, 1873-08-03
AN INEXPLlCABLE FANCY.
From Tho Overland Monthly.

From Tho Overland Monthly.
Frenchmon or Troncl,womon aro tragio, or
nothing, uncss t},oy lInppon to DO oon,ical'
Nature lsas endowed tho Gallo mind with an
adrott aptuoHH that acizcs with equal facility
upon tho terrblo or tho grotoHquo, a roVolat!oh
or n masquerade. ThiB, by why of profaco, ala
tho story Of j" MI inoxplicnblo fancy" hognss
uenr Cnrtlono was t. yonng Froncl artist OF
| distinguished promise. 11n llcnt ltllo do1licho
and lin prolty little wife woro situatcdin suburb
m PnriB One curly twilight in tho month OF
November of certain yonr. rs ho entered hih
homo, his wife rnn unto linn, twued her plump
arms around isis necls, bcHtowtng full-b]own
affection upon bis responsive lips, anl immod-
ately exclaimed 30, dear ucnril I Ind such
| SURPRISE such m odd visitor, this afternoon; |
| mau with such m inaxpcntlo fnnoy that hnvo |
boon waiting these two horru for your arrival, |
! nnd (beHtowinE playful cut thoreupoiO your |
| ears.
"And now tho ours hayo arrived, Irene, my
pot, suppose your n!orry tongue Will rattlo
away as glb1y ag q nowly wound mp muaic-box;
and ouco started, / shall not hhyo IN opportunity
to nut word in oven cdgcwise until you haVo
run down completely. Bit for thia otd man,
with tho 'inexplicable fancy l1o could not
hayc ta1cn fauoy to you, FOR TINT would havo
boon neitlor odd nor inoxpIicablo. Did he, ut
terly rcCardonn of tho divine get Of lis tronsors,
70 down upon his knees aud boscech Of you
to fly with him 10 so1no intensely rural
rolront, tLoro to aubsist upon moon
Bhino and la adorable mouatacho and waB 1t
/ Ills nexplicablo fancy t1lan you Should bo accom-
4 panied by such little articles Of available v9luo
= as thin poor hoyel might airorlp Or, was ho .
wandering Gypsy lord. who predicted that You
worc to 10 tho Quoon Of all proud Frauoo, IN,
t atead Of ono humble Frcnch hoart? And dld
ho, just o nbout to surround your august
!. | brow with tho imperial crown, suddenly R1lsIehu
q | it and iako MI illoxplcAho fancy to 1ave hia
o dirty, palm first cros1od with crown OF sllyosF
- "Thero, there! 10 coaso your baainage," gald
- | the pouting little woman, stamping Let small
= foot impatoutIy. " You will neyur boconlo ~iHo
listening to your own Wisdom"
3, +" weary listening to yours, my charming
:, soft, brown hair, ,fondly; proceea-from this
II Oil nm all oars"
= this afternoon, aB was sitting intent upon taxi
~ ing tho ilnost possible stictles tho border
= !" OF your nnoBt cambria, there camo sharp rap
he myself face to face with . nlan Of middle ago,
10 wIo bowed politely and inquired II he woro on
fe9 tho Ruo do uhalola. On boing informed thatho
s a gG nsoy ybaneod aa
H. this little cornclnn crc.s, which then, then,
I rs now, was lying o,. =, my Sxoa,,' hoHont H.
o atoppsa short gazaad son xoqty tSyrrba
purple, and in . hoarso whisper nrtculatod
lie might venture to nHk how that triukot,' point
ts il.g trembling llngor at tho CROSS, camo intt
I'M your posecssion-nndor what circumstances?
iii tono qer9a Maa nv eh te wfes 1p ropya
ch Your little viie told him. sir, TINT it was
Dat present from hor husband, and that it had bcol
- in her posBcaBon about four years. How
On an whero you camo by it sho could not inform
lG- ! him
'gy y ri %Ihon ho 4; Departed satisnod7"
I'd I'd rheS n ho inquired your namo age and pre-
": "Did he 2" do not know whether ought I
oMo he feel con,plimented or insultod. Did you to
OF II hestated, and told him."
hcc ~ wish you Ind not hestatcd, md then M
'ys- told linn, Something Of moment n!ny grow ol
oan om or s e1o.!tSy , But it will not nAtt0r 4hs
Int "No: ho stood absorbed in troubled thougl
lls- q fow minutes, m though weighing toop pro-
~ ", lem. and Then said he lad taken very strof
aiso and eccentric fancy for tho trkot. and asked
NIL | would for consideration consoht to part VII
ssd aea ~, Wa yosr reply to TINT vory Dsin'a
@sh @ !" fiat, being your gift, should much disliI
h!ia m to let it TO-" ;,
sia- i- "of conrso, that must have Terminated II
ss+- conversation Z"
;on or course, but it did not though. It becnn
mn ~. moro pointed thun eyor."
nyy ~ "Well, we'll an oager to 1oar1l the aenon
ame. %na mont" enid Honri an aot at iaut III, III
anu this affair that will interest a very wiao ctrc
em- Give mo tho exact particulars What followed
l'oh "11e eaid ho was wealthy and dld not @ W.
IN money mud that llo lad conceived 10 strong
no desire to posseHs the cross, thnt, wild aa tho
!. IT. for might scon lie would not de'nus Ut giy
eek' 500 francs for it,
dim ,rort K franca i aaid IInnri. exoitctlly "T
,liae man is either lunatic or-what moro stro'
ol ly suspect him Of being-"
nnha t:ns' And what is it possible TOT You to mi
lians strongly suspect him of being = asked Ireno.
at- IA knayc. In spite Of tho temptation OF
r n fraucB I SEQ that you still boar your cross.
son would hayo thought the sum sufficient to buy
II all tho crosBcB in paris aud all the women bo
az ing them. How did you resist ?"
not "H did not know that Your sur on mon
'doea and their CROSSES was Hnid moro in humor 4
would a9t give yoq4 4at ahotor th o
there yory tempting, but that could not possibly
, aud cert it without first consulting you"
Tha r hs a9SS fo f1py opss y e hs so
will atow;ne on Ior an oloauont glance md aey
oiJS a. passSionato Lissos. "Horoufter shall 6
Thioa ador you cheap at 600 francs What Hnd
etco Crtesua to your priceleBs anBWer2"
rkinB Il H. ,}rut hn anpeareu much discounted.
IN OF tor a litlio whilo ho spid ho wna going into
lrnea country to ROMAN ono week.; that he should
Jn " turn this way, and If IL tue moamo gu
u to cross without it, ho would 1nalo good his Of
laA And thon he bude mo reluctant adlou, wcn
y !, nss in and drove off rapidly to ChalonH."
Id for @Fnally wo have tho nralo Of act first, u
only, marked Monri
!triSal u leg "Yos," responded tho musInC Irono, toJ
with The oogot % I tso vaue ~i ad
"aa way remarkable, excepting from poculaEty1
norca uoag ta g,,at ~; n1nr beng caryoi to roprose
I WIZ descending arrow, aud tho eross-poeo worry
teaAEy 1yrn,yht imitation Of WINCH.