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

IL
"Gone" -that was the terrible word
! Louise DescOurs had been repeating to
herself for the past six hours, until it
was indellibly impressed upon her
mind-reaiZe: as the one misery and
mystery of her life. She sat in her
boudoir before the huge mirror, in
which she had surveyed herself but
| a few hours eviUusly-surveyed on
| ~ t. admire herself as the prettiest,
happiest wife in Paris. Now how
| changed was the image reflected;
| pale, care-worn, miserable woman,
| wi Ose WretcEed smile was sad mock
| cry to the elegance and gaiety of her
Uall-cOstume, put on but a few hours
ago with so much hope and pleasure
| taken on now to be trampled under
foot as the curse CT her life. What she
had intended for the success of her life
had been a miserable failure, bringing
disgrace upon herself and child, ELI
Shruuding her life in a mystery, and
driving her husband perhaps to des-
peratiOn; and wherefore was all this
The tiny slip of paper i'll herhand was
the only solution to what had be
fallen her. Is was written in the
dearly beloved hand of her husband,
but the words must have been prompt
ed by attend. They were simply:
To realize my ambition | tore my
self away for three days from you and
our child when | returned unsUccrss-
full in my mission, instead of finding
wife ready TO console, | found the
woman to whom had given my name
dkgracing it by accepting the escort
NJ lover VIZ n)asked ball. Thither
III followed Fcr, And found her reveling
in pleasure. dqIRing and cOquctting.
My faith was great; intense was my
love; both have flown. | follow their
example | leave you my child, bot
YOU will never see nrc7pare.- -
" z-I.",9tQNAIS;IPeB EsCoURs.
8Ttc:- peTusing the cruel lines for at
least the hundredth time, Nine. Des-
cours threw herself upon the floor in
agonized grief, which continued for
some moments. Then she reflected as
to what to do.-True she had gone to
the hall nythe absence and without
the knowledge of hep/husband, but it
was to serve him, and Cd her return
she intended tO-tell him all; now she
would bury her secret in her heart, LET
ting her husband misjudge her to the
end of his life, she cared mott He
would, she knew, reap the benefit of
her visit to the masked ball. She
would know him prosperous and hap
py, and if he hated her she would love
him. After composing herself as best
she could, Madame DescOurs changed
her dress, prepared herself for her
| breakfast, am ounced to her household
the departure of her husband, attend
! cd to her child-an interesting boy of
three ycarS-and then sat down to
| think-to form her future, and to
nerve herself to face it. At first her
| thoughts wandered to her happy mar
riage four years agO-to the love that
| had prompted ito the happiness,
she thought. would continue forever.
! The thought that it had all suddenly
ended caused her such a shock that for
some moments she feared her reason
would desert her, but the sweet voice
| of her little boy, so like his father,
! brought her 10 herself again. and from
| that moment she never allowed her
mind to dwell on herself She forgot
| she had been once a dearly-belO7 cd
| wife, and she also strOve to forget she
was a deserted wife. She only remem-
| berud that she was a mother, and to
| her alone could her little Ernest look
| for guidance. After considerable
! delIberation she concluded to alter
nothing in her life, except its gaiety.
| She remained in Paris in her home
| hut she secluded herself from all sOcie-
| tv, thereby avoiding the numerous
| questions she would be compelled to
answer, and the pity her answers
would solicit, for she would, when
! questioned, speak the truth. Why
| should she by cOncealment, bear the
| blame due to her husband? Alone
she might have done that, but it was
! due to her little one that she should
! stand blamelcss before the world
| Poor little Ernest missed his father
greatly; he would search the entire
| house for him, and insisted on believ-
ing that Papa was hiding from En-
nest"
| Louise made no comment, but let
the baby mind draw its own cOnclu-
| sious. and she was right. In time
| Ernest ceased 10 ask for his father, but
he would frequently sigh and say TO
himself, Papa hides long time; En-
nest will be a man before he finds pa
pa"
Two years went quietly by, Louise
never Hearing of or from her husband.
! He might be dead for aught she knew q.
If living he was still her husband,
! and time might lead him back to her,
not that she would ever again love
him "a she had, but she would forgive
him for his child's sake. Being of a
! lively disposition, two years secluSion
was sufficient for Louise. In that
! time she had stified her love, regained
/ her happiness, and longed for society
of some sort. She would blush with
shame ut the thought of her husbands
desertion, and could not contemplate a
| return to the circle from which she had
been mari led. yet to continue her
present life was impossible. Luckily
! She thought of a cousin who lived =
a little beyond Paris, surrounded 10y
| friends pleasure and happiness. She
wrote TO her asking permission to Wis
/ il her for time. la reply to her re-
quest came the following letter:
DEAREST LOUISE: Time AMI Pa
| thence has resurrected you from gay
Paris. You weary of it and wish to
fly to me. weary without you, and
will gladly welcome you. / have not
4 seen You since your marriage, nor haS e
/ ever seen your husband. You have
not seen me since l became widow.
nor will you unless you hasten, for l
contemplatea change from weeds to or
orage blossoms. The change is prompt
ed by love, an impossibility in Paris,
but not here. My only cause CT delay