Rapides gazette. (Alexandria, La.) 1869-187?, 1873-02-22
ALEXANDRIA, PARISH OF RAPIDES LA. 80 - -

riage and fastened toward me. She, too
on her part, looked at me very inquiring
! ly, and suddenly we cried out in on
breath, respectively:
" Madame de Noriolis ~
"Monsieur de la Roche-Targe
Now, L have an aunt, and for years
between her and me, there has been con
tinued battle.
SECT married !" she has insisted.
81 don't want to marryr'
"Do you want a young girl?" 1 have
Mademoiselle A, Mademoiselle B
Mademoiselle c.. etc."
Il don't want to marry ="
"Do you want widow? / have Mad.
anne D., Madame E., Madame
F., and so on"
81 don't want to marry!"
Madam, de Noriolis always figured
among the first of my aunt's widows, and
/ noticed that she never failed to dwell at
length on all the advantages l saw in this
union. 1t was not necessary for her to
tell me that Madame de Noriolis was pret-
ty-any one could see that without
prompting-or that she was rich. She
chose, rather, to remind me ever and again
biidtb iuC lsiOC fiOliSitul NOIlOll was u
fool, who was never so happy as when he
had succeeded in making his wife excep-
tionably miserable, and that consequently
nothing would be easier than for her sec
ond husband to make himself adored.
Then, after lengthy eulogy of Mad
anne de Noriolis' virtues, graces and mer-
its, my aunt, who was very adroit, and
knew my vulnerable points, would take
from her secretary a map of the neighbor-
hood and spread it out on the table. The
map was very exact and complete, and
had been bought for the sole purpose of
convincing me that, if / had any sense at
all, would marry Madame de Noriolis.
The ehateaur of Noriolis and of La Roche
large figured on the map. and were hard
ly five leagues apart. My aunt, having
artfully drawn a red line around the two
domains, would oblige me to look at it,
saying:
1.-Two thousand one hundred acres, good
and not a single division-hedge,
If Noriolis were united to La-Roche-Tar-
ge! Eh, isn't that sufficient to persuade
my huntsman nephewr'
The temptation was so great that /
could only turn away and take refuge in
my usual refrain:
81 don't want to marry"
But felt that was In danger, never
.heless, really in danger; and, whenever
met Madame de Noriolis, L always saw
ler encircled by my aunt's red line, like |
IN aureola, and / couldn't help saying to
myself:
Exceedingly pretty-there's no deny
ng it-snd clever and sensible, too-two |
thousand one hundred acres without a |
livision-hedge-humph! Fly, Monsieur
lie La Roche-Targe-fiy, since you don't
want to marry"
And fly would, and always did (: but
low could | fly this time? There /
vas, stretched out on the grass, covered
With sand, my bair in disorder, my
lOthes torn, and one leg that refused
o do me service; and now there
TODD Madame de NoriOlis before me,
ashing and fair, the red line wound all
ound her as usual, and asking, In her
most seductive tones;
"M0n Disal is it you Monsieur de La
l0ehe, fargeY What are you doing heref
What has happened 10 You 2"
! frankly confessed that had been ig-
CONTINUOUSLY thrown,
You are not hurt, hoper' |
"Nog not seriously, at all events,
ave strained my right leg little but ID
not serious, ! nm suint'
And what horse acted so badiy=h6t
bis one, certainly - pointing 10 Bfutus,
Gh0 was quietly browsing near at hand.
Yes, that one he Is the eulpfit."
What this noble fellowf Well, he
as fully made amends, assure you but
will tell YOU all about that by-and by.
We must first think about getting you
ONE"
" cannot take n step.'' II
"Oh, | will drive you home, at the risk
compromising you"
And she called Bob, the little groom,
Tho took me by one arm, while she took
10 by the other, and helped me into her I
haise. Two minutes more, and we were
n the road to La Roche-Targe. We were
One In the chaise, Bob having taken
large of Brutus, who had shown no un- ,
-illingness TO be caught.
Make yourself comfortable, and keep
our leg as straight as you can" said
Iadame de NOrielis. ~ will drive you I
gently as possible"
In fact, she said a great many little,
niable, wOmanly things, that found 1t !
cry pleasant to listen to, Then, when
le saw me In a comfortable position, she
'ked me to tell her how ! came to be
iipWHi Saying iiut uiibfWaiu elb Wuuiu
Y me how she chaneed to come to my
d,
! began my narrative, 10 which she lis
ned attenflVeiy until ! commenced ~
scribe bFHtHs's Efforts % throw me, AZ
y The tw0 shots, when she cried, laugh= !
n ~ her siiyefiest tones
non, ! sae " all | sos it all You
We bought The tfumpetef's hefsel"
n The tfHmpetef's hafseF
i" Why, yes aHd that explains The 7
hole mystery Have yoii not seeB iBaay I
time, At the Cirque dc tlmpefatfiee, the
its ~ the horse ~ the tftimpeter A
dssetr d'Aftigus enters the arena on a
rye, gray horse the Arabs follow, and
DOT at the chasser. who A. wounded q
ii mlls-and, rs you did not fall, the h
,rse, indignant at this neglect of duty. h
rev you Off. And what did he do when i
~ were on the grotindY" 1
| told her of the effort he made to give n
q a decent burial. r
" The trumpetei's horse" she contin- {
d." toHjours the trumpeter's horse B
g sees that his master Is wounded; the T
rabs may come and dispatch him. So,
hat does he do? He buries him. And G
hat he did do thenY Started of on a n
Illop, did he notf" Il