The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1875-05-20


business connected with which he wa
going to San Francisco
we had said nothing in any way relat
ing to the war, its causes or its results
But suddenly my friend turned to me.
"1ou have been in the army ?" he said
Yes" | answered. Il served through
the war. But why do you think so ?"
"Ah, you have something-the air mill
taite. | knew it from the first |, too
am soldier. and did not need that 70,
! should give the countersign.'
Another night passed, and hour afte
hour OF the second day. We were fort,
miles from Calumet. A deep silence tel
upon us two, who, in these days of chanc,
compaLionship, have grown SO strangely
near each other. Soon our paths woult
diverge, never, in all probability, to eros
again. In vain Nj. L'Estrange urged me
to prolong my journey, at least as far .:
New Orleans
1--WE must not part as strangers he
said impulsively. . My heart has gone
out to you-for we are akin Some low
-somewhere-shall we not meet again p
and he clasped my hand warmly
My reticent Northern nature stirreG
within me.
Il trust so, hope so.n responded
= But the world is wide. | shall never
forget you, NJ. L'Estrange."
"Ah! you are young, he said, With q
Slow shake OF the head. "you are young
and the Young have short memories But
Stay. hold. | shall give you sign "a
token. SO shall you keep one in yom
heart"
Taking from his pocket tiny box he
unlocked it with a key attached to his
watch-guard. A number Of pearls gleam-
ell and shlmmcrcd in the sunlight. lie
selected four Of remarkable size and
purity.
''lou shall wear these for my sake" he
said, placing them IN my hand
But | demurred, saying it was too costly
a gift.
Are we not friends?" he cried, his lip
curling with Il superb scoru. GLOW talk
you then OF cost ~
"Two. then, to be mounted as sleeve
buttons?" Still | shook my head, and still
he persisted.
''llere, then. mon ami" he said, at last.
eff you will 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. 1T shall
be mounted like this drawing a de
sign on the lid Of the box, land YOU
Shall wear it for sign. Then, you see,
Shall have its mate set in the same man
ner. 1t shall be for token between us
and the pearls shall bring us together
again All, | know IT.. The pearls-they
are charmed"'
"Oh, NJ L'Estranger' | answered, 81
can resist no longer. | will wear your
pearl and it shall at least be a Soueenu'
Of days never to be 1orgotten.'
AS he was replacing the box, card
photograph fell to the floor. picked it
up, and was handing it to him, when my
eye fell upon Il face of such rare loveliness
that held the little picture as if spell
bound-a woman's face, softly outlined
deicately rounded; Il pure, calm fore
head, crowned with " braided tresses
darkly BRIGHT" tender, unsmiling lips,
that wore sweetness deeper and holier
than smiles; a chin and cheek that might
we'll have served as models for sculptor
There We're soft laces resting about the
throat; and a lace shawl, thrown grace
fully over the stately head rested lightly
on the shoulders, like a radiant cloud
But the eyes We're the glory of the pic
tulc; large, dark, spiritual eyes, that
look into yours with unlathomable mean
ings in their liquid depths.
My selt-possesson and my good man
ners returned to me at the same moment.
81 beg your PARDON | said depreca-
tingly, as gave the picture to its owner; !;
lit is so beautiful. 1t is your wife? p
"My wife No." he said, with a low
wise smile, "but il is my Marguerite
my PEARL"
There was no time for further speech
we were at Calumet. I'Estrange threw
his arm around me in his impulsive French
fashion and kissed my cheek with warm
Good bless your Another moment and
our short chapter Of romance was ended.
But was there no second chapter? Ger
tainly, or | should hardly have thought it
worth while to tell you this. returned
to New York in few weeks, had my
pearl mounted precisely rs L'Estrange
had directed and wore il, at first with u
half superstitious feeling that it was truly
link between us and would one day
draw us together. 1t was. at all events,
powerful in one way. 1t was, indeed, us
he had said, Il sign, y token. 1t 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 advent
ure.
But it was not his face only that it re-
called. never wore it without seeing,
as in vision, the dark, soul-lit eyes that
had looked up at me from the photograph,
the pure. calm brow, the tender, wisttul
mouth, of my friends "Margueriten Not
his wife, but doubtless his betrothed
What other meaning could | have to the
sudden light that Illuminated his lace as
he exclaimed. in that last hurried mo-
ment, 1T is my Marguerite--m pearl p
IL shall write you from San Francisco, :"
he had said But days, weeks, and months
heightened into years, and heard nothing.
My pearl scarf pin was the only token that
those charmed days Of travel had been
more than a dream. | believed that he
was dead.
Last summer was in Paris. Early one
morning | went to the Madeleine, and,
leaning against one of the tluted columns,
watched the worshipers as they came and
went. The sun shot yellow rays through
the grained windows il the roof; the
chanting of a hidden choir sounded far off
and dream-like; the sculptured Magdalen
Of the high altar looked strangely real in
the weird, uncertain light; and the whole
atmosphere of the place was bewildering.
AS | stood near one of the great bronze
doors, Il lady, veiled, and gathering the
folds of her mantle closely about her
throat, passed me with a light step. The
figure was eNquistely graceful, ard |
watched her with a young mans idle Gu
riosity as she knelt at her prayers, Won
dering if her face was worthy OF her form.
AS she rose. fresh breeze from an open
ing door blew back her veil, and caught
a passing glimpse Of her features. 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
it seemed younger face; perhaps less
Madonna-Iike than in the picture, haloed
by cloud-like drapery. You see had not
forgotten the slightest popularity OF the
photograph. | could have sworn to the
Il