The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1864-11-25

tlemen were robbers in disguise, or amt you
sure of the lock Of your strong box?"
"Cecile, Cecile, you are laughing at your
father; the treasure mean is yourself" !"
"Have these men any intention Of carry.
ing me of? What pity they should be
such dangerous characters, for they waltz SC
WE'LL"
"Don't pretend to misunderstood me. Co
cile. You know exactly what mean. You
know that you were admired by everybody,
and you know what is likely to follow this
admiration of a parcel Of young men,"
"No, DON'T" o @
at is too bad to think that after life
spent in loving you, in makingyou what you
are-beau,iiul. amiable, good, accomplished,
just because you are eighteen, am to give
YOU up; yes, give you up to domestic in
vader called son-in.law, u man who will
carry you off from me, man who will as
sumo to love you, and what IS worse. q man
you may probably learn to love yourself; it
is dreadful" p"
"But all this is imaginary. Tm ashamed
of you; one would think you were a young,
romantic girl"
"lmaginary, is it? What do you think
has happened this very morning."
"lIas there been an invader here already ?"
"Yes, an invader that has actually pro.
posed for your hand, Colonel Santerre, an in
vader who is rich, who is well born, an in.
vader in fact against whom there is not a sin.
gle objection to be made, unfortunately"
Yes, one that you have never thought Of,
hut which is the most powerful Of all;
don't like him, and won't have him."
Monsieur Coulaincourt rose, and clasping
his daughter to his heart, heaved deep sigh
of relief.
al thought you would want to get mar
ried; all young girls are said to want to get
married"
"But they have not such fathers as have;
now come to breakfast, and make yourself
perfectly easy on the score Of husbands, for
shall never, as long AZ live, leave you."
Now when Mile. Cccile spoke in this way,
she was telling the truth; but not all the
truth, for certainly she was giving her father
to understand that she had nj affection in
the world beyond the one she had for him.
and that she never intended to marry. NJ
Cuuhincourt had made an idol of his diugh-
ter alter his wile's death he had consccrat
I'd his life to this child, and gradually he had
grown to took on all who sought to share
her affection with jealousy, such almost as u
lover might have felt. But with all this, NJ
Cuulaincourt knew that every girl in France
is expected to bs married between the ages Of
eighteen and twenty; an old maid is a rdra
auis in France, and all his wiie's and his own
relations were importunate for him to lind II
match for his daughter. She was beautiful.
young, and charming, and possessed hand
some dowry; pretenders were not wanting.
NJ. Coulaincourt felt us IL doom threatened
him. Ee was afraid to talk to Cecilo on the
subject, so the positive declaration he had
drawn from his daughter that morning caus-
ed him more happiness than he had known
for many years.
But after all il was an Evc-like. W manish
answer she had given him; she did love some
one better than her father, and the happi-
ness of her life depended on her marriage.
Many years before, Cecilc. being then on
ly six years old. as she was sitting in her fa-
ther's carriage, driving along the high road
in country place where her father had hired
residence for tho summer, had spied boy
three or four years older than herself, sitting
on the waysidc crying.
One command IRON Cecile had stopped the
carriage, and the next minute she was by the
side of the child, inquiring into his griefs,
and forcing into his hand the cakes and cher.
ries with which her little basket was laden.
Monsieur Coulaincourt inquired, however,
more particularly into the boys circumstan-
ces and condition. and finding him really an
object of pity. and believing his story, had
taken twenty francs out Of his pocket to give
him. But Cecile stopped him Indignantly.
"Not at ALL" said she, "he is going home
with us"
And home he had accordingly been taken
II was found tha, he had the beginning Of o
good education. that he spoke correctly, and
was very well behaved boy, confirming his
own story that he was the orphan Of gen.
tleman who had passed his life in writing,
the boy could not say what, and who had
died suddenly. pen in hand, leaving no indi-
cation Of who he was beyond his own name,
and bu, jus, money enough to bury him.
The orphan boy had been turned adrift !;
and bcwldered and helpless he had wandered
ON until forlorn and wearied, he had sat
down by the wayside and wept.
Coulaincourt had Adrian, as he was called.
educated, and now at the time Coulaincourt
was IN such trouble about his daughter. Ad
rian had taken OF his patrons hands all the
responsibility Of his business, ono OF tho
most importan, in the great commercial city
Of tlavro.
"Cecilc has been blessing to me-" Cou-