The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1875-06-26

had crown 50 strangely near eaca other
d Soon our paths would divcrge, never, IN a.
i probability, 10 cross again. In vain VI. LIE,
range urged me 10 proong my journey, a
> least as far as New Orleans"
- We must not part as strangers he said
y impulslvely. My heart has gone out to yOl
L for we are akin Somehow-somewhere
: shall we not meet again? ' and lie ClaspcC
my hand warmly.
2 Ny reticlent Northern nature stirred with
:, in me
II trust SO hope so, responded. But
! the world is wide. ! shall never forget you
i NJ / Estrange.'
"Ah you are young, lie said, with slow
. shake of the head, you are young; and the
young have short memories. But stay hold
(, shall give you a sigma token. So shall
: you keep me in your heart
=, Taking from his pocket tiny box, he IN.
: locked il with a key attached TO his watch
, guard. number of pearls cleaned and
of remarkable size and purity.
you Shall wear these for my sake he
said, placing them in my hand.
Bat | demurred, saying it was too costly
a gift.
"Are we not friends" he cried, his lip
curling with superb scorn. How talk you
then Of c0St;n
Two then, to be mounted as sleeve buttons :?
Still L shook my head, and still lie persisted
IN my taking them.
! Here then, men ami he said at last, "lf
! you shall not have two, you shall have one -
and, taking my hand, he placed one large,
pure, lustrOuS pearl on the palm, and closed
/ my fingers over IT, at shall be mounted
| like this" drawing design on the lid of the
| box, land you shall wear il for sign. Then,
you see, | shall have Its mate SEX in the same
manner. 1t shall be for token between US;
and the pearls shall bring us together again.
All, but | know it, The pearls--thcy are
charmedh
"Ah, NJ LEstrange" | answered, u can
resist no longer. ! shall wear your pearl;
and ct shall at least be a S5UcCJjr Of days new
or to be forgotten
As he was replacing the box a card.photo-
graph fell to the floor | picked it up, and
was handing il 10 HIM, when my eyes fell up
on face OF such rare loveliness that | held
the little picture as il spell bound-awoman'
face, softly outlined, deliCately rounded;
pure, calm forehead, crowned with braided
Tesses darkly bright tender, unsmlling
lips, that wore sweetness deeper and holltr
than smiles; q chin and check that might
well have served as model tor sculptor
There were soft laces resting about the throat /
and a lace shawl, thrown gracefully over The
stately head, rested lightly on the shoulders,
like radiant cloud. But the eyes were the
glory of the plcture-large, dark, spiritual
eyes, that look into yours with unfathomable
meanings in their liquid depths.
My selt-poSsession and my good manners
returned 10 me at the same moment.
81 beg you pardon | said, deprecatingIy |
as gave the picture to its owner; but it IS
so beautiful! Is It your wife,
"My wife? No. he said, with low, !
wise smile, "bu, it is my Narguerite-my |
PEARL
There was no time for further speech. We
were at Calumet. LEsrange threw his arm
around me IN his impulsive French fashion,
and kissed my cheek with warm God |
bless youn Another moment and our short /
chapter of romance was ended
But was there no second chapter? Certain
", or should hardly have thought ii worth .
while to tell you this. | returned 10 New
York in a few weeks, had my pearl mounted .
precisely as LEstrange had directed, and
wore il, at first with IL half superstitiOus feel
ing thai 1t was truly link between Us, and
would one day draw Us together. 1t was, at
all events, powerful in one way. 1t was, ia
deed, rs he had said, sign, a token. II kept
fresh and green in my memory what might
else have gradually faded away as one of the
many forgotten incidents of Il life that was
changetul and full of adventure
But 1t was not his tace only that il recalled.
| never wore it without seeing as in vision,
the dark, soulllt eyes that had looked up at
me from the photograph, the pure, calm
brow, the tender wistiul mouth OF my friends
Marguerite" Not his wife, but doubtless
his betrothed. What other meaning could |
give TO tue sudden light that illuminated his
face as he exclaimed in that last hurried mo-
ment, ut is my Margueriie-my pearl:'
Il shall write you from San Francisco, (.
he had said. But days, weeks and months
heightened into years, and heard nothing
My pearl scari-pin was the only token that
those charmed days OF travel had been any
thing more than a dream. ! believed that
he was dead.
Last summer | was in Paris. Early one /.
morning | went to the Madeleine, and, lean
ing against one of the futed columns, watch.
ed the worshipers as they came and went,
The sun shot yellow rays through the grained
windows in the roof; the chanting OF hid
den choir sounded far off and dIeam-like
The sculptured Magdalene Of the high altar
looked strangely real in the weird, uncertain
light; and the whole atmosphere OF the place
was bewilderng.
As | stood near one of the great bronze
doors lady, yelled and gathering the folds :.
vi Hc lldutlc IIoSCiy tuouI ASl Od'I P"ooCN
me with light step. The figure was exquis-
itely graceful, and / watched her with a
young mans idle curiosity as She knelt al
prayers, wondering if her tace was worthy
of her form. AS she rose "a fresh breeze from
an opening door blew back her veil and
caught a glimpse Of her features as she pass
ed by.
All the blood IN my veins rushed madly TO
my heart, surely it was the face of my dreams
the face of my friends Marguerite! Yet
II seemed younger face; perhaps less Ma
donna-hke than in the picture, haloed by
cloud-llke drapery. You see | had not for
gotten the slightest peculiarly Of the photo
graph, LIQUID have sworn to The very
pattern of the lace
Before recovered my senses she had dis
appeared
For three days haunted The Madeleine in
vain. OG the fourth caught glimpse of