The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1873-03-15
AFTER.
A MaPGli~GraS Tale.
BY MRS. NJ. 3. WILLIAMS.
From the New Orleans Times.

Whlrl and madness OF the Carnival, |
which had intoxicated all Louisiana,
was over in the little town of r.
A few masks were still wandering |
through the streets in q vague, puu-
poseless manner, frightening children
lated, but they belonged to the juvenile |
portion of the cOmmunity-mel1yb boys
whose spirits had risen so high during
the excitement of the day, that it was
impossible for them to sober down be-
cause unwelcome night chose to inter-
rupt their sports. The tOwnspeople had
gone back to their pantOutfles" very
weary, but highly delighted with their
own traVesties, and the town subsidized
into its normal condition of dulness.
One mask in the dress of a Benedic
tine Monk had taken his station at dusk
under large live oak tree at the ex-
trene limit of the southern faubOurg.
He paced impatiently back and forth
under the dark dense foliage, sometimes
passing from the line of shadow into
the, bright moonlight, and gazing, eager
ly down the road, and then retracing
his steps with unpriestly "Sacres," NUT
tered under his black hood. Whoever
he was awaiting, seemed determined
to tax his patience to the utter1nOst.
AS the convent bell climed out the
last stroke of ten, tall, graceful quad
room woman came gliding up the side
walk with that floating movement pc
culiar to her class, and which always
reminds us of bird swaying laZily in
| the hot summer air.
She turned her head from side to side
as if seeking some one, when suddenly
the monk stepped from the shadow and
| stood directly in her path.
She uttered little affected sllriek of
| disnlay, and stepped back.
"Ah, you wicked jules, to frighten
me so. When got your note to-day
| here at the Great Oak, said to myself,
/ will not 60. | will teach my gentle
men to put On grand seigneUr airs with
me. But then, you see, began to
| think something must have happened
or YOU would have come to see me at
the Plaisance as usual. And, do you
know, my poor boy, you actually for
got to sign your name. | have q great
| mind to go away and not wait to hear
YOUR secret for making me walk so
far Mardi Gras night. Besides, ma
dame is waiting for me-
| "Let Madame wait y he answered in
u low mutfled tone, "but if the name
was not signed to the note, Marie; how
could you fancy your lover was the
wfiter?n "Bah," she said disdainfully,
"none OF your Mardi Gras tricks Oh me.
AS if I don't know your pate de '1nOatcke
| disguise your handwriting than that
monks hood does your red head. Why,
| can see it now flaming like fire through
the capote'" -.
"Can you?" he muttered, dropping
the cOwl on his shoulders, and raising
the mask.
The woman uttered a shrek of hor-
Tor, and clasped her hands ever her
eyes. He seized her roughly by the
arm. '' Hush your internal noise or l
will choke it down your throat. Do
YOU wish to bring crowd about usg .
"Oh mercifil Cod" she cried out, not
needing him." Is it yort and alive toog
Oh my poor Mademoiselle Claire, my
poor young lady? Holy virgin, what Is
to become Of her?" -"
| The man laughed 1tarshly.
'"What do you think, ma ehere, usual
ly becomes of lady who nar1les one
husband while another is living ?' F.-
/" But she did not know it. She heard
she believed, that you were dead.7 The
woman sobbed violently, and by asud-
den movement threw herself at his
feet.
"Oh have mercy upon her, Monsieur
ID. You know she never loved
YOU. She was but a child; and you mus
have forced her to marry you. She
aelores M. de Kerlerec. She has a baby
Ia little angel. For the love of God, fol
the sake Of your own soul, be generous
and spare her this blow"
The man whom she addressed did not
reply, but, with his eyes fixed on her
: stood pulling down the corners OF his
: long black noustache. As you look a
him there in the moonlight, tall, ith,
as an Indian, with gWarthy skin, small
gIittering, black eyes, and the long
thin moustache hardly concealing tn
crafty lines about the compressed lips
YOU would have thought, what cold
wicked, pitiless face
The hard lines deepened in it, as h
addressed the woman who still knei
there sobbing out broken prayers, ant
said in tile sIleering tone which seeme'
habitual to him: -.
i" Of course Madame, in the Outpour
= ings of her loving confidence to Mon
sieur Mari, did not neglect to mention
the little episode Of her previous mar
'"Alas! no." she answered. "Hoy
could she tell him when she had con
cealed' it from her hard father? On he
return from school she once OF twic
made an effort to confess, but her cou1
a age failed. She knew, unhappy chile
what would happen if Mons. "
ishould find out that his only child ha
d | been entrapped into a marriage wit
;, !" Say it out, . interrupted D., light
d ing q cigar-sE an adxentrlrer, but at on
y time irresistible to. the unsophistieate
. tastes Of the fair Mademoiselle CLAN
:, V-, whatever he may be to the me-
tured Judgment of Mad. de Kerlerec
cit is q lie" cried the, quadroo
yehemently, and springing to her fee
= "She feared you, but she never love
YOU, oh, accursed be the day that. "
= ever saw thee, infamous one. l., to,
v who was left there to watch over he
p and to let my innocent child fall int
at. thy toll. Oh, meG cutlld, meg ct!pa
/. beating her breast with her hand /,
"But what do you mean to. dog ST
IL added as If stung by an added tea
"What can You do to herr We heal
you were dead" z.
Only in hiding. A little unpleasal
discovery, the results OF which mIgl
have divorced me from my beal
e tifliI bride, and saved you all this til
Of tamarTe.' Now safe and anxious to b
Il Il Gin the joys of married life. You II
n he member we. were only in the honeyn1ot
er when cruel Fate tore me away
Marie uttered II low cry OF impotel
:. rage. =,
5T sent for yon," coolly putting Il
- smoke of his cigar in her face, ito leal
Iif de Kerlerec knew anything of tll
of affair. 1t is well to reconnoitre q
eF enemy's ground before the ATTACK. B
20 no sides. il is for you TO inform Madan