The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1870-05-12

circled round and round, IND i. and
out, in TIE country dance which mn.
tails call whist, and kept unconscious
time to thu measure. Th, lamp would
spread Its sreen light, thn blue flames
Of the wood fire woulf sparkle and
and crackle, Cd Meeard in hi, velvet
cap with the louc hang gtassf1 would
unconsciously whistle tile accom- pani.
ment to the music as Lc pondered over
his trumps, aud Fontains would beat
time with his foot uuder the table as
for Madame Merard, erect and preoc-
cupied, she avoided as much rs
possible listening to the sounds which
distracted her, for the flick Of her cards
falling upon tae table was the music
she loved best to hear.
| One night Madame Fontaine sudden
ly ceased playing, and went and looked
out through the unshuttered window.
Handfu!s of stars were scattered In the
| sky. There was the sound Of tho ds-
tant sea washing against the bastions Of
the terrace. The moon had not yet
risen the narrow garden-paths glim-
mcred in the darkuess except whore
two long rays Of light from the window
lit up every pebble and blade Of grass,
elsewhere shadows we're heaping, and
the great cliff rose black purple before
the sky. -Gatharine, looking out, saw
some one coming through the gloom,
and stop at the gate and open it, and
she recognized Refine by the quick
movement.
"Knave Of trumps," said Madame
Msrard, triumphantly, as Madame Fon-
taiue stepped gently out Of the room,
and went out to meet her frieod. The
two woman stood IN the doorway talk
ing in low tones, which seemed to suit
the silence; they could scarcely see
each others faces, only Reine's white
flaps streamed in the shadow; her
voice shook little as she spoke, and
her hand was trembling in Catharine's
soft, warm fingers. Poor Reine, she
had come to Cathar:ne in a sad aud
troubled mood. She had received q
sad, hurried word from Dick to tell her
all was over at last that there was con-
fusion and stir now in the house of
which he was virtually the master. Mr..
Baxter had united bis red tapes, and
read the will by which it was left to
him. Dick was lot to take actual pos
session for year, during which The
income was to be applied to keeping up
the estate as usual, and to succession
expenses. Only small sum was ap-
portioned to Dick himself until hs
came into the property. And for tho
present their engagement vas still to be
secret. And poor Refine, in her per-
plexity, had written back to otter to set
him free. "He ought to marry . great
lady now," she said. 1t was not fitting
that she should be his wife. His pros.
pect OF succession gave her no pleas
ure; on the contrary, it seemed to put
them more widely asunder: a great
house shc liked her brick-doored room
better than any spleuded apartment in
palace. Her cotton curtains aud quilt,
with the stamped blue pictures from
the life Of Joan Of Arc, wers more fa-
miliar to her than down, aud damask,
and quilting. Retter than any carpet
ed flight to her was the old stone stair
case leading to her bedroom, built with
out shelter against the outside wall Of
the house she went up to bed IN the
rain, sometimes with the roar Of the
sea booming on the wind from 4 dis
tance; sometimes she sat down on the
steps on still nights when the stars
| we're shining over the horiz,u, and
thought Of Richard Butler, and looked,
and wondered, and tels at peace. But
in the daylight she was unquiet and
restless; she came and went, and work.
ed harder than ever before Pctitpere
demonstrated with her and told her she
could afford to spare herself. He did
not know how things we're going, but
be had a shrewd suspicion. Rsins
said no, she could not spare herself ;
she must go on working for the present.
And; now she came half crying to Cath
arine. II hate the secrecy" she said !;
cit is not fair upon me. If I were
one of them they would not treat me
So"
Only yesterday Madame Pelottier
had spoken to her in a way she could
net misunderstood about people who
sat their caps so high that thcy tumb-
led off; some one else had laughed, aud
! asked her what She thought of Mr. But
ler's great fortune; Petitpere, too, who
so rarely interfered, had rubbed hs old
| chin, and told her that he heard from
Barbeau, Monsieur Richards. visits At
the farm had been remarked. upon.
Petitpere warned Refine to be careful
if she saw him again-peopls night
chatter.
ut is my grandfather himself s.d
Pere Barbeau who chatter" }" said Refine
They do not know What harm they dc
me. This morning only I met n. De
Tracy and his wife. Did you not know
they were come back Cathsriue, they