The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1870-05-19

Il have been looking for you every
whore. l went home. Ma mere told
me you we're gone. You were not a
the farm. I did not know what to Dc
Of whore to search"
! 81 walked to Arcy;" said Catharine,
looking up With her dark, wistfal eyes
"0h, Chsrles, I am very unhappy"
"Uohsppy, dearw said Foot.ine.
~ Am unhappy to think that through
ne you are unhappy" said the poor
little moman. "Indeed and indeed I
have tried to do my duty"
r 'DouFt talk iike this" said Font.ine.
"foa ars . 'httle angel, my Catharinus.
YOUR "
Poor little C.tharine !! Half in sob,,
half in words, the explanation came,
and With the explanation half her ter
rom vanished. Fontaine was q little
puzzled. She did not love him enough
Why not? Sle would gladly love him
more. Only nov thst he was SO kind
did she know how much he deserved
to be loved. She had broken his heart.
Madame Merard said %. It was .
bewildering story. But he began to
understand by degrees.
''Dear Cathazipe," Fontaine said at
last, very sensibly. "I am many ye.rs
older than yo1. I do not require
romantic affection: 1 want good, kind
little wife to take listle care Of me,
and to like me . little. I am satisfied
more than satiafed. In my eyes
there is no one to compare to you.
Madame Merard Is . most excellent
person, bat lmpressionable she does
not mean always what she says. Do
not bs unhappy, ny very dear frie:d;
believe I An happy if you are; I ask
for nothing slse.'
But before they reached home Cath
arins had told hin Why it vas that
Madame Merards approaches had
stung her - sh.ply. Il
"Do you remember oae night when
you asked me Why I threw some dead
dowsss into the ssa I" aaid Cathsriue.
III wanted to throw away The memory OF
my silly girlish faneies. Indeed it is
true what l told: you thss-se one
ever loved ne but you; I hsvs never
spoken to any one Of what I am speak
ing now. You .re tho only peuoo in
III the world who cared enoagh for me
70 give me restiog-pl.es-"
= Fontaine begged her to leave of:
ae believed her, and understood her
PERFECTLY. But Catharine could not
'top i; and ~ she poared forth her story,
in her agitation and emotion poor Dicks
secret escaped her somehow. "To-d.y
Mr. Butler came to speak to me OF
,omethlng I have known ever since
,ver since the summer. He and Refine
'rc going to marry one another. Some
imes they have come to me to help
hem. Oh, Charles, I can not bel? be-
ng glad to be his friend, and to help
him when I esn, even though I am-
|our wife. But oh what have I
lone? I ought not to have told you"
Az they walked along many Of the
.illagers wondered what Monsieur Fon-
a;ne aud his vita were talking Of 50
They spoke Of it aftervud,
md Catharins, too, remembered that
salk. They went along the dusky
little woman with dark eyes
glowing beneath her scarlet hood. Fou-
aiue looked very pale, for he WAS much
lftectsd by her confidence.
II am profoundly touched he said,
'by the trust you repose in me. You
hall see that I have entire confidence
ia you. The news you give me is sur
prlsiug, but not utterly unexpected.
At this moment I am too much preoccu-
pied to realize its great importance"
Candle, were alight in the ohatlet,
tho dinner table was laid, and soms-
thing was simmering on the hob. It
wes tisaue-de-the, without any milk,
which Madame Mersrd vas preparing
- .. conoihation treat fer her dau1hter-
ia-lhH The old lady had been alarm.
ed by her long absence !; she thought she
bad gone too far, perhaps, and vas sim
esrely glad tosee her come in safely With
her husband. =. =. > - i: =:
"Csfes il good, aud 70 Is vi,s, and
little can do earmes oosasioually to forti.
fy the stonache," said old Me1ard, in
his little piping voiee, after dinner; :;
"but tea i worth nothing At ALL" -
"E.glhhvoasn like to destroy
themselves With tss, Nonsisus Nsrard,"
said his xifs, almost graeisoaly; foe her.
While the little party 1t The chalet
discussed The; merits Of tsa; md do
earmea-vhils. Foataiae, al1ays kind
aad seatle, seemed to tsy in . thousand
v.ys to show bis wife how happy,hs va,
sad how hs loved her, and how un5
founded hee tsrrors had besa-Diek
waited inpaieatly at IL chateau for
Rsins's return. CatAarine Beanish
smiled, and ehattered, and brightsasd
them al up With hsr swset spirits and
happiness. She enjoyed sv'rytsins,
insisted upon going everywhere, shazn-
ed every one. Ernestins Va furious