Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1879-05-14
REVENGE AND RETRIBUTION.


complished women in France, and
the Count, her husband, was OF the
very flower of the old noblesse.-
Before her marriage she had the
misfortune TO become acquainted
with a young officer, named Pierre
Duhem, who at once conceived for
her the most passionate attachment.
His attentions were, of course, dis
couraged by the lady; but never
theless he insisted upon making
her a tender of his hand, which
she declined with firmness, but, at
the same time, great kindness and
consideration, assuring him that
she felt deeply grateful for his earn
estly expressed admiration, and
hoping be would yet find one more
worthy than herself to become his
bride. Duhem listened with np-
parent calmness to her words, but
a keen observer would have been
prepared by the deadly pallor that
overspread his brow, and the ner-
vous twitching Of the thin, blood
less lips, for the fearful outbreak
that followed.
"Is this your final, irrevocable
determination ?" he asked, in low,
kissing tone, at the same time seiz-
ing her white arm roughly.
att is" she answered, and would
have proceeded still further in her
attempt to conciliate him, but he
interrupted her fiercely.
"Listen to me-" he cried, as she
shrank back trembling, from the
cold, flashing gray eyes; "listen to
me--you triumph now; but mark
me, my day will come yet. l curse
you from the bottom of my heart,
and my own hand and brain shall
work out the fulfillment Of that
curse. If you ever wed, | will
gloat over the dying agonies OF
your husband"
leave me, leave me-" was all
she had strength to say.
He only held her white arm
tighter in his iron grasp, and hiss
ed closer in her ear; "You think
these are idle threats; but so sure
rs the sun is in heaven will | make
them terrible truth. Woman, you
have made demon of me. Trem'
BILE, tremble at the fiend you have
yourself raised up" So saying, he
dashed her from him, and rushed
from the house.
Time passed on, and as the hap.
by wife of the Count de la Floret
the terrible scene that so shortly
preceded her marriage, was al
most erased from her memory, and
nothing occurred to mar the seren-
ity of her every day life until the
Revolution-that fearful saturnalia
of blood that spread terror and
desolation, all over Europe. In
common with others, the young
Count and his lovely wife were
forced to Fly before the fury Of the
sxasperated people. Assisted by o
devoted friend, who, though warm
republican, remained true to them,
they succeeded in making their es-
cape from Paris, and aided by the
passes he had secured, reached, un-
harmed, the little village Of Collie
ure. After passing a night in this
place, they once more set out or
their journey toward the coast
when suddenly, at the outskirts o.
the town, the carriage was stopped
by a platoon of soldiers drawn uI
before the horses heads. Count d,
la Floret spoke a word Of encour
agement TO bis terrified wife, ant
was about to spring out to inquire
Why they were stopped when they
carried passes from the National
Assembly, when suddenly the coach
door was thrown open. harst
voice commanding them both t.
alight,
Pefceiving that resistance wa
worse than useless, the Count step
ped out and assisted his wife Il
follow. Almost instantly he wa
rudely seized by two soldiers, Will,
he who had conducted the outrsg,
approaching close to the unhapp,
Countess, threw aside his plumet
hat, brushed his tangled masses o
hair back from his dark brow, anC
standing full in the light Of tn
Ting sun, demanded OF her IL sh'
my recollection of ever meet
= before. She looked al