The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1873-09-03
CECILE.

hlbl'lh - AAlN ~ ~ VI AAlll'lt " iNNaAS
not u portion OF Africa, but n part 0
France, that had been created by TIT
armies In times ui peace AZ It had beer
conquered In war by the French arms
AlgiGs is Paris. Of course but In beCOm
ing French il has not lost all it, Oriental
pcCulhrllles, and in this II Is rs much mort
attractive than Paris as romance Is torca
lille
When was ordered TO remain in Al
gicrs with my regiment coming from Mar
srilICs, ! came with most delightful an,
ticlpatipns wasHyuung lieutenant then
and my success with the iair sex in Yari
Ous garrison towns where had been gave
me most brilliant id9as In regard to TIT
adventures that would bCIal me in Al
gicr9, Hours, with eyes Ike stars, Gu
yclOpCd In cashmere, covered with dla-
mOnds, living In palaces with fountains OF
rose water, and bowers OF orange llowCr5
rose before inc. Indeed, the officers talked
10 much and so eagerly about the charms
Ol the Eastern women, their passion and
their devotion, that felt ready 10 risk my
lie to obtain II sight OF one OF the lovely
creatures who haunted my dreams.
Now thls was TO be the romance OF my
lite The reality was already all ar.
ranged and settled in EuropC-nnd To tell
the truth, though my Imagination was in
AlrierF, my heart was in France with tho
piritu whom had been buirOihGd sincG
INV Infancy. Like all FrenChmcn, knew
that could marry only the young lady
who would be thought by my parents To
he suited tome In station and fortune;
knew that only such u wife could suit me
and had moi the slightest idea that my
Eastern romanCcwould interfere with any
Of my engagements, not even with my
love
For loved my bclroihgd, though hn(
not seen her since she was n child. The
daughter Of an old friend OF my fathers,
she Ind been brought up by her molhel
In the striClcst seClusiOn, and In my wAn.
dcrlng, soldiers life, | had no, seen hel
for six years. But this was my last year.
probation. at the close OF the autumn
was to return 10 Marseillcs; CcClle was Il
come with her mother beneath my faith
ur's roof, mud We were TO be married.
The passion intended 10 Iecl for onC
Of the Oriental hours had nothing to DC
with the holy love for my future VILE
Tor the mother OF my children. She wa
rncascd in the hottest temple OF my hear
the very altar fire Of my life; the Orr
entail episodes were but rs the Lightning
flashes Of summer storm, brief, brilliAn
and evanGscCnL
II so happened that ut one Of the cafe!
made the the acquaintance oil an inteIll
cent rich old Jew merchant, who, from
lht first, appeared to take extraordinary
interest IN me. lie amused ih6 with Dc
tailg Of Oriental lie and manners; told mt
the legends OF the country; and, in TACT
seemed to be living page from tn
Arabian Nights"
In return, | told him all the Circum
stances OF my life, all my military adven
lures, and oven, in Il moment Of eNtrHor
binary confidence, went so far as to tel
him all about CcCiIC and our future mar
rIapc. This was done rather to give hin
AN idea OF our European customs thar
with any idea Of confding in him,
scarcely felt the indclicacy OF talking
about CcCilC, because he was so utterly /
stranger to her
[ had been some weeks in AlgiCr
watching anXiously for an adventure
Wien one day note was put into M
hand. 1t was highly porlumed, and tied
instead Of being sealed, with agold thread
II was written in q most elegant hand ,an'
was in the purest French, and Il badc M
repair at nine o'clock to one OF the mos
uucs, where most important revelation
would he made to me. Here was an ad
venture at last In tho excitement OF tn
moment rushed to the jew,
"What am to do2 What does hi
mean 2"
cit means that you are handsome do
and that some OF our lovely women hay
fallen in love with YOU"
"What am TO doy'
"GO to the rendezvous, Of cOurseY
"Will there he danger Must | <
armCi2'
at would be more prudent
At nine o'clock, rs the CloCl, slrncl
some one touched me On the shoulder.
"You arc cNact-thal "a well" and ns
turned | bCh6ld an old woman, dressed /
ibGcostume Of the country standing nea
nc,
Are you Lieutenant Rsoul DucGenc
said she, speaking in French, and vii
e. only slight accent.
ayes"
"You are lately from MarscillcsG'
"Yes"
"You remember CeCile w
"CCcilc," cricd-"CCcilc Nela2cN
"Tis she who has written 10 You
nCecilc, my betrOihCd; she Is in 10
dcsux, with her mother
"Shc was, but she is now here a slave
AlpiCTs"
SBut thClcltcr % not in her writing,
met as you knew her writing Iormc
"Truc, a slavc-CGcilc a sIavcg lie
liI shr know that was here
"Sue saw You from behind the graft
Of her window"