The Sentinel. [volume] (Trenton, N.J.) 1880-1882, 1881-06-04

the address, she learned to her dismay
that she had come to the wrong place.
! Weary with the fatigue and excite
ment of her journey, with her heart full
of pensive thought and recollection,
Julie sat in the little waiting-room,
turning the locket over and over in her
hand, until her tears began to drop
slowly down upon it. With the de-
pressed feelings her mistake had occa-
stoned, the future looked more than
ever dark and uncertain to her. She
had no certainty of finding her aunt
at all, for it was several years since she
had been heard from, and if she did
not, what would become of her, alone,
homeless, friendless, almost penniless,
stranger in strange land?
"Oh mother! mother!" she MUIR
INJURED, as in paroxysm of grief and
distress she pressed the little locket to
her lips. "This will soon be all have
in the world. Oh, that your prayer
might be answered, and that it might
indeed prove loves talisman to me! If
1 fail to find my aunt after all, I shall
wish I had died in my own dear France,
1
strange land /"
AS Julie sat there absorbed in her sad
thoughts the door opened and a tall,
handsome man, about forty-fve years of
age, entered the waiting room. Julie
did not look up, nor in fact notice his
entrance, for she had at that moment
opened the locket and was gazing upon
the finely executed miniature it con-
tanned. The newcomer, however,
seemed struck by the silent eloquence
of the lovely young face, and after
watching her for a moment from where
| he stood, passed quietly forward and
took seat little distance from her,
where he could obtain a view of her
profile.
AS he was about seating himself, how
ever, his eyes still fastened upon her,
caught an imperfect glimpse of the min
iature likeness For moment he
seemed strangely affected, then bent
for closer look, and finally conquer
ing his irresolution. stepped up to her
side, and, removing his travelling cap,
said in grave, courteous tone:
" Pardonnez moi, mademoiselle, mails
vous etes Franchise je crois ?"
At the sound Of the dear familiar
tongue the beautiful girl raised her
head with involuntary eagerness, while
deep flush dyed her pale cheek.
"Oui, monsieur" she replied, as she
bent an earnest look into his face.
CIVIL you permit me to examine that
locket for a moment ?" continued the
gentleman, still speaking in the same
language.
With an instructive confidence, which
she had no time to analyze, Julie de-
tached the locket from the chain and
placed it in his hand. On one side was
engraven the national feur-de lis, and
on the other an inscription, "Jose-
phine to Celeste Dupont, 1872. Gage
d'amour."
"May I ask you where you got this ?"
said the gentleman, as, after examining
the outside of the trinket attentively he
opened it, and gazed earnestly at the
pictured face within.
cit was my mothers dying gift" re-
piled Julie, while the tears started to
her eyes.
"And, pardon my curiosity, from
whom did she receive it ?"
"From her royal mistress, the EN-
press Josephine. My mother was hel
favorite dame dhonneur," said the
young foreigner, beginning to tremble
with a strange feeling of agitation.
"Can it be possible exclaimed the
gentleman then added eagerly: "Listen
to me, young lady. My mother was a
Dupont and had sister Celeste, many
years younger than herself, who, fol
some act of faithfulness to her royal
mistress, received just such locket as
this Moreover, have portrait of the
unhappy empress at home in my library,
which is the exact counterpart of this
miniature. And now tell me who you
are"
With heart beating fast, Julie re-
lated her simple story, telling how her
father and brother had been killed in
battle, and that her mother having died
of broken heart, had committed her
to the care of the only relative she be-
lieved to be living, in Dover, Delaware,
and how she had taken the wrong train
and was now waiting to return to Jersey
City.
How strange!" exclaimed the gen.
tleman, whose emotions would scarcely
permit him to wait until her brief and
touching story was finished. "Yom
mother did not know that the son of her
only sister, Hortense, who was supposed
to have died in prison in those troublous
days, had succeeded in making his
escape, and had fed to this happy land,
where he is and has been for years a
prosperous merchant. Your face would
tell me you were the child of Celeste
Dupont, even if your words had not
confirmed it. Julie, my dear little
cousin, look up! your wanderings are
oyerl This gift of your dying mother
has indeed been loves talisman, for it
has brought you to your own, who will
cherish you as long as you live 1t was
providence, not fate, that led you to
the wrong train, and that delayed me
from returning to my home this morn
ing as I had intended to do. I am
Julian Armand, your own cousin and
nearest relative. You are among stran-
gers no longer"
For moment Julie could only look