Litchfield enquirer., 1873-01-23

Jeann. s good heart never forgot it, and she told Nannette, that if Raoul came home and claimed her now he should wed no portionless bride But another year came to close, and no news of Raoul. Often when Madame Ferouelle was press l ing on Nannette the suit of some perse- vering lover land as her prospects bright ened her admirers became more numer- ousJ. she would hint at the increasing cer- tainty that something must have happen ed to Raoul, and the probability that in 1 this world he would never be seen again, but Nannetts never faltered or gave way. If he was living, she said, though it were 1 fifty years, he would come back, and if he were dead, she would go to him faith 1 ful to the VOW which made her his forev- I CT.
 l Marcel Vanier had been much more friendly spoken of late. Something l seemed to draw him towards Nannette. Eulslie Cloutier was at last tired of wait 1 ing, and had married Jacques Onfroi, the | could without actually saying so, Marcel showed Nannette that he would put no further obstacle ill the way of his sons wishes. He paid very little attention to his forge now, and left most of the work to be done by the men whom he em- ployed.
 One morning there was great stir in the place. Marcel Vanier had had let ter, and, while it was being read, he had fallen down in a fit, from which he could not be recovered. Soon at least dozen stories found their way to the Hotel St. Pierre. The letter, it was said, was about RaouI, that he had returned, that he was dead, shipwrecked, drowned-words that l now froze Nannette's heart, and now turned her blood to fire.
 '1 must learn the truth" she said ''he will tell me; have right to know" And without listening to more, she ran to Mar eel Vanier's house. where the doctor was by this time come, and the sick room WAS emptied of all intruders. Monsieur Le- vasseur, however, heard Nannette's voice, and knowing good deal of her and her story, he called to her to step in- side. There lay Marcel, like one dead, and, bending over him, stood his old ho1sekeeper, Celestine, too frightened to pay any attention to the directions Mon sieur Levasseur was giving, or had given her. The room faded away before Nan nette's gaze, and cold sweat broke out over her, and her senses seemed dying away with the certainty that her worst fears about Raoul were more surely con- firmed. The good doctor saw the girls blanched face, and, guessing the cause, he said, 'sNanpette, my child, take cour- age, it is his money he has lost" And oh, madame, at those blessed words what wonder that Nannette fell upon her knees, and thanked God for his goodness to her?
 sPoor man!" said Monster Levasseur, cit is sad blow for him; he was so con- fident of that Fourcher, whom I always mistrusted. The whole concern, it seems, was fraud, and one for which many an honest fellow beside poor Vanier will sui fer-that is, if he lives to realize his loss, which just now Is doubtful" But to make my story short, he did recover, madame, although for many weeks Nan nette expected each breath he drew would be his last. She watched him and tended him in every spare minute of her time, as if he had already been that which she hoped to call him-her father. And he well repaid her care, for never was love more devoted than that he now heaped up. on the once despised Nannette She man. aged everything for him; got Mere Leroux for small sum to take him to live with her; sold his business for him, and went day by day to see that he wanted nothing. His strength had now all gone, and one arm and one leg hung quite helpless. called his heavy aftiiction judgment, and said twas we'll for him that Nannetta could forgive all the misery his pride had brought upon himself, and all be- longing to him. But, madame, believe me, the girl was happier that she had some one now on whom she could shower the love which oppressed her heart. Mar eel had to be humored, petted, and ca ressed like 6 child. From being strong, stern man he would cry, and scold Nan nette if she forgot to bring him his little packet of snuff. Fortunately about this time Jeanne Ferouelle began to pay Nan nette wages, so that out of her four hun dred francs year she was able, when MarcePs little money came to an end, to pay for his board and lodging. All this time no tidings came of Raoul, and the only news which reached Wire was that the AngeliQue was wrecked, and lost on her way back from Quebec; so that the last hope was gone, and it came to be looked upon as a settled thing that Raoul was dead, that for love of him Nannette had even said ''No," to M: Leroi, the gov ernment cloth-buyer, that she would nev- CT marry, and therefore nobody need ever again ask her; and upon this knowledge, to her great relief, after time, they act ed, treating her much as she wanted them to do. and regarding her as widow
 She and old Marcel never talked of what was now going on in the town. All their conversation ran on the days which were past, when Raoul was a boy; how handsome and strong he grew up; what he used to say, where he went, what he did, and so on. On fete days. when the couples went by to some merry-making, they would cast pitiful giances upon Nan nette, as she sat knitting by the side of old Marcel, who, in his wheel chair, had been pushed by her into the sun or up to the forge. But she was happy; and know ing that God loves not to see us with sour discontent in our hearts or our faces, she was even merry and cheerful
 '.Ah! Nannette," Marcel would some times say, with sigh, dost thou still mourn my boy? If some miracle were to send him back to us, and could see thee and he one, would ask no more, no more; but my eyes will never again be- hold him. It is just that l who drove him from his home and killed him, should sufferI" and then he would fall to weeping, and Nannette had to comfort him as best sne could, though not Dy saying that Raoul would yet return, for that she felt could never be-
 It was now more than eighteen years since Raoul Vanier left Wire, and but once in all this time had news been heard about him.
 It was spring time, and the Hotel St. Pierre was was being cleaned, and smart ened up, for the summer visitors, who had of late taken to stop and drive up the valley, and paint pictures of Porte Hor- loge and the castle Nannette was as busy as the birds, and up almost as early. She had just set the salon in order when Treboul, the postman, looked in at one of the windows, and said
 Good day, m'mselle Nannette, 1 ex- pect I have some news for you in my leathern bag-a letter for Monsieur Va nier."
 ''A letter!' gasped Nannette.
 'tYes, perhaps to tell him his money | | III