The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1862-06-28
THE HUNDRED SOUS PIECE.

j |
tai chamber, when the young spouse su
ceeded at last in escaping from Lis frienc
and leaving the ball room, when he a
cended the stairs, upon one of the landin
places of which waiting mad met hir
and told him to enter.
The new husband raped lightly upo
. the door, and threw himself at the feet {
: woman, who was waiting for him, scate
near the fire, in an elegant night dress
such as rich widow might be expected
to wear whose desires had been satisfied
by new marriage.
Rise, my friend" said she to he
spouse, giving her hand.
No, no, madame" replied the youn,
man, seizing upon a white hand which h.
clasped between his own, and carried t,
his lips. No, leave me at your feet, ane
do not Withdraw your hand, for fea
lest you may escape me; l fear that al
Is only illusion; it seems to me that an
the hero of one of those fairy tales used
to hear when a child, aud that, at the
very moment of being happy, the mali
cious fairy is going to fly away, to- laugh
with her companions at my sorrow and
despair"
Be assured, my friend, that Yesterday
l was Lord Melvills widow; and now, sir
| am Madame de la Tour, your wife Dis
pei from your imagination your child
hoods fairy. The tale is but fable"
NJ. Frederic de la Tour had some reason
to suspect that superior genius iaterfered
with his affairs, for within the last month
either chance or inexplicable good fortune
had rendered him rich and happy beyond
his desires. His age was twenty-five; he
was an orphan and barely lived upon an
employment in which he was engaged,
when, passing one day through the street
Saint Honore, splendid coach stopped
near him and an elegantly dressed lady
leaned over the carriage door and called
out to him, though not by name
The driver descended, let down the
foot board, and, hat in hand, respectfully
! invited NJ. Frederic to be seated by the
side Of this woman, glittering with jewels
The coachman then drove off.
Sir" said the lady, who had thus
| taken him up, with sweet voice, " have
received your letter, but notwithstanding
your refusal l yet hope to see you to-
morrow at my evening party"
Me, macame p replied Frederick
Yes, sir, you-ah | beg your pardon, u
cried the lady with surprise. Il beg your
pardon. sir, but you So much resemble a
person ot my acquaintance that took you
ior him. All, sir, cxcuse- What must
you think? Indeed the resemblance is
SO striking that any one in the world
would be deceived as / have been"
Before this explanation was ended, the
coach stopped III the court of a superb
mansion, and NJ. Frederic could not bat
offer his hand to Lady Melville. Frederic,
dazzled by so much grace, was easily sub
jugated. He congratulated himself upon
the happy chance which gave rise to his
acquaintance with Lady Melville; he ac-
cepted her invitation, and IN few days
became one oil her most frequent visitors
I The rich widow was surrounded with ad-
mirers; but they dropped oil oLe by one,
and thing. we're so arranged before "A week
had rolled by that the little clerk had
made the widows house his home Mar
rlage WAS agreed upon, but it was she who
first proposed.
Frederic would sometimes place himself
IN the morning before his little glass and
consider himself with some attention He
was not ugly, neither was he handsome
His dress, moderate, as must be that OF q
clerk with salary OF eight hundred francs,
did not permit him to attribute his good
fortune TO his tailor He was forced to
the conclusion that he was loved for him
self or else that Lady Melville was fasci-
mated When the marriage was settled,
when the future spouse was before the
notary, his astonishment was redoubled
They declared his property to be over a
million. He owned, according to the
contract, a farm in Normandy. a house in
Paris, in the street Saint Honore, and
other real estote which he had never be.
fore heard mentioned The widow was
rich in foreign wealth. She had farms in
Wales, and pastures in Devonsbire. All
was to Frederic q golden dream and he
longed to wake from it. The Mayor and
curate came TO sanction the union, but
neither the marriage solemnity nor th g
law was able to dspel his doubts, and he
did not leave his wiies feet, but grasoed
in his hand the embroidered muslin of
her night dress, through fear that the
dream would vanish.
- Rise Frederic. said his wife again;
:" come TO this arm char Of mine, and let
us converse
The young man at last obeyed, though
yet unwilling 10 release his hold of his
wite's hand and Madame de la Tour com.
menced as follows:
There was once on a time
There, cried Frederic, so was not
deceived. 1t is In truth fairy tale"
" Listen to me, my friend. There was
once on time a young girl, born of
parents who had formerly been wealthy,
but who. when fifteen years of age, has to
subsist upon the industry of her father.
They resided in Lyons, but some hopes of
better fortune brought them to Paris.
Nothing is SO dtiicult as to recover a lost
fortune or to regain q lost rank. This
young girl found it so; for four years her
father struggled with misery without
being able to vanquish it, and died in the
hospital
1.-The mother soon followed the hus-
band, and the young girl was left alone in
the attic, for which the rent was uLpaid.
Its only furniture was two beds. If there
is a fairy in the tale which am relating,
this is certainly the moment when she
should appear; but there is none i'll it.
The young girl remained in Paris, without
friends, without protectors, without aid,
having at Lyons debts which she was un-
able to pay, and in vain seeking for labor,
the wealth of the poor. Vice. it is true,
stretched its arms to her, but there are
pure souls that can pass vice without
looking at it, at least without suffering
themselves to be sullied by its breath.
Meantime life was necessary; the hun
ger of the day redoubled at night, and the
misery of the night was added to q secord
day passed without food. You rise from
table groaning under its weight of dain.
ties, where wine, too, abounds to satisfac-
ton, and although it is since yesterday,
Frederick, that you are rich, you have no
idea OF the misery l speak of, and you
wonder that, in the midst of the luxury
that surrounds you, upon this armchair
of gold and silk, where am sitting can
point you to such picture; but listen to
me further. Hunger led this young girl
to beg. She covered her head with her
mothers veil, the only heritage she re-
ceived she inclined her body 10 initiate
age, and went down into the street.