Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1873-01-30
From the Overland Monthly.
N INEXPLiCABLE FANCY.

frehohmen and Frenohwomen are
lssgic, or nothing, unless they happen to be
,nsaplcal. - Nature has endowed the Gal
lac mind with an adroi. aptneds that siezes
@hh equal facility upon the terrible or
.be Sgotesque---a revolution or a masquer-
ase. The, by way of preface, and the
.sp,y Of "An inoxpl:cable Fancy" be-
rs1
Henri Cardone was a young French
artist Of distinguished promise. His neat
gsile domicil and his pretty little wife
srge situated i'll suburban Paris. One
.saaiy twilight IN the month of November
nj sertaln year, rs he entered his home,
hrs wife ran unto him, twined her plump
anas about his neck, bestowng II full
saesp affection upon his responsive lips,
xnd Immediately exclaimed, Oh, dear
Henri | have had such surprse--such
sn odd Yisitor--ths afternoon man
nah such an explicable fancy that | have
Sren waiting these two hours for your ar
rssal. and lbestowNg playful cut there
rwpn) your ears.
And now the ears hsve arrived, Irene,
my pet suppose your merry tongue Will
rasiae away as glibly AS "a newly wound up
nuslo box, and once started, | shall not
ha.e an opportunity - put word III even
Ssagew!sc until you have run down com.
pAsSely But for thus odd man, with the
iDexplicable fancy He could not have
aalsn fancy TO you for that would have
seen neither odd nor inexplicsble. Did he,
utterly regardless of the divine set of his
trousers, 60 down upon his knees, and
SIseesh of you TO fly with him to some
noaabse y rural rotreat, there to subsist upon
arnonshine and his adorable moustache 4?
and 1t was ms inexplicablo fancy that
yf's should be accompanied 10y such little
a1iacle of available value as this poor
sescl might afford? Or, was he wan
lierng gypsy lord, who predicted that you
SER 70 be queen of all proud France, In
aead Of one humble French heart? and
iId be, Just as he was about to Surround
war august brow with the imperial crown
sq'aaeniy suspend it and take an inexpl!c-
ahie fancy to have his dirty palm first
@,pSsed with a crown of silver? Or"
There there! do cease your badin-
age said the pouting little woman,
Stamping her small foot impatiently-
tm will never become wise listening to
Fear own wisdom
Not weary listening to yours, my
n,rnT7slng sage laughed the volube
aiear1, carossing her soft, brown hair fond
~ Proceed; from this on | am all
.Sarss
Well, let all ears listen. At about
Stwce clock this afternoon, rs | was sit
49, intent upon taking the finest possible
s&a.ebeS around the border of your finest
SAaabrlc, there came u sharp rap on the
sa1eet door. | fastened, opened it, and
h,sEd myself face TO face With man OF
las2a-e age, who bowed politely, and
4N9Sslred if he was on the Rue do Chalons.
afu beng informed that he was he thanked
rre very aIlbly, and was turning to depart
SfcH his glance CHANGED 20 fall on this
sSls corneiau cross, which, then as now,
pss lying on my bosom. He stopped
ssesf, g2led 6xedly at it as though it pos
psSed some terrible fascination. turned
frsa deadly pale, then liyid purple, and
~ u h0arse whisper arlculated, Madame,
ypn will pardon me, il is no ordinary
earnestly that prompts the question, but
0N}~t'h NNAtulV W "SN uuN tldl ulhktk
8poIOGng a trembling finger At the croSs)
ssSsas into your poSseSSon-unier what
circumstances ~
" ell Quericd Henri, in lew, inter,
rsach tone, "what was my lt!le wite's
-rYly'
- Your little wifi, told him. sir, that Il
pns present from her husband, and that
u 1ma been in her possession ABOUT four
sa9Ts How or where you came by il, she
spl,la moi inform him.
ssTheu he departed satisfied -
"Ao, indeed
Then be inquired your name, age and
ag4fssia 81