The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1881-10-20
She grew pale and seemed scarcely to

She grew pale and seemed scarcely to J
have the strength to sustain herself.
The postman assisted her into the
house and handed her a chair upon
which sha let herself fall. Two charm
ing children fixed on her sad and anx
ious looks.
"You will receive letter tomorrow,
Madam Andre" said Pere Martin; "the
delay OF day is easily explained: your
husband was disappointed, some unfore-
seen business suddenly demanded his
attention and he missed the mail"
mo; L know him ard cannot under
stand his silencs. You are aware that
he departed two months ago for the
city. Some work was to be attended to
which promised to bring him in great
deal of money; a small inheritance was
to be received. But all is concluded.
He sent me word that he would return
this evening; he had made his arrange
ments to that end. Tomorrow the farm
of La Name is to be sold; he has decided
to purchase either all or part of it.
It is an opportunity which will never
again present itself, but I would prefer
a thousand times that he should miss it
to having him return without notifying
me-"
"Why P
Because some one has wicked do
signs against him and Mt night ter
rible blow is soon struck. You know
there are two routes by which to return
here one is longer than the other, but
safer. / am afraid lost he may return
by way of the Moulin -Brule, tho moro
so rs there is somo ono to sec in that
direction. / tromble Mt tho nero
. thought of it. IL only know"
! The postman strovo to calm her fears,
but she shook her head.
"You cannot think" resumed she,
"what certain mon are capable of when
they have grudge against anybody"
She seemed to hesitate, and then
added:
IF 1 trcmble it is not simply be-
cause my husband will havo to pass
through dangerous spot with money
in his pocket, but because there il in
tho district wretch whose dearest wish
is to put five feet of earth between
them.
"This hatred dates from long ago.
When was young girl he wanted to
marry ne, but he filed me with horror.
He has never pardoned mo for having
repulsed his offers, and has cnvelopcd
in the same animosity the man | pro
ferred to him. He hates Georges and
myself for being in easy circumstances
while he vegetables in want, as if honest
people were responsible for tho mis-
takes of idlers and drunkards. This i'd
not all. A crime was recently COM
mitted suspicious were aroused, but
the proofs were wanting. [ possess
them, and the guilty man knows it. Ali
it is dangerous secret for a woman
who has only children around her."
Yesterday he accosted me to sound
ne; [ did not hide from him my con-
tempt. He saw clearly that he was un-
masked in my eyes; he overwhelmed
me with insults and threats. l took
the unfortunate notion to say to him
that soon, when my husband had re-
turned, when he had a man before him,
he would be less presumptuous. Oh |!
if you knew what glances his eyes shot
at me, what an expression of hatred his
features wore I know that often dur
ing the night he haunts the ruins of the
Moulin-Brule. If this man should dis
cover that nly husband is to pass
through that place, l tell you, Monsieur
Martin, he is lost!"
"What is the scoundreps ame?"
"Jean Bruno It is not astonishing
that you are unacquainted with him, for
since his return to the district he has
not publicly shown himself"
The postman was silent. He remem-
bered having heard the woman at the
clearinghouse call the man he had met
there by that name. He asked himself
in CONSERVATION if the letter had not
been stolen from him, but he recalled
all the circumstances and banished this
supposition. He felt certain that the
epistle had not been in his sack; he re.
assured himself and sought TO reassure
the woman. yet he resolved to await
her husbands arrival at the chief town
of the district to advise him to be
|, prudent.
He hastened away and when he was
alone his fears regained possession ol
him. He again began to doubt and
little by little was seized upon by 6
, terror he could not explain. He in
. creased his pace and leaped over the
hedges and bitches with unusual MIN
{ bleness. Unfortunately, his round tha
D day was exceptionally long, and the bat
> weather in addition had considerabl,
delayed him.
= He reached the postofice a littl'
: later than was his custom. The woman
!, who distributed the mails on being
consulted by him affirmed that he haC
+ taken away letter for Madam Andre
One of her assistants confirmed thi
s declaration.
The postman was thunderstruck. H
II saw with fright the heavy responsibility
thrown upon him. His terrors aug
mented when he remembered that tim
}. and again, at the moment of openin
d the mail bags, man had presented him
e self, asking if there was anything fo
IS Madam Andre!
7, He few rather than ran to the offic
3 of the coach which carried pas engel
o from the nearest station on the railwa
r to the chief town. Georges Andre ha
t. arrived, but had set out Immediately O
= foot for his village.
h This news gave Martin a violeI
|. shock. The prospect of a catastroph
lie for which he would be responsib
20 arose before him. He saw this ma
at who had returned with Joy in his hear
m encountering death at the threshold
his home through his fault, and misfo
is tune overtaking the widow and II
M orphons Tho dorkaet clouds tronhlt k