Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1881-01-08

how laughed when The bstca cims TO me Witt
The letter In his hand.v
al this The history OF H. de h Masse,Iere
seemed 10 do him good: for whea ie was ffn,she1
he Was smiling quite comfortably.
"Meil7" said Madame de Maupas, looking al
him hard. -
'EMadame?''
Vel; have you been nstening' Do you
II haye listened TO every WORT: bat Won
must excuse me If ! cannot feel sure OF your
object"
''My object! l had no idea Eaglshmen were
Gresoire de Is hasseliere."
You really hope. madame. to find NE such
oas'aruly coward As N. de Ia MaSseliere-
.hat poor sheep, as you justly call htms Eng
Asnnlen are Gull no doubt. They don't under
stand Being expected TO behave dishOnorablv, y
.'An: indeed! Then you VIII not give up my
Literally, madame, | will die first"
Frank coOrd scarlet. ard SPOKE With almost
sublime energy. Atterward ne was halt.
amused, half grieved at himself for having
now u out 10 IBIS manner To poor Old mad
woman. Madame de Maupas seemed d5eplY
Impressed. She got up, trembling little. and
leaning on her stick. =
Very well. Please yourself. do not wish
10 see you again. Iou are very uDgrateful and
no Cot OF there Is bitter punishment In ST
Tor GU. You also VIII die, and your death win
hfeak The girls heart. l understand that sae
wish you good evening""
She departed by the way she had come:
through the drsSSing-IOoln. and S, into a mar
70" passage, Which led 10 her own part or the
house. Frank opened the doors for her, ami
SHUT and locked them securely when she was
gone he then returned ID Ills chair before the
red smou!dering lire, 10 muse over the strange
eNpiahatien Oh his Marguerites sadness.
".
Albert kept his word, and the next day after
breakfast Frank found himself left alone In the
salon with Marguerite. He poured out his feel.
lngS with the demoLsDratfye candor natural to
hiln. which did lot seem to offend this French
lady. Her English lover seemed to her Oh arm
ing and wonderful creature; perhaps a little
Wiz and unmanageable, but still creature
with whom one could be amazingly happy-.f
only things would go well. The shadow OF the
past still clofded her eyes aud saddened her
SMILE. Gould any mortal man be- master OF
Fate! Certainly II anyone. Frank Morley.
- know You Think nae very sad and stupid, -
sue SAID by and by. "Belleve me. have had
good deal to make ne so. Only take care OF
ourseif, and SHAH forget it all presently"
Am l IN any danger. then:' said Frank.
% NO; not any real danger! But / think We
are an unlucky family. Perhaps some day I
may be able to tell you why"
Tell me now, can't you? But in the mean
tlHl6 you need hardly wear mourning for Inc Ia
prospect, Marguerite I have not the smallest
intention OF dying at present.
.o he was ,sss tW1ning one OF her black ribbons
round his fingers as he spoke.
ALI" she said, with almost a little cry, Isl
ought never to have allowed it. / ought never
10 nave said yes. l ought TO have Cared more
ali, Frank, have been selfish, and selnSnneSs
Is sure TO be punished"
Nonsense! What are You afraid off, said
aLk, gazing earnestly into her face. she
shook her head, and looked down. Then she
lifted her eyes again with a little air OF proud
resolution.
- / VIII tell YOU" she said, "asd then you will
be v aired. perhaps, and 60 away. You ought
10 nave Know II all before; you have been de
ceiyed. We have all joined in deceIving you.
At first l did not think what was doing but
new l know. Frank, 1 thought it would be
easier to die than 10 tell you ali the story; but
how l viii, for you are giving yourself ignO-
rantly. And VIII not have ii; you are too dear
ana generous"
Frank smiled as he listened and watched her
think you are disturbing yourself about
nothing, ICY Gear child" he sad.
" InCted am net. All, You would not say
that II GU knew what pain it Is TO me, how ali
the Old pain comes back! Only this Is fifty
Thousand times worse because do believe"
That you love me, and love YOU" Frank
made it fifty thousand times better. It strikes
me you don't quite understand the force OF what
yon are saying; Unoer those circumstances Is
! GU might have to tell Ines Listen You are
like some princess in a fairy tale, VINO put all
her lovers TO death IL they couldn't answer a
e,tain question: What Is nay thought like?
Don't you know? Well, lots OF them came TO
an uDttnely end, but at last the right man
came and answered 1t. He always does. Your
question was different You asked 1t me one
as you Went out OF that door, and
would lot stop to hear the answer, because
you knew 1t would be the right one. SO alto.
gttLer don't see what there Is to vex yourself
about
Frank spoke very deliberately, with cool
reasoning air. A look OF great surprise came
into MaIguerlte'S face; she flushed up as she
had done that morning, which both she and
Frank remembered SO Well.
You say very strange things" she muir
Injured. after little silence.
SIS there anything quite untrue and ridicu.
lOuS In what have Sald?"
so Frank you puzzle me completely"
you see. you need not trouble yourself to tell
Ele an. thing, 10Y dear Marguerite. And as for
a. ain, please. You are going to be happy, and
back Ribbons"
Frank! You know, and It makes 10 differ
ence?"
1T makes this diference-that I will not wait
for you mere than month. 1 am not going to
let lou stay in this gloomy place, With ghosts
AID mao people, a day longer than l can help"
"Ah, mon Dieu. 1t was my aunt; you have
seen her! Wien was it? What did she say to
your"
She was very much agitated Frank soothed
the story or his visit from Madame de Maupas.
Marguerite cried little, and could hardly be
lieve that he was unintiuenced by all the hor-
rors he had heard. Frank had to soothe and re-
assure her all over again.
By and by she looked up at him, her eyes
smiling, the wild, weary look In them gone for
ever.
I am happy now" she said. 81 feel the sun
shine; there Is no more cold W1nd;'' and she
broke into little joyful laugh. "After all, this
is very good World she said.
V.
Frank afterward described his interview with
Madame de MaupaS in a much more unvar-
DlShed way to her nephew Albert, who told him
thatsall her story was True. be added that the
poor lady, always peculiar, had been little
touched In her wits since the war and the
death OF her SoDS. She had become super
stltlous and reveDgeful. throwing all the blame
OF their deaths on the 1ll-luck Of Marguerite
de MaupaS, was a thorough Partisan, and had
no use for such mlddie-age abode as the
Chateau de Maupas. He was glad that the
SaiIt-FiOIs should make their home there, and
take charge OF the Gid lady; and having no
Children Of his own, he meant to leave the
place to Albert, with the small quantity OF land
that remained to 1t.
II seemed only right that Frank should know
all the family history, the chain OF circam-
Stances Which had led 10 his meeting with Mar
guefite. II was rough way b. which he mad
reached her, certainly: OF battleflel1S and dying
men, accidents and teIrorS, the deTan cement or
one person, the cowardice and superst ton OF
another. Trains running into snow drifts, a
Struggle with the clements, a ghostly old castle
blocked In with snow. Through all these dt11-
Culties the fair s0rrOwful French woman and
the sturdy EIgIisllman had advanced 10 meet
each other, and now Frank was resolved that
Marguerite should forge" the past dinneSS OF
her lie IL It's present beauty and brightness.