Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1873-01-23
tune in what his called commerce. He is

~ W Inc QeSCrlpLlOu the Mai quIo Hau
given of him.
He lost very little time in prelimin-
| aries.
"Come to business" said he; "let's set
| tie this matter before we go to dinner.
Georges loves your daughter; you are
willing, he says, to give her to nina
condescension, no doubt, though l think
my boy fit for any princess in the land.
But you mobiles lookdown on us poor trades
| men. To show you that I think Mile
| Madeleine de Fresnaye noble, beautiful,
rich, great match, I give five hum
dred thousand francs to my son; how
much do you i've your daughter; half
that 90
"No."
"a quarter?"
"Neither."
"Well, something, of course; let it be a
nominal sum. l don't care for fortune,
but such sordid conduct l won't put up
with. Say twenty thousand miserable
francs, and the bargain is concluded"
Nothing"
Nothing"
"Nothing! Oh! oh! Then l see your
condescension was mere trap to escape
giving your daughter dowry: thank you,
Jacob Rigault IS not to be taken in"
With these words NJ. Rigault bolted from
the room, and in another instant the
wheels of his carriage were heard grating
on the gravel road.
Madeleine, pale with establishment and
apprehension, now rushed into her faith
er's presence.
Father, he is gone-what does il
mean?"
cit means, my child, that you must try
apI bo cof;cfiaI with vopr fofbori. Iowa
The marriage is broken off"
"Broken OFF,"
"He exacted dowry"
'And you refused to give one?"
81 refused"
go, father' exclaimed Madeleine,
''have deserved this? | have borne,
without murmuring, the privation of all
my birth and your fortune entitled me to.
have respected your weakness, refused
to think what all the world said of you.
But oh 4! father, can you prefer your money
to your child's happiness? Oh! it will be
hard to love you now" added Madeleine,
in bitterness of spirit, her bosom heav-
ing, her nostrils dilated with passion, her
eye flashing.
The marquis rose madeleine, my
child, said he. 81 forgive you, for you
speak without knowing. am not a miser,,
but ruined man."
Madeleine turned around to him in
wonder.
ga ruined man-ruined years ago to
save an only brother. For him I mort
gagged my estates and lost them. Yes,
the chateau of La Fresnaye, the home of
my ancestors, the home where you were
borne, is gone forever; sold, passed into
other hands"
ooh, father" exclaimed Madeleine,
falling at his feet, 'forgive me. Georges
is nothing more to me; yOu-you are all
to me; we will live for each other. Oh!
why did you not tell me this, dearest,
most patient father? Sometimes | have
doubted your love, doubted you; now we
can be happy again, very happy, in this
peaceful retreat"
"Ah! child, that may not long be left
us. Yet I could not say to this man am
ruined. l am beggar; no, | knew the
popular opinion of me, and l rather
passed for what he thought me-a miser."
Never, from that hour, did Madeleine
again refer to Georges 1t she wept, it
was in secret; her father never saw her
tears.
Not long, however, were they destined
to enjoy their calm retreat The creditors
of the Marquis, having seized everything
else, had at length discovered this last
remnant of his property, and once again
the Marquis disappeared from Montroque,
never again to return, for in few weeks
they leveled the cottage, and built on its
site factory.
The chateau de Fresnaye, meantime,
spite of the absence of its masters, was
in state of brilliant magnificence. 1t
had been bought by the widow of hard
ware merchant, a fine, robust, ford,
buxom dame, approaching her fiftieth
year, but bent upon enjoying the three
millions her husband had left her She
had two sorrows in the world: one was
the had not been a widow twenty years
sooner, the other that she had not been
born in the higher ranks Of society.
Since she had entered into the possession
of the chateau de Fresnaye, her aim had
been to assume the state Of great lady.
She had taken great pains to engage
such servants as had formerly served in
the chateau Nine GODDARD, for such was
the name it was her sorrow to hear, was
naturally a kind-hearted woman, and,
having heard that the late Marquis de la
Fresnaye was exceedingly charitable, she
ostentatiously overwhelmed the tenants
with her kindness.
This, however, could not prevent her
original love of great bargain. One day
Nine GODDARD was called on to receive q
young work woman from Alencon, who
had brought her some specimens Of the
beautiful lace that bears this name.
AS Nine. GODDARD received few noble
suits, it was her delight to dazzle those
she did receive with her magnificence,
and she ordered the young girl to be
shown into the grand saloon. On enter
ing, however, great was Nine Godard's
surprise to find the young girl standing,
bathed in tears, before the portrait of the
late Marquise de Fresnaye.
'Mademoiselle," said Nine. GODDARD,
calling her attention to her entrance,
chow could you know the Marquise; she
has been dead so many years 2"
eyes, many years, but l can never,
never forget her."
''She was your benefactress ~
''Alas no matter, madame; will you
look at the lace %
"Mademoiselle, what is your name ?"
"Madeleine."
"Madeleine -
At this moment servant entered with
message to Nine. GODDARD, and, seeing
Madeleine, he started back, exclaiming
''NIlle. de la Fresnaye ~
''N1lle de la Fresnaye y exclaimed Nine.
GODDARD, rushing toward Madeleine. For
heavens sake, mademoiselle, sit down.
Good gracious, what an honor How
can this be ?"
Madame, we are poor, very poor, and
L