The mountain Democrat., 1865-09-16

eehiug TO little summer house in " hich
he knew that writing materials were al.
WAYS kept, intending to write to Fran
c"lSe. and charge her. on no account, Ia
inrget what he had laid to her at parting.
When near the summer house, he was
surprised to zee his old servant Pierre
issue from it, followed by the Duke ul
Guise. THIS man had been very jealous
in stimulating the king TO slmmun the
Countess; and, therefore, Chateau hriand
felt that he might have heen tamperine
With Pierre in regard to her. They dill
not perceive the Count, and he laughed a,
his O"n f,arS; hut often dur ng the day d
nameleSS suspicion would start up in hi>
mind. and give "im wretched heart pang
he knew not why.
His letter was written and dispatched /;
but no ring was within its folds. The
young vile opened and read it,wilh feel.
ing oi VexatIOn. Secretly she had hoped
he would send for her. The idea that
there VAS danger for her where her huS
hand was present, was simply ridiculous.
she thought. She had grown so weary Of
the dreary, gray old castle since his pres.
ence WAS Withdrawn, and now she ahSo
lut"lv lOathcd it. II would have been r, vi
happiness 10 have beheId the little circlrl
which would tell her that the Count de-
sired her III reality to come To him.
Aid in few DAYS the permission came.
H"w iOnnlY she kissed the shining gem
that brought her such happiness. She
had been sitting for hours with folded
hands, bewailIng her lonrIin,sS, and list
etlng with FEELING Of Woundrd pridp. tn
he' ntlt ndant, " no had been pouring forth
STRAIN OF c"vcrt Ieprnach upoI her mas
ter, for not allowing his BEAUTIFUL " ifr To
appear where she could eclipse all others
Ih' young woman had once attrndrd a
io'Tner mi>tr' S. at court, aud she was vol
uhie III describing it> attractions To the
chIl'i."iie All" had never witn IS, them
In thr midst Of this, a letter vas brought
the Countess. She opened it most priu
lHntiv.
OF course the ring is not here she
sad, forgetting that the ring Was her hus
band : secret, ard that She had no right
/ T." speak ni il tn her tt,rdant.
She "p'rtd the miS>ive, and uttered a
perfect Shiitk of delight.
He wants ur to come, Ad, laidr ! lie
sends for ne. L"k This Is IL, >,gnaI.
Aud she lac d the precious riI Z t,r>idr
The 0ther. II was his ring, m course
the duplicate oI her own. Th re- could
l'r '"' mi take aImut II. Fly, hv, Ade
laide hL the servants pIrpnre i"r my
journey. will st forth instantly; tell
| q M
Halt frantic Wit joy, the poor drcrivtd
little w"nia" 'nahr htr haStv preparations
/" quit "a home to WhlclI, alas! she nu>t
ne''T r'tnrn.
Pierre Flrurv had one fault although
hr ~HS n m"st rx"ell,ni Scr.itnr his mas
ter had never trdi>cnvrrrd f"I the Count :
generosity Rnu liheia iIy to him must
have mhde Pierre ashamed tu >hoA it t,e
tore tin. Ibis fault WaS avarire. II
made him y r. ndy tool in the hands uf the
Duke "i GuISr, whose curiosity had been
deeply aIuu>,I tn know why the y"nus
vi e had not been Wiling to APPEAR al
court.
He had Sought Pierre on that fatal
m"Intr", ard, hv dlnt Of his broad gold
''S, had Won him ~ disclose his na>-
tcr'> secret.
Now. my good fellow said the Duke,
att"I l. l'atrins it, YOU must take that ring
h"m Ihc ra>krl long rn' ugh tor jew ELL
t" Xam,n il. He viii not miss II ard,
II h' >h'n.d, t"u csw treivhd to find il
after "a short search
But tnr ~hat osScct, my Imd Duke =
Only tor >Imt, my good fellow,
Pe'r''> lir q",,rrrh.
i w"uli tot lave tod YOU, had
kuoWu, Ii" csi d.
Nh harn is done. You ran rtfus", il
v"u cii'"se; but this heap Of gold is noI
y"uIS III that case
Pierre rnz' d II the shining heap, and
the t. mptation v a. t"O powerful not 10 be-
dcil'rI atcd upon at least.
The Duke saw his hesitation.
Why, you silly fellow, what harm can
possibly accrue from 40 Slight an act p
The King will See that no evil comes to
you through this.
'Ay, but my kind master! To play ;
trick upon hlm who is generosity and
gn"dneS>. No, my lord Duke, | cannot,
indeed | cannot
The Duke took up 'he glitttring pieces,
and stood, dropping them from one hand
into the other. The sunlight CLEANED into
the summer house, through a window III
the room, left open for ventilation, snd
the ray found its way to the bright gold.
Pierre saw il, and looked at the man who
held il.
You are an honest servant, Pierre,
said the Duke. 'lwnuld had such about
the; but my yailetS would take the teeth
from my head. if they could maxi money
ly them. What do you sayy Will Snu
come and See that they do not utterly
fleece uIry'
Pierre inOktd troubled
If | do this thing, shall be ashamed
to look the Count in the face, so viii ac.
ccpt yOur offer, my lord Duke
Then y"n do accept said the Duke.
throwing down the golden tempterS into
heap once more.
1t was all settled. Pierre stole softly
into the Counts room that night. and car.
r;ed away the ring to the court j weller.
lie received it from him again in the
mmnIng long before his unconS, our mas
ter had opened his eyes, aud PLACED it in
the ca>k ct without discovery. But Pierre
was haunted hy the thought TINT he
would vet he found nut. aud troubled
when the weller hronshl the Iing-a aprr
feet duplicate of the Counts, AMI desired
hun to take II to the Duke of Gulse, for
whom Pierre had ordered it.
We'll. my gnnh Iill"w, l0u have only
one thing more to do, aud that is 10 con
tive that the ,ng shall 20 tn your mis-
trrsS ia thu next Iet7nE the Count SENDS
her. And here are five broad rlrceS for
Nnnr I.ainS. See that it is done we'll
Pierre said the Count. aS his servant
was leaving him for the night, there is n