Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1868-06-19

you that she is an acquaintance of mine
repeated the young stranger. Then turn.
ing to the girl, whom he took for an old
and feeble woman, he continued
"'Come along my good dame, and per-
NIT me to see you safely to the end of tho
street Giving his arm to the unfortunate
girl, he then led her away, saying: Here
is piece of a hundred sous. It is all
have-take it, poor woman
| 1.-The crown of hundred SOUS nassed
from your hand to mine," continued the
lady, "and as You walked along, support.
ing my steps, then, through nv veil die.
| tinctly saw your face and figure .
! My figure !" said Frederic, in amaza.
ment.
eyes, my friend, your figure" returned
his wife, sit was to me that you gave aims
on that night. It was my life-my honor
perhaps-that you then saved a"
"You a mendicant-you so young so
beautiful, and now so rich," cried Fred.
eric.
"Yes. my dearest husband" replied the
lady, 81 have in my life received aims
once only-aud from you and those aims
have decided my fate for life.
con the day following that miserable
night on old woman, in whom L had in
spired some sentiments of pity, enabled me
u
house. CheerfuIness returned to me with
labor. I had the good fortune to become
| favorite with the mistress whom 1 served,
and, indeed, did my best, by unwearied
diligence and care, to merit her favor
She was often visited by people in high
life. One clay Sir James Melton, an Eng
lishman of great property, came to the
establishment along with party of ladies.
He returned again. He spoke with my
mistress, and learnt that I was of good
family ; in short, learnt my whole history.
The result was, that he sat down by my
side one day and asked me plainly if I
would marry him.
"Marry you " cried I, in surprise
"Sir James Melton was q man of sixty,
tall, pale and feeble looking. In answer
to my exclamation of establishment, he
said: Yes, I ask if you will be my wife?
am rich, but have no comfort-no happi-
ness. My relatives seem to yearn to see me
in my grave. [ have ailments which re-
quire a degree of kindly care that is not to
be bought from servants. I have heard
your story, and believe you to be one who
will support prosperity as we'll as you have
adversely. 1 make my proposal sincerely
and hope that you will agree to it,
cat that time, Frederic" continued the
lady, 81 loved you; 1 had seen you but
once, but that once was too memorable for
me ever to forget it, and something al
ways insinuated to me that we were des-
tined to pass through life together. At the
bottom of my soul, [ believed this. Yet
every one around me pressed me to &C.
cept of the offer made me, and the thought
struck me that I might one day make you
wealthy. At length my main objection to
to Sir James Melton's proposal lay in dis
inclination to make myself the instrument
of vengeance in Sir James hands against
relatives whom he might dislike without
good grounds. The objection, when stated,
only increased his anxiety for my consent,
and finally under the impression that it
would be, after all, carrying romance the
length of folly to reject the advantageous
settlement offered to me, consented to
Sir James proposal.
"This part of the story, Frederic, is
really like fairy tale. I, poor orphan,
penniless, became the wife of one of the
richest baronets of England Dressed in
silks, and sparkling with jewels, I could
now pass in my carriage through the very
streets where, few months before, had
stood in the rain and darkness-a mendi-
can't -
Happy Sir James !" cried M. de la
Tour, at this part of the story; she could
prove his love by enriching you"
He was happy" resumed the lady
"Our marriage, SO strangely assorted,
proved much more conducive. it is proba-
BILE, to his own comfort than if he had
welded one with whom all the parade of
settlement, of pin money, would have been
n ecessary.
"Never, believe, did he for an instant
repent of our union. ], on my part, con-
ceived myself bound to do my best for the
solace of his declining years and he on
his part, thought it incumbent on him to
provide for my future welfare He died,
leaving me q large part of his substances
much, indeed, as could prevail upon my
self to accept. l was now q widow, and
from the hour to which 1 became so,
vowed never again to give my hand to
man, except to him who had succored me
in my hour of distress, and whose remem-
brance had ever been preserved in the re-
cess of my heart. But how to discover
that man? All, unconscious migrate to
make no endeavor to come in the way of
one who sought to love and enrich you
knew not your name. In vain looked for
you at balls assemblies, and theatres. You
went not there. All, how longed to meet
you !"
AS the lady spoke she took from her neck
a riband, to which was attached piece of
hundred sous. cit is the same-the
very same which you gave me, said she,
presenting it to Frederic "by pledging it
1 got little bread from O neighbor, and l
earned enough afterward in time to permit
me to recover it. 1 vowed never to part
from it.
"Ah, how happy I was, Frederic, when
saw you in the street The excuse which
made for stopping you was the first that
rose to my mind. But what tremors felt
even afterward, lest you should have been
already married In that case you would
never have heard aught of this fairy tale,
though would have taken some means to
serve and enrich you. would have gone
to England, and there passed my days in
regret, perhaps, but still in peace. But,
happily it was. to be otherwise. You were
single"
Frederic de la Tour was now awakened,
as it were, to the full certainty of his hap
piness. What he could not but before look
upon as q sort of freak of fancy in young
and wealthy woman, was now proved to be
the result of deep and kindly feeling, most
honorable to her who entertained it. The
heart of the young husband overfowed
with gratitude and affection to the lovely
and noble-hearted being who had given