Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1880-01-16

HIS WIPE OR HIS WIDOW.
Louis Mellac went away and left Barba sit
| ting beside her FIRE. She felt uneasy, quite
unlike herself. All through the years that
had gone she had said things happened be-
cause they wero meant TO happen :" and it
had troubled her that there was so large an
| element Of adventure in the loves of Marie
and JehAn. 1t would have seemed more nat
ural for her child to have become attached TO
one OF the lads Of her own village than TO
Jehan Kerrec, who had twice come there to
see his blind old uncle. This offer Of Louis
Mellacs was a far more natural and common
place arrangement, and yet Barba was troub
| led
II am fool, she said at last "and what
is worse, did not know / was one. 1t is be-
cause Of a fancy have taken against Mellac,
and because he did not say he loved Marie.
1t seemed as if he wanted her more from pity
than from love"
Barba sighed she had married without love
to please her parents, and she had hoped for
happier lot for Marie.
The catch Of the cowhouse lifted, and
Marie came in She seated herself on stool
beside her mother, aud looked wearily into
the fire Barba put her hand on her chid's
head. She was not addicted TO caresses, and
Just now the poor girls heart longod sorely
for love She drew her mothers brown hand
to her lips and kissed it, and Barba felt a tear
on the girls cheek.
Child" she said, I'VE must give up hope.
| fear Jchan must have been lost at the fish
ing he is surely dead"
Marie looked up-hcr face was white and
eager, and her eyes were full of dark light
''Iie is not dead to me, " she said passionate
ly, ''he is my husband, and, mother, lie will
come back
Barba sat still, she knew that it was useless
TO strive with Marie in this mood, but still she
knew, too, that her words, though unheeded
at the time, were often accepted later on by
her daughter
They sat silent for some time before she
again spoke,
Child, she said gently, II mean that it is
more seemly 10 give up the appearance of
hope. 1t is better that should lock up the
cottage, or try and let it, aud that you should
give up the hope of marrying JehAn. 1t is
fretting your life away to go on in vain ex-
pc pe,tation."
Marie started up and began to pace the
long, dark room. At last she stopped and
knelt down before her mother.
"Oh mother" she cried, but there were no
sobs or tears, though her fNce was white and
wrung with anguish ''do not tempt me,
have sworn to-day at the foot of the blessed
cross to give up my self-will and yet l felt
but now as if l could strike you, for quench-
ing my hope. Mother, l have heard sad news
this day have seen Mathurin, the driver
from Port Croix. He says" she stopped and
pressed her hands tightly together, ''he says
last time the boats came in two were missing
and one of them was Jehan's."
She went up TO the wall and leaned her
face against it, but she could not sob or cry,
her heart felt hard and seemed to stifie her
with its weight,
Where is Mathurin ?" said Barba, and she
rose up and went towards the door
Marie looked around in surprise, though
her grief made her feel dead and cold to all
else. Still, she had been so used to her moth
er's sympathy that it seemed strange to see
her going away without one word Of comfort
for her.
Gle is gone" she answered. ''I only saw
him rs he was driving out of the village with
some travellers but, mother, it is not-I feel
it is not"
Barba sat still She could not say so to
Marie Just now, but it seemed to her that it
was better to think of Jehan as dead than
faithless
All at once Marie turned round. 'It is my
punishment" she said 'if Jehan is taken
from me deserve it. 1 was so wilful to him
always, never thought of his feelings, but
only of my own"
Barba sat listening, and her face grew
troubled "Marie, her mothers voice start
led her,-''you and Jehan parted friends, did
you not 2"
The girl looked at her earnestly. Il thank
God and the blessed Virgin we did, mother,
it was more than l deserved, for l had tor
mented him. i behaved SO ill that night
when he left me, that l wonder he forgave
me-"
Had he forgiven Marie ?" Barba thought
''His boat might not have come back, but he
might not be drowned for all that. Suppose
Louis Mellao was right. Jehan might have
landed in some other fshing-town, aud they
might never again hear of him. At st.
Matthieu news was never heard unless indeed
by some chance like that of to-day, when
Mathurin or some other driver passed through
the village, taking English travellers round
the coast. As a rule, news had become his
tory before it reached the little lonely place
from which none but the fishermen ever trav-
eled"
"Molher, what do you think ?" the girl said
at last, unable to bear the silence.
Then Barba got up and kissed her daughters
pale, stricken face. 81 think you must listen
to me, my child Whether Jehan has perish
ed or not, do not think he will come back,
and cannot think that my Marie will care 10
have the children pointing at heras they used
to point at poor mad Genevieve."
Marie shuddered and turned away, but II
seemed to her as if she saw the wild eyes and
unkempt, uncovered head of the poor woman
who had gone mad when her lover was lost
at sea twenty years before. She made no an
swer, and her mother went on.
''You must take the things out of the cot
tage. Johan's cousin Michael will help us
take care of them, and we must give up the
cottage to Monsieur Mellac."
Marie turned slowly round and looked at |
her mother. "Do you mean ----" she be- |
gan.