The Fremont weekly journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1867-1877, 1873-10-31
Mist&IlaneOns SeIettiuns
From the Overland Monthly.
THE CORNELIAN CROSS.


Henri Cardone was young French
artist of distinguished promise. His
neat little domicile and his pretty
little wife were situated in suburban
Paris. One early twilight in the
month of November of 8 certain
year, as he entered his home, his wife
ran unto him, twined her plump arms
around his neck, bestoWing a full
blown kiss upon his responsive lips
and Immediately exclaimed
"Ob, dear Henri, l had such a sur.
prise, such an odd visitor, this after
noon-a man with such an inexpli.
cable fancy that l have been waiting
these two hours for your arrival, and
bestowing a playful cut thereupon
your ears.
"And now the ears have arrived
Irene, my pet, l suppose your merry
tongue will rattle away as merrily as
a newly wound up music box; and
once started l shall not have an op-
portunity to put in word edgewise
until you have run down completely
But for this old man, with the mex
plicable fancy. Did be utterly re
gardless of the divine set of his trou
sers, 60 down upon his knees and be-
seech you to fly with him to some
intensely rural retreat, there to sub
sist on moonshinc and his adorable
mustache? and was it his inexplica-
bic fancy that you should be accom-
panied by such little articles of avail
liable value as this poor hovel might
afford? Or, was he wandering gyp-
sey lord, who predicted that you
were to be queen of all France, in
stead of one humble French hearth
And did he, just as he was about to
surround your august brow with the
imperial brown, suddenly suspend ii
and take an inexplicable fancy to
have his dirty palm first crossed with
crown of silver? Or
"There, there! do cease your bad
image, "said the pouting little woman
stamping her small foot impatiently,
"you will never become wise listen
to your own wisdom"
''Nor weary listening to yours, my
charming sage" laughed the Voluble
Henri, earessing her soft brown hair
fondly; "proceed-from this on l am
all ears"
"Well, let all ears listen. At about
three o'clock this afternoon,as l was
sitting intent upon taking the finest
possible stitches in the border OF
your finest cambria, there came 8
sharp rap at the door. | hastened
opened it, and found myself face to
face with man of middle age, who
bowed politely and enquired if he
were on the Rue de Chalons. On be
ing informed that he was he thanked
me very affably, and was turning to
depart, when his glance happened tC
fall on this little cornelian cross,
which then as now was lying on my
bosom. He stopped short, gazed fix
edIy at it, as though it possessed
some strange fascination, turning
first deadly pale, then livid purple
and in a hoarse whisper articulated
Madame, you will pardon me, for il
is no idle curiosity that prompts the
question, but might venture to ash
how that trinket,' pointing a tremb
ling finger at the cross, came intt
your possession-under what cir
cumstancesY'
"Wel," queried Henri, in low
interested tone, "what was my littl'
wife's reply"
"Your little wife told him, sir, ,tha
it was a present from her husband
and that it had been in her possess
ion about four years. How or whcr
you came by it she could not inform
him."
"Then he departed satisfed?'
'No, indeedT
"Then he enQuired your name, agt
and profession" ."
"Did he? l do not know whethe
[ ought to feel complimented or in
suited. Did you tell him?"
81 hesitated, and told him"
81 wish you had not hesitated, an,
then not told him. Something {
moment may grow out of this curl
osity. But it will not matter. The
he departed?"
''No; he stood absorbed in trout
led thought a few minutes,as thong
weighing a deep problem, and the
said he had taken a very strong an