Richland beacon., 1873-02-08

there, but he had had a better offer tllr-
thcr in the inter or. and he started for that
part the same day the Angelique left for
the port 10 which she was bound. The
captain had quite expected TO find him at
home again; for he laughed at Raoul, as
having made but sad sailor.
- Everybody talked Of the money Marcel
Nanier was making. Twas plain, they
said. that Cloutier did all the courting
now. and he had made Eulalie refuse sew
cral young men, hoping hc might yet Sc
cure Raoul asa husband for her.
Marcel Nanier now came nearly every
day 10 breakfast and dinner at the hotel,
that he might get into talk with the trav
elcrs. who knew Paris, and could tell him
of The banks. and the funds and the bourse,
about all of which he seemed to under
stand as much as they did. Sometimes
Monsieur FOnrCher would accompany
him, and his presence was always wei
come, for he was very merry and ready
with his joke and laugh. and everybody
was sorry TO hear one day that lie had
been offered Il better post nearer 70 Paris,
aud that he was going TO leave Wire al
most Immediately. Nannette had of la;c
become much more important person.
age than in former days; for her cousin,
Jeanne Ferouel!c, lost her husband of a
fever. which notwithstanding that he had
been ding of asthma for twenty wears,
carried him Off in week. Madame FerOu-
ellie caught the complaint. and Nannette,
she found had helped her through her ill
ness, and kept all going straight down
stairs.
--Jeanne's good heart never forgot it,
and she told Nanncttc, that if Raoul came
home to claim her now lIc should we'd no
poriionless bride. But another year came
to a close and 10 news of RaOUl. Otten
when Madame Ferouele was pressing on
Nannettc the suit of some perSevering low
er land rs her prospects brightencd her
admirers became more numerouS). she
would hint ut the increasing certainty that
something must have happened to Raoul.
and the probability that in this world he
would never he seen again, but Name.te
never titltcred or gave way. If he was liv-
ing. she said, though it were fifty years,
he would come back. and if he were dead.
she would 20 TO him faithful to the vow
which made ~ his forever.
r Marcel VAnier had bern much more
friendly sp0ken Of late. Something seeni-
ed to draw him towards Nalmette. Ed
lalic Cloutier was mt last tired of waiting
and hrd married Jacques OpfrOi, the tan
ner of Mortain; and as much as he could
without actually saying SO, Marcel showed
Nannettc that be wo;il2 put no further oh
Staclc in the way Of his sonis wishes He
paid very little ion to his forge now
and left most of the work to be done by
the men whom he employed. -
One morning there was q great stir III
the place. Marcel-Nanicr had had g let
ter, and while it MAS being read. he had
| fallen down in a fit. from which he could
| not be recovered. Soon aG least a dozen
stories found their way TO the Hotel st
Pierre. The letter, it was said, was about
| Raou,. that he had returned, that he was
dead, shipwrecked .-drOwned-werds thai
now froze Nannette's- heart and now
| turned her blood to fire.
! " muStsllearn- the truth she said
she will tell me; / have a right toknow.
And without listening to more, she nan Il
| Marcel Vanier's house, where the doctor
was by this time come, and the sick room
was cmptied of all intruders. Monsieur
Levasscur. however, heard Nannettel
-voce, and Knowing a good deal of he
and her story. he called 10 her to step i'll
side. There lay Marcel. like one dead
and. bending .ver him. stood his ole
houselleeper. The good doctor saw the
young girls blanched flee, and guessing
! iiic Vstt6Ss
! take courage. it IS Els money he has lost.
And oh, madame, at those biesScC
words what wonder that Nannette fel
upon her knees. and thanked God for hi:
goodness to herY3 .-I... -
"PoOr man ~ said Monsieur LevaSseur
sit is 4 sad blow for him; he was so conf
dent Of that Fourchcr, whom | Away
mistrusted. The whole concern it seems
was a fraud. and one for which many al
honest fellow beside poor Vanier will sui
fer-that is. if he lives to realize his loss
which lust now is doubtful" But t
make nv story short, he did recover
madame, although for many weeks Nan
nette expected each breath he drew wOul
be his last. She watched him and tcnde
him in every spare minute Of her tine, q
if he had already been that which ST,
hoped to call, himl--her father. And h
well repaid her care. for never was lOy
more devoted, than that he now heape
|, upon the once despised Nannette.
!, " All. Nannette,' Marcel would som,
times say. with sigh, "dOst thou sti
! mourn my boy? If some miracle wei
to send him back to Us, and could 81
: thee and he one, l would ask no more, II
2 more; but my eyes will never again b
: hold him. 1t is just that who grove hi
L,
: fer!"
It was now more than eighteen yea
since Raoul Vanier left Wire, and b1
{; once in ali this time had news been heal
: about him.
1t was spriDgtime, and the Hotel
e Pierre was being cleaned, and smarten'
=. up, for the summer visitors, who had
II late taken to stop and drive up the vale
:. and pain pictures Of Porte Horloge al
!. the castle. Nannette was as busy as Z
birds, and up almost as early. She HI
'l lust set tie salon in order when TrebOl
e the postman, looked in at one Of the wi
= dows, and said
IL GOOD day, m'mse!lc Nannette, e
. kpect have some news for you In n
l. feathern bag-a letter for Monsieur '
y knier."
et "Yes. perhaps to tel him that his me
le ey has all come back again."
Is "Oh! yes" said Nannette, who had
III a moment forgotten about the none
u, about what else could it be? Assured
le nothing ~ Still Nannette took the We
y, first opportunity to run to the colts
10 and see Marcel had got his letter.. whl
III he was. keeping for Nanneue; he had
Ill opened It because he could not read
but he said that he felt certain it
AZ about his money, because it looked eXa
Ok ly Ike, the last ne had, and very anxit
ne he MS to have an end put to his hol
n andtSrs. S9Nannette undertook to 8
ry ht6Aln Eschool-roOm. where she
re- cenkeif that some of the good broth
IN woAldtell them what it was about. RI
ell DOt&nique was walking up and down
g,dA outside and he willingly acceded
ar Nanneste's request. She handetthe
er, ter y him; and fe read it thr0ssA'
&C. .sE Is from Marcel's son, Raoui
lat niers He lies 1t Granville, at the poin
ad death, and implOes his father VIII e
ew him at once. See, it is but ga
at wofas.'s But Nannette's whole
At seeded gone. and she fell down on
ei- protlpd IkeA stone. When she cam
,rd 6efself. crowd gathered around her.
$ every one was talking of the wonde
lad news that Raoul Vanier was alive
II RI fy.Oyvv vvbych El4cP "a