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

AY>1l9, 1870. l"a ...:.,.r@
- .....-..- 4, ,V 91g ag2eL 5:dt laal
les. ..ingle-minaedf and zp,er'i;eao.d erie, ii
the v.ys Of the world, she might h,.'
been more conscious, more careful
more afraid !; but the fresh, crisp win
ter sun was illuminating her world
everything seemed to speak to her o.
hope, promise; courage, aud the dead
thorn had ceased to wound.
~ was told to come hero to find
you," said Dick. after the first few
words. "Madame Fontaine, I want
you to tell mo about Refine. I can moi
understand it. have just come from
the farm they tell me she has gone
into convent; she will not be home
for week. What folly is this ?"
Catharine saw. he was vexed, aud she
tried to describe to him the state of de-
preston and anxiety in which Refine
had come to her to tell her of her reso-
luton. ''She had no idea you
were coming" said Madame Fou.
taine.
"But what else could she expect" !"
said Dick. "She writes q miserable
letter, poor dear! She proposes to
give me up; she says I am cruel, and
leave her alone to bear all sorts of in
furious suspicion and insult. Of course
she must nave known that this would.
bring me, and when I come I fnd her
goue-vauished in this absurd way.
Indeed. / wrote and told her to expect,
me; but 1 see the letter unopened At
the farm" Dick, whose faults, were
those Of over-easiness, Was now voxed
and almost unreasonable. For one
thing he was angry with Refine for b.
ing unhappy. "Why will she always
doubt and torture herself in this need
less way? Why should she mind the
gossip Of few idiots? I want to SEQ
her, and hear from her that she does
not mean all she saws ,bout throwing
ne over :"
"Ob, indeed" said Madame Fon-
aipe, 'she does not mean it."
ut is very little time to wait, and
could not help promising. My good
I'D uncle has done everything for u.s."
Butler went on; "she ought not to
rave been so over-sensitive when she
Knew it would be set all right"
Catharine wished sho could have
cen the girl; one lock Of her proud
weet eyes would have been more to
he purpose than all her own gentle ex-
They were walking slow
J toward the house all this time, when
It turn Of the path, aud coming from
,ehind bush, they met short stumpy
igure in suu.bonnet. ~ have not
wen told my husband your secret"
3atharine was saying, and she stopped
hort, although she remembered aftsr-
yard that Madame Merard spoke no
English. II
But Madame Merard's little eyes
'ould see, penetrate, trans6x. Oh, it
vas not easy to blind Madame Merard !;
he could see Catbarine looking and
alking earnestly to this unknown
'oung man she could see his expres:
ion as he replied to her appeal. &c.
'ret-surely Madame Fontaine had
aid secret. Oh! it was horrible. Se-
;ret! could she have heard Alright?
II do not know this gentleman"
aid Madame Merard, standing in tho
middle Of the pathway on her two feet,
md staring blankly.
"Let me present Mr.. Butler" said
Catharine, gently, 10 French.
"Monsieur Fonta,ne is not at homs,"
'aid Madame Merard, still scowling
md shifting the sea brsese. .~..:
"Mr. Butler is coming again to-mar-,
row to Geo him." sa,d Catharine. :.
-"Indesd r. said the old lady. g. ..
If Madame Merard could have had
her own way, Dick would never have
entered the chalet again. What iAfst-
uation was it that prompted Madame
Fontaine to ask him to dinner-to iu-.
vlte him-to press retreshment on him Z.
Even old Merard came out with some
Eau sxcrec? Ooe would
think it flowed ready-made from the
sea. Happily she herself WAS there.
No doubt her presence would prevent
this young man from coming .. often
q he would otherwise have done.
There Was = secret Aattery in this re-
aeetion. ,.. ;.:--.
But Dick VA. hardly out Of the
house when Madame Merard began to
speak her mind. Perhaps it was IN
English custom for young women to in
vite strange gentlemen to dinner in
their husbands absence. Oh, she re.
quired no explanation. She could zee
quite plainly for herself, only she con-
fessed that it wa what she would no,
have doue-not now, At her present
age. In her time wife could devote