The Lake County star., 1877-11-29

vile head.
Ben selm had golden coin that day,
Which, to stranger, asking aims, he gave,
Who went, rejoieing on his unknown way.
But when his soul reached Heaven, angels, with
showed him the wealth to which his coin had
multiplied.
THE NIGHT OF BLOOD.
Crranslated from the French, for the INrxH
OCEAN, by Grace Greenwood.
Lucie de Merinville was % years
old. Her father and mother, who died
several years before, had left her q
considerable fortune, and the richest
parts of the province In which her
property lay solicited her hand and her
heart.
Lucie was pretty, but eccentric-her
parents had spoiled her from infancy
Ian only daughter, she had the habit
OF Obeying only her own wishes, and
aching as her caprices led her. Her
Imagination. excited by injurious read
ing, Inclined her to idle reveries and
romantic theories Of life. The great
world had no charm for her-balls,
concerts, the theater, pleasures usually
so attractive to youth, were to her only
wearisome. She must have emotions
outside the ordinary round Of accepted
ideas she wished for homage of new
kind, and for unusual events. The
men who presented themselves to her
being models of their kind were In
supportable to her; she had only SYM
pathy for an exceptional being. Re
pulsing with disgust and aversion all
that good society and education had
formed of graciousnoss and pOliteness
in the province, she retired to an iso
lated country seat called Sombrecourt
and there, closing her doors to all i'm
Fortunate visitors, she lived half
oistered life.
One morning, M. Armand de Mer.
inville, her old guardian and uncle
arrived at her house in great haste.
Lucie," said the old man, "it Is
time you left the singular position in
which your oddities have placed you.
A young person like you living alone
in the country, without relatives, with
out protection, having only servants
around her, and isolated, one does not
know why, gives too much food fol
scandal. Originality pushed too fal
passes for madness. My niece, you
must have a husband"
"Only find me one tn whom my
heart responds" replied Lucie, in an
icy tone, II wish to love before mar.
rying.n
r"The finest parties have presented
themselves. Among our neighbOrs,
dear niece, have you not remarked M.
d'Elbine?n
..TheHC Chevalier, d'Elbine, uncle ?'
He is a. young man of honied words
and with fashionable air, a dandy, q
young France. He has great, lam
gushing eyes, always cigar between
his lips, an air as If half asleep, white
hands, shiny gloves, hair twisted into
curls, he lisps-I detest him."
"These are singular faults, n.y dear.
Would you like better a fierce expires.
sion, soiled hands, rough hair, and the
language of trooper 2"
have expressed to you my ideas,
uncle, and shall hold to them"
Do you know Count Albert de
Mortemere ?u
Certainly; his mother presented
him to me. He, less pretentious, has
neither energy nor malice; he Is q
soft parsonage, without decided char
acter; one of those human nullities
which the fashionable world furnishes,
incapable of great crime, incapable
of great virtue, he is simply sim
pleton, he asked my hand, 1 said
noW
what /! bluntly, without manage
ment. But Lucie, such refusal must
have wounded him. You will gain
for yourself q crowd Of enemies in the
province; some misfortune will hap.
pen to you, do take care, be a little
prudent"
"And what have to fear"
"Vengeance! Offended self-love
never forgives. They tell me that
among the aspirants to your hand is
the Baron d'Anglas; is this true?"
Eyes, uncle, and so much the worse
for him. Having neither father nor
mother, he wrote directly to me to lay,
as he said, his life at my feet. His
declaration, framed in the pastoral and
NEUROLOGICAL style of the time of
Pompadour, was flat enough to sicken
the soul; he is q hundred years behind
the times. Poor boy! tore up his
madrigal and sent him the pieces"
"What an affront! What imperti-
nence! My niece, you make me
trouble; another enemy!"
"Oh, it's of little consequence"
"And the handsome Marquis. de
Morcy? ?"
"My family have spoken to me OF
bim," Lucie replied; she came to
Sombrecourt on pure-blo0ded race
horse. This gentleman belongs to the
Jockey Club; he gives himself the airs
of q prince; he has high forehead, q
pursed-up mouth, and his nose Is In
the air. hate these marvels of the
province, who think themselves grand
personages because they have lackeys
in silk stockings, pack. q stud, and
emblazoned eQuipages. i was In my
drawing-room when the Marquis came
prancing under my windows, and ]
Immediately called my servants and
had him conducted to the gateway"
s.Did he hear the order given ?"
"It is probable that he did, I spoke
HE must have gone away furious" /"
'I did not inform myself of that"
"Heavens! what series Of impru-
dences. If the Marquis de Morcy
should wish to avenge himself, he
could easily find the means. His rep
utation, his birth, and his immense
fortune, give him so many advantages.
Now you must know, Lucie, that I
have come to Sombrecourt to insist on
your giving your hand to him. The
Marquis might aspire to . much more
brilliant marriage-he has charming
face and agreeable emanners-you have
misjudged him.
II have only seen him from dis
tance, uncle, and / was scarcely able
TO distinguish his features, but what l
know Of him Is sufficient. / do not
care 70 see him, and declare to you,
formally, he shall never ne my hus-
M. de Merinville. .Ientirely out of pa
tience, could contain himself no longer,
and violent scene ensued between
uncle and niece. The old man tried
everything, prayers reproaches,