The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1869-04-24


and T stroye in vain to put away from
INV mind the vague suspicion that my
reyv life was but some fantastic dream.
So brief were those halcyon hours,
that. looking back on them now, 1t is
scarcely strange il l am still half in
clined to fancy the hrst days of my
married life could nave peen no more
than a dream.
Neither in my days of gloom nor in
nv DAYS of happiness had I been trou-
bled by the recollection of Andres bias.
nhemous oath. The words which with
his last breath he had whispered in my
ear were vain and meaningless to me.
He had vented his rage In those Idle
threats, as he might have vented it in
idle excavations. That he will haunt
the footsteps of his enemy after death
is the one revenge which q dying man
can promise himself; and If men had
power thus to avenge themselves, the
earth would be peopled with phan-
toms.
Verdun: sitting alone in the solemn
midnight by the hearth where he had
sal, pacing the corridors that had echoed
his football; and in all that time my
fancy had never so played me false as
to shape the shadow of the dead
Is it strange. then, that had forgot
ten Andres horrible promise?
Puy Verdun. 1t was the age of boudoir
art, and a miniature set in the lid of a
gold bonbonniere, or hidden artfully in
a massive bracelet, was more fasnionA
able than clumsy life.s size image. fit
only to hang on the gloomy walls of a
provincial chateau rarely visited by its
owner. My Cousins fair face had
adorned more than one bonbonniere,
and had been concealed in more than
one bracelet; but it was not among the
faces that looked down from the pan
neled walls of Puy Verdun.
In the library 1 found a picture
which aWoke painful associations. II
was the, portrait of a De Brissac, who
had f1ourished in the time of Francis
this picture that my cousin An
DIRE had copied the quaint hunting
dress he wore at the Regents ball. The
library was a room in which l spent a
good deal OF my life and 1 ordered a
curtain to be hung before this picture.
We had been married three months,
when Eveline one day asked, Who Is
the lord of the chateau nearest to this?"
l looked at her with establishment.
"My dearest" I answered, do you
not know that there is no other chateau
within forty miles of Puy Verdun?"
"Indeed ~ she said; THAT is strange"
Iasked her why the fact seemed
strange to her; and after much entreaty
l obtained from her the reason OF her
surprise.
In her walks about the park and
woods during the last month, she had
met man who, by his dress and bear
ing, was obviously of noble rank. She
had imagined that he occupied some
chateau near at hand, and that his es'
tate adjoined ours. was at loss to
imagine who this stranger could be; for
my estate of Puy Verdun lay in the
heart of desolate region, and unless
when some travellers coach went lum-
bering and juggling through the viii
lage, one had little more chance of en-
countering a gentleman than of meet
ing demigod.
"Have you seen this man often, Eve
line ?" asked.
Sho answered, in tone which had a
touch of sadness, II see him every
day"
"Where, dearest?"
"Sometimes in the park, sometimes
in the wood, You know the little cas-
cade, Hector. where there Is some old
neglected rock-work that forms kind
of cavern, have taken a fancy to that
spot, and have spent many mornings
there reading. or late l have seen tho
stranger there every morning."
"He has never dared TO address
you?"
"Never l have looked up from my
book, and have seen him standing at a
little distance watching me silently. 1
have continued reading; and when
have raised my eyes again have found
him gone. lie must approach and de-
part with stealthy tread, for never
hear his football. Sometimes have
almost wished that he would speak to
me. 1t is 80 terrible to see him stand
ing silently there"
HE is some insolent peasant who
seeks to brighten you.
NV wife shook her head.
HE is no peasant" she answered.
at Is not by his dress alone Judge, for
that is strange to me. He has an air OF
nobility which it is impossible for me
to mistake"
sis he young or old7"
"He is Young and handsome"
I was much disturbed by the idea of
this strangers intrusion on my wife's
solitude; and went straight to the viii
lage to inquire if any stranger had been
seen there. | could hear of no one: l
questioned the servants closely, but
without result. Then I determined to
accompany my wife in her walks, and
to Judge for myself of the rank of the
stranger.
For a week 1 devoted all my morn
inRs to rustic rambles with EVeline in
the park and woods; and in all that
peasant in SG6OtS, or one OF our own
household returning from neighbour
ing farm.
I was a man of studious habits, and
those summer rambles disturbed the
even current of my life. My wife per-
ceived this, and entreRted me to trouble
myself no further.
III will spend my mornings in the
pleasaunce, Hector" she said; "the
stranger cannot intrude upon me there"
81 begin to think the stranger is only
BRAIN" replied, smiling at the earnest
face lifted to mine. "a chatelaine who
is always reading romance may well
meet handsome cavaliers in the wood
lands. l dare say l have Mdlle. Sou
deri to thank for this noble stranger.
and that he is only the great Cyrus in
modern costume"
"Ah, that is the point which mysti-
fies me, Hector" she said. 1.-THE stran-
as an old picture might look II it could
descend from its Frame"
Her words panied me, for they re-
minded me of that hidden picture in
the library, and the quaint hunting
costume Of orange and purple which
Andre de Brissac wore at the Regents
ball.
After this my wife confined her
walks to the pleasaunce; and for many
weeks heard no more of the nameless
stranger. dismissed all thought or him
from my mind, for a graver and heavier
care had come upon me. My Wife's
health began to droOp. The change In
her was so gradual as to be almost i'm
to those who watched her
day by day. 1t was only when she put
on rich gala dress which she had not