The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1871-01-19

disturbed Souvreigne. who had counted up
on her heartiest sympathy and cooperation
in the matter wherein she was really con
cerned equally with himself. In truth, there
had come over Adele, all at once, spirit OF
forcboding and dread in relation to her ap-
preaching nuptials it seemed to her, she con-
fessed to her father. as if she must be dream
ing, and as if she would never in the world
be Souvreigne's wife-never in the world
A woman's instincts are inscrutable.
Adele was indeed dreaming, and the hour of
her awaking was near at hand.
One dull morning in march, only a fort
night before the day fixed for the marriage
to take place, Judge Benham was summoned
in haste to the hotel at which Souvreigne re-
sided. Upon reaching there, he was shocked
beyond expression to learn that his friend
was lying at the point of death, having been
sufocated by an escape of gas in the close
room in which he slept. As such casualty
could not, under the circumstances, be rea-
sonably referred to accident, there was nc
plausible escape for the inference that Souv-
reigne had deliberately chosen this method of
destroying his life.
The shock of this startling event to Adele
proved not so great as her father had antici-
pated. She heard the terrible tidngs as
something half expected, and seemed to look
upon the calamity as nothing more than the
inevitable realization Of the undefned'tcrror
that for weeks had oppressed her. 1t was
clear, moreover, that she had not loved Souv-
reigne as she had been mislcd by her admra-
ton and esteem for him to believe; and it,
with her grief and horror at his death, there
mingled sense of not ungrateful relief, her
emotions shall not be arranged at this late
day.
Who, then, was Souvrcigne?
On his last visit at Judge Benham's house,
on the evening before his death, Souvreignc
had been shown u miniature portrait set ii
q locket, of the late Mrs. Benham, painted
when that lady was in Paris, and highly
more faithful likeness than the life-size pic
ture, made few months before her death
which hung upon the library wall. Souv-
reigne took the miniature in his hand, looked
at it intently for one moment, placed his
hand suddenly upon his heart, banchcC
white rs death, and then, recovering himself
somewhat, begged to be excused as feeling
not quite we'll, made his adicuX with his ac
customed grace, and departed.
Does this circumstance suggest the an
swer to the question so often asked Mos
fortunately it did not to Adele, who was per
mitted to live happily for many years and tc
die at last in total ignorance of its signiG
cance. But to Judge Benham, fortune was
less kind.
Ncxtto his heart, as was discovered, wher
he was dead, Souvreigne wore a rich locket
elaborately chased and gummcd, on one side
of which was inscribed in English the words,
"To little Emile, from his Mother,' and on
the other, '<God keep my boy" Opening
this locket mechanically, Judge Benham
started, as he might have started had his
dead wife come out of her grave and sudden
ly stood before him; for there, cncircled witt
pearls, was her own beautiful face confront
ing him!
And thus at last was the long pending
question answered. Western Monthly.