Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1872-10-31

J or two longer, and then left me, prey /
/ tn vac,,a and sombre thoughts. Ii /
/ took me a Toll month to gain Rosalie's
good grace and confidence, but when
/ felt that I might do so safely, breach
ed to her the subject of my unsleeping |
curiosity.
Rosalie.n said |, coaxingly, "tell |
me all you know abort Madame de
Merret."
ooh don't ask that, Monsieur Hor- /
ace :" she answered, with a look Of
terror. ......
FER countenance fell her bright
lively color faded, and her eyes lost
their liquid sparkle OF innocence,
Still, however, | insisted.
well, she said, "slnce you wish
it, Will tell you; but you will keep
"Pooh! my dear child, will keep
all your secrets with the honesty of a
thief: nothing can be safer than that
"If it is all the same to YOU" she
said. % would rather you keep them
with your own"
In the following story the reader will
find a cold abridgment of the awful
story which the girl told me in her
garrulous way:
The bed room occupied by Madame
Dc Merret at La Breteche was on the
ground floor. A little closet, about
four feet deep, let into the wall, served
for her wardrobe. For three months
before the evening the events OF which
am going to relate to you, she had
been seriously indisposed and her
husband had accordingly slept in
chamber on the first floor BY one of
those accidents which ii is impossible
to foresee, he returned on the evening
in question two hours later than usual
from the club which he trequented.
His wife thought that he had come in
long before and gone to bed and that
he was asleep. But the invasion of
France had been the subject of an ami
mated discussion the game of Billiards
had been exciting, and he had lost forty
francs-an enormous sum at Nendome,
where everybody lays his money by,
ana where the habits of the people are
contained within the bounds OF a
praiseworthy moderation-the source,
perhaps, of II real happiness undream-
ed of by any Parsian. For some time
past M. de Merret had contented him
self with asking Rosalie if his wife had
gone t. bed, and after the girls an
swer, which was ipvarable in the al
frmatve, he had retired at once to his
own chamber But this time it occur
red to him to go into Madame de Mer-
ret S room to give her nm account Of his
i'll luck Instead of calling Resale,
who was Mt tins moment IN the kitchen,
looking on while the cook and the
coachman PLAYED difficult hand at
a b,fSg c, NJ. de Merret set down his
~ hand lamp upon the bottom step of
I the staircase and walked by its light
a toward his wife's room. His step was
n not difficult to recognize as it echoed
|. along the corridor As he turned the
"a handle, he thought he heard some one
- close the door of the closet; when,
q however, be entered his wife was alone,
J.. standing before the fireplace. The
/ husband, in his simplicity, thought
n nj first that Rosale was in the closet ;
q hut when he looked at has wife, he saw
=. in her ewes a look of indescribable
:, trouble and dismay.
. You are very late. :" she said.
n Her voice, generally so pure and
a sweet, seemed TO him to be slightly al
-, tered in its tone NJ de Merret dad
v not answer, for Just at this moment
:, Rosal,e entered. The revelation struck
a him like thuuder-bolt. He began to
e e walk up and down the room between
the windows ut a uniform pace, his
- arms folded before him.
a Have you had ANYTHING to annoy
. you, or are you unwel " his wife ask
j. ed uim, timidly, while Rosalie undress-
ed her
! He was still silent.
. Leave ne, said Madame de Mer-
k ret to he maio; - will curl my ham
o myself. ...
= The expression of her husband S face
u told her to prepare for some misfnr
# tune, and she wished to be alone with
:. him. When Resale was gone, or sup
e posed to be gone, for sheremained some
h instants in the colrdor, w. de Merret
It took seat in front OF his wife and
d SAID, coldIy r4 5H" n..
@ MADAME there is some one in your
q dressing. closet.
j She looked mt her husband calmly,
& and said, with an air of simplicity;
;: "No, monsieur"
! Tins "uo' dumbfounded VI tie Mer
g ret. He did not believe it; and yet
is never had his wife appeared to him
80 more diguifed ard innocent than al
,. this moment he rose to open the clos
ID ct, but Madame de Merret took uis
A. land, held him back, and looked at
d him in tone of peculiar emotion
ne Ii You find no one, remember that
81 all will be over between us.
" The incredible dignity of his wife's
n -nttiLr, IL. nrnntnl IN lin, q ,nrnfnnr,l snn