Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1869-02-05
"Try, Marie, try," urred Cbarlnt,e

I AAlt wy OnNftOIte,
The girl went reluctantly, and very
| anNiously. Charlotte waited for her nj
the foot Of thestairoaSe. Marie soon came
down again; Henri's door was locked, and
he had refused to admit her. Madame
Roussel, who now Joined them, heard this,
and looked piteously at her niece.
Do try, Charlotte" she said "do try"
1T said Charlotte, with q start.
Yes, do, My poor husband is broken.
hearted, but will not say word to keep
him and Henri would not mind mo hut
he will at least hear you If he would
only stay tonight Do try, Charlotte
You can go and sit up stairs, and speak to
him when he is coming down"
She put light in her niece's hand, and
Charlotte took Il like one in dream.
She went up to the room on the first floor
and sat down, leaving the door open.
Everything looked very gaunt and dreary
in the pale light of the wax candle, burn
ing quietly on the table. The tall, ledger.
like books, the dull iron safe, the stiff
black chairs, were very grim and forbid.
ding of aspect; but Charlotte, If she saw,
did not heed them. She was listening TO
sounds in the room above--sounds of hur.
ried footsteps and moving furniture, which
ended at length in the unlocking of a
door and a step coming down the stair.
case. Without leaving her chair, or even
looking round, Charlotte said, in low
voice, "Henrip'
She spoke so low that he might not
have heard her but he did He came In
at once. He threw the carpet bag he was
carrying on the floor; he drew chair
near hers, and sitting down upon it, he
took the hand that hung loosely in the
folds of her black dress, and he raised II
to his Inns.
"God bless you for your faith in me"
he said, in a low voice; g shall never for
get it-never"
81 trust you are not going" she said,
without looking round at him. "Your
father, your mother are deeply grieved."
"Do not believe it," he interrupted, bit
terly; "they never loved me, or they could
not have thought me guilty SO readily.
What have | ever done to deserve such
an insult as thisY" r-
"Ah nothing, nothing, indeed" Char.
lotte could not help saying: "but they
repent it; forgive them"
Willingly; but will not live with
them. This evening has burned itself
into my very soul. II has shown me two
things il is not in my power to forget
their doubt and your faith in my honor"
He rose as he said this. .....,
pray, do stay" she urged
Stay What fory" he asked, moodily.
"They will suspect me next for that
money; they will want to know what |
am doing with it, and if do not tell-and
| will not tell them-they will shake their
heads, and say, Henri is going, to ruin.
We always said so.'"
Charlotte was silent.
But you must think no harm of me
for that" he resumed, eagerly; "that
money is to save friend from disgrace.
run no risk have security to double
the amount l lend; but to have it known
that he borrows would ruin him, and ruin
him so thoroughly that l should not have
told you so much, only could not bear
you should think, as they will be sure to
say, that am ependthrift and profit
gate"
" Pray, do stay" she said again.
81 cannot. You have been very good
to me this evening,-be than deserve;
but cannot stay"
"Why, sir ?" ..--
"Do not ask me-" His voice shook as
he uttered the words.
For the first time Charlotte turned her
face towards him. Their looks met their
eyes were dim with tears, yet read the
same story in the others gaze. In mo-
ment the tale was told, understood, and |
firmly believed in forever.
Then you like me-you do like me ~ |
cried Henri, amazed and delighted.
"a little, but very little," she replied, |
smiling demurely; "for, if you go, how
canI like you?" 81, - .-
"Ah, how can l go nowP" he exclaimed,
overioyed.
All the wisdom of Verrieres went dis |
tracted on the day when Charlotte and |
Henri's banns were published, A nice |
mess Of poor Monsieur Morel's money
those two would make, and nice life |
they would lead. 1t is mortifying to re- |
cord it, but the wisdom of Verrieres was |
again all wrong. The business fiourished |
in the hands of the young pair, and Char |
lotte's faith in him was the spell which |
bound the dragon of Henri's temper for |
ever. Never once-and three years have |
passed since their wedding. .dsy-did that |
fierce dragon waken when she was con-
cerned, though truth compels us to say
that Henri's uncle and godfather once or |
twice found how that came dragon was
not always sleeping. ,..-'..-
The unfortunate gentleman's seven
thousand five hundred francs were never
recovered, and the mystery of their dis.
appearance promises to become one of the
legends of Verriprna TSlDyye Ran