Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1871-08-25

I
him and then burst into tears.
Mirelle was the first to regain her
self-pOsseSsion, when she said:
Are you the husband OF Louise,
Monsieur Ernest ?"
Il am" replied the secretary,
You were,n interrupted Louise.
did not know YOU were married,
Mons. Ernest" said the Duke, sharp
ly.
1 confess 1 am AZ fault hut the
circumstances surrounding my mar
riage were such that | could net eX-
plain them, and thus | kept the fact
of being MAJ ried from you and retain
Ell only my first name, in order to con-
ceal myself from my wife, whose faith
L had reason to doubt"
Monsieur Secretary, you cannotin-
suit my cousin in my house. You
have done your utmost to ruin her
happiness bat You have failed. You
row endeav0r to shame her before her
child and the Duke. You fail again,
for your entire conduct condemns you
as unworthy the name OF mau."
Brave madame, you bit echo my
ideas" hastily exclaimed the Duke.
You do not know the circumstan,
cCS my wife"
Your wife, monsieur, secured for
you your present position. That yOu
have disgraceG it is no fault of hers"
interrupted the Duke.
Whatn exclaimed Monsieur Er-
nest. almost dropping al the feet of the
Duke
Yes, at masked ball, this lady
saw me, spoke in your behalf so fer
vently that | at once secured you. She
exactei secrecy promised it. But had
| known the character Of the man, or
had she, am Sure-n
Say no more, Duke, Iimplore; but
you, Louise, by our past love-for the
sake OF this dar.inglittle One--forgive.
L loved you so that | was mad with
jealousy. | am sane now. | see my
folly, and | ask of GCd His forgive
ness through you"
Louise trembicd with excitement,
but said nothing. MirelIe went to her
and taking her hand, said:
If we find him penitent, forgive
and forget. If not, forget; we have
found him penitcnt. Forgive, Louise"
'Mapa, you are not glad to find pa
pa after his long hide" said the gen
tie little voice of Ernes..
The words were simple, but they
We're so pleading, ami the little vi
turned face looked SO unhappy that
Louise could not resist. She extend
Ell her hand to husband and said:
My child pleads. / cannot refuse
him. For his sake | will take you
once again as my husband. My love
is gone. You may perhaps, regain it
fn L Nayi4l -. a
opportunity.
Mirelle and the Duke seemed inclin-
ed to embrace each other. NJ Earnest
refrained from the embrace he would
have warmly given his wife, for he
saw it would not be welcome. He
took her hand, bowling his head over
it and turned to his child, the blush
of humiliation spreading over his face.
"Well this is still mysterious to me,
but as it is all anIicably settled, | will
retain you as my secretary but only
on condition that YOU love, honor and
appreciate the treasure 10y your SIDE"
emphatically said the Duke.
:" must explain fully my visit to
the ball. My husband was ambitions
to become your secretary. He had lit
tie or no influence, and it was there
fore necessary to leave 30 stone I'M
turned. He went everywhere tC see
you but always missed you. At last,
when he had again gone in search of
you | heard YOU we've III Paris and
would that night attend the masked
ball. | conceived the idea of seeing
you myself, the rest you know, my
success and my failure" Here Louise
stopped abruptly, tears choking her
further utterance.
What villain I have been; but
we will go back TO our home, and the
wears of devotion l shall give you,
will | hope, show you how | have suf-
fered, repented and loved" exclaimed
M. Ernest.
1t must have been a slight return of
the old love that Mircllc had predic-
led, which made Louise giee both her
hands o her husband, and 6estOw on
him such a fOrgiving smile.
The Duke soon took his departure,
and also his secretary. The next
morning Louise left for Paris with her
son and husband. Two months later
she wrote tho following letter to
Mirelle:
DEAREST COUSIN: Your words have
come true. l love my husband again,
and with twice the intensity | once
did. We are the happiest couple in
Paris. We have forgotten the one
cloud in our lives, where now there is
nothing but sunshine.