggestion, and revea
my suspicious TO my daughter"
Aftcr tho conversation had been pro
longed little further, tho Doctor tool
his leave.
Thc Comte re.entered tho ball room
and Immediately sought for his daugh
tor. He beheld her sitting apart from
tho crowd Of jewellers, engaged in earn.
est conversation with Monsieur do Nor
vile.
Ernostine dc Luceval was q beautiful
girl, just entering her nineteenth year
She was a perfect blonde, wGh ulIfh!
hair and deep blu eytH. HofV3IApItx'
ion was daxxlingly white and the blue
veins might be seon stealing through
tho field Of snow revealed by tho low
neckod dress. Her figure was perfect,
and her chest well-developed-as for
her features, they woro perfectly regu.
lar. Az the moment tho Comte gazed
on her she appeared to be very anima.
ted, for both her checks were flushed,
increasing her almost unearthly beauty.
Her companion was q young man, OF
about two and twenty, possessing fine,
handsome countenance. The Comics
fears appeared to bc only too we'll
founded, for his face was very pale
with tho exception Of q red spot In each
cheek, and every now and then rack
ing cough appeared TO shake his chest.
He did not, however, seem TO consider
himself sick, but was conversing very
earnestly with his intended bride, gaz.
ing upon her with all the love that n
young heart can bestow.
As the Comte watched them, an invol.
untary shudder ran through his franc
when he reflected how soon their hap
piness was TO be dissipated. He decid-
ed, however, that be would wait till the
next morning before he confded his
fears to his daughter.
The dance went on till morning bc-
gan to dawn; one by one thol guests de-
parted and at length tho house was SOL
itary and dark.
The next morning the Comic was at
breakfast when Ernestine entered the
room. She did not appear to have suf
fered anything from the dissipation Of
the night before, if we may expect an
increased pallor in her countcnance.
"Sit down, my child, said tho Comte,
~ wish to speak to you"
Ernestine obeyed, looking earnestly
in her fathers face, as il to read the OBJ
ject Of the interview.
"My dear girl" continued the Comte,
81 know you have your affections fixed
on do Morville, and that you have my
sanction to marry him. want to ask
you question-has he complained of
his health latcly?v
mo, father, not particularly. He
has been suffering from cold-that is
ALL"
allow long has he had this cold?"
"About two months, think"
months is a long time to suffer from q
cold?"
mo, father, havo not thought Of it.
"Haye you notnoticed that Albert gets
"Good heavens father what do you
mean?"
"My dear girl, / cannot conceal the
truth from you. l have the greatest
fears for de Mcrville. These fears are
participated in by our physician. 1
have consulted DIR. Laennec, and his
opinion is moro guarded, but still /
must consider it unfavorable."
Father, you must be deceived" said
Ernestine. "What do you suspect to be
the matter with him?"
~ am afraid he is in consumption"
Consumption Oh, father, do not
say that-it cannot be so. My Alfred
afflicted with that awful disease God
forbid Father, what can be done to
save him-speak, speak J.
And the pocr girls feelings were
completely overcome, for she burst into a
fit Of weeping and sobbing.
"Calm yourself, my child" said the
Comte, rising and taking her hand. at
cerhaps may not be so bad as we sup
nasc. But What / want of you is this !:
eendeavor 10 tp persuade s!"e s, to go and
see DIR. Laonnec. must leave i to-
your tact to manage il in such a way
that he may not suspect that we imagine
him to be effected, for you know what a
nervous temperament ho is."
'I will arrange il, exclaimed Ernest.
inc, through her tears, "and God grant
we shall find your fears are unfounded.
Father, / could never survive him if he
were taken away from me"
II leave all in your hands, my child,
and l re-ocho your prayer with all my
heart"
So saying. the Comte left the room.
1t viii be useless to attempt to des-
cribe how Ernestine passed the day
She was sick at heart, and the only re-
lief she experienced was in tears.
With the evening came dc Morville,
and she noticed for tho first time, as he
entered the drawing-room, that no was
very short Of breath. She gazed anxi-
ously in his face, and wondered that she
had never before noticed how pale it
was; and then when he coughed, the
sound seemed to vibrate through hor
heart, and chill her very blood.
"What is the matter, my darling" OK
claimed Alfred, as he entered the room,
"your eyes are red, as i you had been
crying"
"N9thing, Alfred, except little head