Richland beacon. [volume] (Rayville, La.) 1869-1890, 1874-08-01

say, if suddenly the end bad not come
This was how il was. Onc mornin.
went as usual TO thc ErrtOns'
found nobody in the garden, SO
pushed open the door Of the house
and went in. All was silent, there
was no trace of any one This was
very unusual; No, ieur Berton wa:
generally in Tie garden, and Madam
BertOn or Adele in the lil,lc room
dignified by the name Of parlor ]
was puzzled, and was just going tC
call out, when remembered a little
back room which Madame BertOu
sometimes used ~ wOrk-roOm
looked III and saW Adele wing hUdjlcd
up on the couch, weeping bitterly. !
sprang forward, and hnceling bv her,
entreated her TO tell me the cause OF
her grief At first she only shook
her head, and continued To cry but
after time she grew calmcr ana tried
to speak.
Tell me what it is | urged; per
haps | can helpyou,you may trust me,
indeed you may
Il know. | know answered she.
you are so kind, but in this you can
be no help
AT least, tell me- repeated lis
rour father or mother i'll What is
il"
| placed myself at her side on The
sOf. and stole nv arm around he waist
1t was an irresistible impulse, but |
am glad to remember that she did
not notice it, her mind seeming quite
absorbed by her trouble ! could not
imagine what it was and certainly
never suspected that it would 81 near
ly affect me, so | continued to per-
suude her to conhde in me, DO not
be afraid, Adele; if you only knew
how it grieves me to see you unhap-
py! Tell me my - was going
to say something much tenderer when
she stopped me by putting both hands
on my shoulders, and said:
Dear friend, l will tel you, for !
know you will pity and be sorry for
me, as l should for you were YOU in
trouble. My poor Rudolph is very
i'll, dying perhaps, be prays to see me,
ard we have not go' the money to 20
t. him. He is in Rore YOU know a
long way from here, nd it would
cost great deal of mc'ry to 90 to
him. Oh! to think that 20 is so far
away, dying even, and . helpless
here And l would give tn world
to see him, to hear his voice, only
once again before he dies. 1t is c.,el
i shall go mad. Oh, Rudolph, IN;
dear, dear love!
She burst into passion of crying,
and starting up. walked up and dow
the room wringing her hands piteous
ly.
| sat stupefed as if l had been
struck by blow. This was the end
of nv dream; she bad no brother
this Rudolph was-well, had been
an idiot.
I don't remember what | said OF
did after that but | believe muttered
some sympathizing words, lad tber
walked mechanically out fthe house
and back to Vignelles. When | go
there l examined my little store o
money, and deducting only what was
absolutely necessary, put the rest il
an envelope, and sent it to the Mon
sieur Berton with few lines OF re
pret that | was so suddenly obliged
to return to England, and begin:
: him to accept the money as loan,
f he would not do so as gift, in tokel
of my friendship and sympathy
, Then | went straight from Nignelles
without leaving any address, an'
, from that day to this | have hear
, nothing more of the Bertons; / trh(
, hard to forget Adele, and after tm'
l succeeded.
, But l do wonder if she is as charm
5 ing now as she was then let me SEE
she must be how old? SevcnteeI
, Il d twenty make thirty-seven and
e ar forty-two. | suppose that poo
+ fell, " Rudolph died, or anyhow sh
q could not have married him, as he
o name is still Berton. He might hay
+ been her cousin, you say, or SON
o other relation of the same name
7 Nerv true: but if sue is not marrie'
v aud is as nice as ever, perhaps-weI
@ anyhow, ! may as well 70 and see he
:, And | diG.
- 1t may interest some pc Jgie
! know that she is looking over Ii
shoulder as write this, and that 81
thinks no more need be said 0G {
subject.