River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1873-01-31
From the Overland Monthly.
AN INEXPLICADLE FANCY.

Frenchmen and Frenchwomen are
tragic, or nothing, unless they happen to be
comical.--Nature has endowed the Gal
lie mind with an adroi. aptneds that siezes
with equal facility upon the terrible or
the grotesque--a revolution or masquer-
ade. This, by way OF preface, and the
story of An lnexpEcable Fancy" be-
gins:
Henri Cardone was young French
artist Of distinguished promise. His neat
little domisil and his pretty little wife
were situated in suburban Paris One
early twilight i the month Of November
of a sertaln year, as he entered his home,
his wife ran unto him, twined her plump
arms about his neck, bestowing a full
blown affection upon his responsive lips,
and Immediately exclaimed, I" Oh, dear
Henri ] have had such surprlse-such
an odd visitOr-this afternoon man
with such an explicable fancy that have
been aitlng these two hours for your ar
rival, and (bestowing playful cut there
upon your ears.
And now the ears have arrived, Irene,
my pet, suppose your merry tongue will
rattle away as glibly as a newly wound up
music box and once started, | shall not
have an opportunity 70 put 4 word in even
edgewlse until you have ruA down CON-
pletely. But for this odd man, with the
'inexplicable fancy He could not have
taken fancy to you for that would have
been neither odd nor inexplicable. Did he,
utterly regardless of the divine set Of his
trousers, go down upon his knees, and
beseech fyou to fly with him to some
intensely rural retreat, there to subsist upon
moonshine and his adorable moustache ?
and it was ms inexplicable fancy that
you should be accompanied by such little
article of available value as this poor
howell might afford? Or, was he wan
dering Gypsy lord, who predicted that you
were TO be queen OF all proud France, in
stead Of one humble French hearth and
did be, Just as he was about to surround
your august brow with the imperial crown
suddenly suspend it and take an inexplc-
able fancy to have his dirty palm FIRST
crossed with a crown of silver +? Or
"There,i there do cease your badin-
age said the pouting little woman,
stamping her small foot impatently-
You will never become wise listening to
your own wisdom
I" Not weary listening 10 yours, my
charming sage laughed the voluble
Henri, caressing her soft, brown hair fond.
ly. "Proceed; from this On | am all
ears"
"Well, let all ears listen. At about
three o'clock this afternoon, as | was sit.
tng intent upon taking the finest possible
stitches around the border of your finest
cambria, there came a sharp rap on the
street door. | FASTENED, opened il, and
found myself face 20 face With man OF
middle age, who bowed politely, and
inquired if be was on the Rue de Chalons
On being informed that he was he thanked
me very afably, and was turning to depart
when his glance CHANGED 10 fan on this
little cornelian cross, which, then as now
was lying on my bosom. lie stopped
short, gazed fxedly at il as though it pos.
esSed some terrible fascination, turned
first deadly pale, then livid purple, and
in a hoarse whisper ar,iculated, Madame
you will pardon me; il is no ordinary
curiosity that prompts the question, bat
might venture 20 ask how that trinket
lpoinung a trembling finger at the cross
came into your possession-under what
circumstances ~
"Well,' queried Henri, in low, inter
ested tone, "what was my hule wife'i
reply
"lour little wife told him, sir, that Z
was present from her husband, and thai
It had been in her possession ABOUT ioui
years. How or where you came by it, she
could not inform him."
"Then he departed satisfied ?"
No, indeed'
" Then he inquired your name, age ant
profession