River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1872-11-01

My nOSueSS talked with me minute
or two longer, and then left me, prey
to vague and sombre thoughts. 1t
took me full month to gain Rosalie's
good grace and confidence, but when
felt that I might do so safely, l broach-
ed to her the subject of my unsleeping
curiosity.
Rosalie," said I, coaxingly, "tell
me all you know about Madame do
Merret."
"Oh don't ask that, Monsieur Hor-
ace "she answered, with a look Of
terror.
Her countenance fell, her bright
lively color faded, and her eyes lost
their liquid sparkle of innocence.
Still, however, 1 insisted.
Well, she said, ''slnce you wish
it, 1 will tell you; but you will keep
my secret?"
"Pooh my dear child, I will keep
all your secrets with the honesty of q
thief: nothing can be safer than that :"
eff it is all the same to you,' she
said, 81 would rather you keep them
with your own"
In the following story the reader will
find cold abridgment of the awful
story which the girl told me in her
garrulous way:
The bed room occupied by Madame
de 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 it is impossible
to foresee, he returned on the evening
in question two hours later than usual
from the club which he frequented.
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
where everybody lays his money by,
and where the habits Of the people are
contained within the bounds of a
praisewo rthy moderation-the source,
perhaps, of real happiness undream-
ed of by any Partisan. For some time
past M. de Merret had contented him
self with asking Rosalie if his wife had
gone to bed, and after the girls an
swer, which was ipvariable in the at
firmative, 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 an account of his
i'll luck Instead of calling Rosalie,
who was at this moment in the kitchen,
looking on while the cook and the
coachman played difficult hand at
brisq ,e, M. de Merret set down his
7 hand lamp upon the bottom step OF
the staircase and walked by its light
toward his wife's room. His step was
not difficult to recognize as it echoed
along the corridor. As he turned the
handle, he thought he heard some one
close the door of the closet; when,
however, he entered. his wife was alone,
standing before the fireplace. The
husband, in his simplicity, thought
at first that Rosalle was in the closet :
hut when he looked at his wife, he saw
in her eyes look of indescribable
trouble and dismay.
9 You are very late" she said.
Her voice, generally so pure and
sweet, seemed 10 him to be slightly al.
tered in it's tone. NJ. de Merret did
not answer, for just at this moment
Rosalle entered. The revelation struck
him like thunder-bolt. He began to
walk up and down the room between
the windows at uniform pace. his
arms folded before him.
-" Have you had anything to annoy
you, or are you unwell? 2" his wife ask
ed him, timidly, while Rosalie undress-
ed her.
He was still silent.
"Leave me-" said Madame de Mer-
ret to he maic ~ will curl my hair
myself"
The expression of her husbands face
told her to prepare for some misfor
tune, and she wished to be alone with
him. When Rosalie was gone, or sup
posed to be gone, for sheremained some
instants in the corridor, nj. de Merret
took seat in front of his wife and
SAID, coldly:
Madame there is some one in your
dressing.closet."
She looked at her husband calmly,
and said, with an air of simplicity:
"No, monsieur"
This "no' dumbfounded M. lie Mer
ret. He did not believe it; and yet
never had his wife appeared to him
more dignifed and innocent than at
this moment. He rose to open the clos
ct, but Madame de Merret took his
hand, held him back, and looked at
him in a tone of peculiar emotion
Ii you find no one, remember that
all will be over between u.s."
The Incredible dignity of his wife's
Attitude craatad in him q nrnfonnd gem