Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1881-09-21

A woman was at the door of her house
awaiting his passage. She was still
young and, without possessing remark
able beauty, had neat and sympathetic
cOuntenance.
" Monsieur Martini" said she to the
postman, shave you letter for me ?"
"No, Madame Andre, [ have not"
"That's strange my husband should
have written to me to-day you can not
imagine how much his silence troubles
me-"
She grew pale and seemed scarcely to
have the strength to sustain herself.
The postman assisted her into the
house and handed her chair upon
which she let herself fall. Two charm
ing children fixed upon her sad and
anxious looks.
"You will receive letter tomorrow.
Madame Andre" said Pere Martin, "the
delay of day is easily explained /; your
husband was disappointed, some unfor-
seen business suddenly demanded his at
tention and he missed the mall
"No; [ know him and can not under
stand his silence. You are aware that
he departed two months ago forthe city.
Some work has to be attended to which
promises to bring him in great deal of
money; small inheritance was also to
be received. But all is concluded. He
sent me word that he would return this
evening; he has made his arrangements
to that end. Tomorrow the farm of
LaMane 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
have him return without nothing me-"
"Why?"
"Because some one has wicked de-
signs against him, and at night a terrible
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 lest he might return by way
of the Moulin-Brule, the more so as
there is some one to see in that direction.
tremble at the mere thought of it. Ii
1 only knew"
The postman strove to calm her fears,
but she shook her head.
"You can not think" resumed she,
'twhat certain men are capable of, when
they have grudge against anybody"
She seemed to hesitate and then added:
eff I tremble, it is not simply be-
cause my husband will have to pass
through dangerous spot with money in
his pocket, but also because there is in
the district q wretch whose dearest wish
is to put five feet of earth between
them"
"This hatred dates from long ago.
When was a young girl he wanted to
marry me, but he filled me with horror
He has never pardoned me for having
repulsed his offers, and has enveloped in
the same animosity the man I preferred
to him. He hates George and myself
for being in easy circumstances, while
he vegetables in want, as if honest people
were responsible for the mistakes of
idlers and drunkards This is not all.
A crime was recently committed; sus-
picions were aroused, but the proofs
were wanting. [ possess them and the
guilty man knows it. All! it is a dan
gerous secret for a woman who has only
children around her
Yesterday he accosted me to sound
me; did not hide from him my con-
tempt. He saw clearly that he was I'M
masked In my eyes; he overwhelmed me
with insults and threats. / took the I'M
fortunate notion to say to him that soon,
when my husband returned, when he
had man before him, he would be less
presumptuous. Oh if you knew what
chances his eyes shot at me, what an ex-
preston of hatred his features wore! [
know that often during the night he
haunts the ruins of the Moulin-Brule.
Ii this man should discover that my hus-
band is to pass through that place, tell
you Monsieur Martin, he is lost"
"What is the scoundrel's name"
"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
drinking house 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 sup
position. He felt certain that the epistle
had not been in his sack; he treasured
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 fastened away, and when he was
alone his fears regained possession of
him. He again began to doubt, and lit
tie by little he was seized upon by a ter
ror he could not explain. He increased
his pace and leaped over the hedges and
bitches with unusual nimbleness. I'm
fortunately, his round that day was ex-
ceptionally long, and the bad weather in
addition had considerably delayed him.
He reached the postoffice little later
than was his custom. The woman who
distributed the mails, on being consulted
by him, affirmed that he had taken
away letter for Nine. Andre. One of
her assistants confirmed this declaration.
The postman was thunderstruck. He
saw with fright the heavy responsibility
thrown upon him. His terrors augment
ed when he remembered that time and
again, at the moment of opening the
mail baps q man ha1 nrosantod 1,;no.ole