The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1871-08-10

in her silver silks and 'ewels sitting be-
fore it in light tete.a.tete with her for
elgn minister. The Baron proved to
be an amiable elderly gentleman, full of
romance and seutimenta]ity, who took
a sudden and fatherly interest in
salome, which Aunt Parry interpreted
quite otherwise but as he had lived for
many years bachelor, and INDUCED in
the furthe. consolation Of taking snuff,
from an exquisitely jevsled box, SaIome
felt no compunctions, and it was on. Of
pure good nature that she Aattered
Aunt Psrry's ambitious heart by going
out with him wherever he wished to
go, whether at reception or opera-it |
mattered little to herself, so long as she
was separated from M'Gregor, whether
her companion we're a garrulous baron
or quiet blockhead.
Thus it happened that she found her.
self at the opera one night listening to
the futing of some Prima Donna. "a
pretty little bird,' said the Baron, be.
tween the parts-who spoke excellent
Eoglish-while Salome futtered her
rose.]eaf fan dreaming of M'Gregor,
and the violins' appealing adagio
swept into passionate ecstasy and rose
in tense staccato far above the clavier
of the other instruments, till the danc-
ing girls of the frescoed ceiling seemed
to swim indolently on this billow Of
harmony. When the sweet tumult
had given place to silence the Baron
was still found to be speaking; Salome
did not know how long he had been
thus employed, but she now caught
the words:
"She was perfect hunming-bird,
'Will.o' the. wisp.'"
~ beg your PARDON" said Salome,
then "the music was 20 exactiog that
I lost the thread of your remarks. Of
whom were you speaklng?"
"Our Prima Donna. She recalls to
me little French girl. Cerise, Who
broke the heart Of her good American
husband"
"Cerisc ! Her husband p faltered
Salome, dropping the look of merely
civil interest, and blanching at the
lips. "Cerise !"
eyes, Cerise. You never heard
the name perhaps, and dear child !; but
it suited her." he was so good as to ex-
plain "she locke like cherry she
was such little atom of beauty, with
out much soul, or perhaps, to carry out
the comparison, she had stone at the
core. Quite romance, quite a ro-
mance-1N tell you about it; but
first turn your yorgnette to the right
and tell me who is in the box opposite,
your eye are younger than mine."
81 do not see any one, Baron Ian.
stadi."
"No mattor, no matter; perhaps he
has withdrawn. 1t was a ,riaing coin.
cidence merely, a-what is it you call
it Pan hallucination. 1t was be-
cause had the story in my mind, per-
haps, that the face presented itself to
me iu the flesh at it were. Do you
know, Mademoiselle, am such do
tard that because I spoke of Cerise I
must needs see her husband, poor iel-
low, in the opposite box. She has not
lost all influence over him yet, If her
mere name can conjure him." added
the Baron, who was the least bit super.
stitioas. withal.
Salome trembled, aud drew her cape
about her shoulders. It seemed to her
that some thing troubled the lights,
that some great pain wos falling like
a cloud about her, fold upon fold.
shutting out the sweet words, the
beamlng faces, enveloping her in
blacklist ruin.
"The story" SIZE said, as the Baron
paused-"the story; l am listening"
"Oh yes-the story. I was looking
at the haunted box again thought
saw the appearance. I knew his facs
we'll at Boulogue, though never ex-
changed syllable with him. Here
too; no one could help observing such
lovely sprite, even among a crowd of
pretty grisettes. ',
"How did you come to know about
tho story ?" she found voice to ask.
After all, she was disturbing herself
for naught, perhaps. It had probably
nothing whatever to do with her 10.
terests.
CHOW? Oh, my dear, it was in
every body's mouth, tho iogratitude
was $3.50 detestable. Listen then.
This Cerise, it ap2e.rs, was a beggar
in the sreets Of Boulogne, living on
crusts in squalor. All day Long she
entreated from door to door, sometimes
singing for mou,hful, and at night.
time she crept into some heap of straw
and slept the sleep of the innocent
But one morning, in the damp season,
she awoke with a sharp pain, her
tongue was parcbed, her face on fire,
her limbs cramped and useless. She
had not tasted of food for the twenty