Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1874-11-18

even forbidden the approach of you
home. Through submission to YOU
wishes / have hoped to obtain mercy
but it is useless, for you have remained
inexorable. To-day, Monsieur, 1 dc
not come to petition, but to insist OIL
your listening to me-"
AT the age of twenty-five Octave de
Ceran had been one of the most bril-.
liant as well as most courted young mar
IN Paris. At that time he had brother
Henri de Ceran, to whom he was ten
derly attached The love of Octave de
Ceran for Mile. Eugene de Benaville,
the rich heiress of a noble house, was
generally known to his friends. Also,
that this suit had been declined by the
family of Eugenie, who had other views
for their daughter. When a happier
rival became the husband of Mile. de
Benaville, the despair of Octave was SC
intense that his life was endangered.
BY the advice of the attending physi-
clan, Henri removed with his brother
to an estate they possessed near Paris.
Grief is not eternal. De Ceran,
/ wearied of solitude and useless regrets,
at length returned to Paris. Nothing
remained of his unfortunate passion
but a quiet melancholy. Soon, how
ever, happiness was restored to him by
a young and lovely woman, also named
Eugene. Her gentle sympathy, musi-
cal voice, tenderness and loveliness
soon healed the wounds that had been
inflicted, and in the rich, full love of
Eugenie Destanges, Mile. de Benaville
was forgotten
One year after his marriage Octave
was blessed with the promise that a
child would soon strengthen the bond
which already bound him so wholly to
his young and beautiful wife, In the
midst of his happiness a sudden decline
threatened the life of his beloved
brother. The physicians, after long
and numerous consultations, frankly
acknowledged that they did not under
stand the nature of the disease. and
prescribed change of air. Placing
Eugenie uuder the care of his mother,
Octave de Ceran left Paris with his
brother, who, after one brief month of
constant suffering and delusion, breathed
his last
On the night of Henri's death Mon
sieur de Ceran had remained alone with
him. 1t had been observed that during
the last eight days of his brothers life
Octave declined all assistance. His
grief, moreover, though intense, found
no utterance in words, and no tears
stained his pale cheeks, or noistened
his troubled eyes.
As soon as Henri was dead, Monsieur
de Ceran, much to the surprise of every
one, scarcely had issued orders for the
burial, ere he started for Paris, appar-
emily in state of indifference. From
that hour a profound mystery vailed
Octave's life. Two or three days after
his return to Paris he left for Italy,
accompanied by Nine. de Ceran, and
for seven long years no tidings were
received.
Time passed. At length the parents
of Nine. de Ceran died, and De Ceran
alone returned to Paris, pale, sad and
detected, while his manner ever re-
PEELED those who would have questioned
the whereabouts of his wife.
The general suppOsition was that
Eugenie was dead, but at the same time
there existed mystery that all attempts
at solution were finally abandoned.
Having retired to his estate, some SIX
leagues distant from the capital, he
devoted himself to the education of
little boy of eight years, whom he called
Henri. After a lapse of some years,
Monsieur de Ceran removed to Paris
with little Henri, then lad of about
fifteen years of age. All that Henri
knew respecting his family was that he
was born in Italy; of his childhood he
had a confused recollection and remem-
bered no parents. AT tender age he
had been placed at school. This was
his earliest and most vivid recollection.
After several years of isolated life,
Monsieur de Ceran, whom he then saw
for the first time, had come to claim
him and take him to France. The
tender solicitude evinced for him had
"Forgive me, forgive me, my Henri,
for am so unhappy" he would muir
mur, claspiDg the lad to his heart. oh,
why are you not my son ? he would
often add with wild burst of sorrow.
Thus had Henri Duval's life passed
and its fitful fever had Taught, even
while still a child, the deep meaning
and cruel pain the portion OF mortal
existence. The scene which had Just
transpired before his eyes had aroused
his sensitiveness, and he yearned for
the sight of the stranger, whose eyes
had fingered SO tenderly IL their wistiul
gaze.
During eight days which elapsed
after the meeting Henri was quiet and
thoughtful, and De Ceran watched HIM
anxiously, for he saw that the soul OF
the boy had awakened to new life, and
that the hour was not far distant when
Henri would come to him and say,
eNow that you have given me educa-
tion, have pointed out path for future,
must go out into the world, but L
must first know what claim l have to
the name 4 bear, must know who was
INV mother ?" What answer should he
give?
On the day on which the scene al
given the boy new life; but Henri often
saw that De Ceran was anxiously pre-
occupied, aud it was evident that some