The Ottawa free trader., 1866-03-24
A SISTERS SACRIFICE.

work, work. day after day. and no chance ?
These words were spoken by a very prett,
Eiri, sitting III most comfortable little par
lor, one side of which was formed of wild
Sereen lined with green silk, which divided i
from another portion of the room fitted up a.
= jswelry store
Marie ans Jennie were the daughters O
Pierre 6 alobu;. diamond jeweler, renowned
more for lis taste and honesty than for hi
fortune and luxury lie wasa widower, will
two daughters.
Marie aud Jennie were the very idols o.
his heart.
Pierre had been a soldier in his youth, like
most Frenchmen, and during hi. absence in
Algiers his wife died When he came back
kind neighbor took him 10 his cottage, and
esding him to a cradle, showed him two
little infants sleeping side by side on the
same pillow.
p,a,--e knew that in his absence child
had been .:"n to him. bu, he had received
no communication; ..rom home for more than
year before his return. .Ie therefore turn
ed from the children to his neisccc'r Win
look of inquiry.
"Are they both my children" said he
Why, no. replied Jaquinetta. "There's
whole history about them, and Pierre, as
you have travelled all over the world, perhaps
YOU Will De 1Die 10 settle q pSiUt tnat n35
puzzled US ever since the death of your wiIe.' -
' What is it ?''
"Why, which of these two is your daugh>
tsr?"
Which ? Why, who is the other?"
"Oh! one day, about month after the
birth of your child, when your wife opened
the door one morning, she found on the
threshold one of the infants. She knew
which it was. but you know poor Nine. Pierre
died suddenly, and she never had time to tell
me which daughter was yours.
Again Pierre leaned over the babies, and
as they opened their eyes and smiled on him,
Pierre felt as if both were appealing to his
heart, both asking his protection.
From that hour Pierre Galoubet called
both children his. and Marie and Jennie rs
he chris.ened them for they had no name
until his re'urn) became the idols of his lite.
When they were gown up, Marie and
Jennie, who both adored their father helped
him IN his business
Marie kept the books, and Jennie. who had
a great toent for drawing, which had been
cultivated, made the drawings and designs
for the sitting of the diamonds.
They were row both eighteen; at least
knowing the age of one, Pierre had always
put them down at the same age. Their faith
er's strict honesty had prevented his making
Jennie, they were III easy and comfortable
circumstances.
Of late a cloud. however. had risen on the
household so fall of the sunshine of affection.
Jennie had grown pensive, and even looked
pale, receiving her fathers caresses with in>
aiffere ace, and sitting for hours, pencil i'll
hand, without drawing 4 stroke. Now, on
this evening, when the sisters were alone to-
gether, Jennie had pushed the paper from her
Il Il
had declared her dissatisfaction to her sister.
Jennie said Marie, looking up, "you
have never felt dissatisfaction before but
you are unhappy, and you will always be so
until you confide what troubles you have TO
your best friends, your father and your sister.
Not to my faiher-I dare not but to
you, Marie. Oh, sisterl am SO wretched !"
I" Wretched why wha: has happened 2"
Marie said Jennie, sitting down on q
stool at her feet, Listen, but do not look on
me. Some morths ago, you RENE nber, L
came home on Sunday morning from church,
where 1 had gone with our servant, with a
sprained ancle"
Well. had falleu-slippcd off the marble
steps of the church, and tainted from the
pain. Well. as | lay there and the crowd
began to gather around me, gentleman ad-
vaneed, and putting those aside who crowded
over me, lifted me up in his arms. Freceted
by his servants, who made way for him, he
carried me 10 his carriage and placing me in
it, asked our address and drove me home"
"Ae was young, handsome, and in his
manner 50 faciuatlng as to have been able TO
dispense with either, Marie. The next time
1 went ont met him. Ihave often seen him
since he loves me love him.
SWELL, if he is an honest man, true and
sincere in his love, why should you be unhap~
90
He is the Duke Octave de Blossac"
" The Duke de Blossac, Jennie pr
"Yes"
But not an honest man, or he would never
have dared to speak to you of love-
- He is an honest man, for when he spoke
to r.e of love he told me that he could not
marry me, but he offered to devote his life to
me he offered never to marry"
But he did not offer to mary you ?''
q" You know thar was impossible. So we
ar. parted, l suppose, forever, and this is
why am wretchej."
Jennie" said Marie, I" if he loved YOU
/ will not talk thus to you, you are blinded
,by love- will tell you TO think of our father,
whose only love We both are
AYES, my father, M own dear father but
his love cannot be the only love of my life" )"
At this moment the door opened and Pierre
himself entered the room. His daughters
rose, and both rushed up to him, throwing
their arms around him.
My dearest father you look sad tell me
what is the matter with you p
"Ah! girls, girls, my own two children
you are both my children, are you not?'
"Yes."
"Something has happened that felt would
happen one OF these days. 1t is proved 10
me that some one besides me has the right,
the love of one of you.
"Ah father, what do you mean?'
You know youl own history-you know
that one of you is not my daughter"
"We have never liked to think Of it."
swell, children this evening had an ap-
pointment, of which l told you nothing, SC
much dill dread it / was with an eminent
lawyer. Ii. has proved distinctly to me the
person who claims one of you told me the
whole history; but how am / 10 part with
either of your
Which of us, father, is not your child..?'
Here precisely, is the puzzle: We canno
tell, but cannot give up either of you, for
love one well rs the other"
" We both love you as our father; we dc
not want to leave vou.''
1t Is her mothers mother who claim:
her. But she will give her what | canno
give-a great name riches and position il
society far above the one tha. placed hel
in. Which of you is it ?''
Jennie and Marie both kissed his check