Litchfield enquirer., 1881-11-17

< SS' s-9 ,f5Tfa1 TT F1T--i Il Bah, Either you. are decived or you for, got It ut tue post office, totsfa,~a }{
 ''That is quite possible" s.sg,s..14 .s,S 1" He said to himself that it must be SO. How ever, he resumed llis hunt and searched be. Eeath the furniture.s He found nothing, se and ict'ncluded that his memory had not served him faithfully, for he bad watched his comp anion' movements, and it did not seem ad- nlissble to him that he had stolen letter. Nevertheless he iimstenedrt0 depart. regretiing that he had entered the drinking house. The man who had chaited with him inspired iri him verltable repulsion. and it was his rule, because of the babitstpf discretion which the post office Expresses upon all it's agents. tO keep at q adistance all who did not appear to him worthy of confidence. assssfl ,f.,..g z The storlp had somewhat abated it's fury, the rain had ceased t0 fall and bright sunshine lighted upon the country when the postman reached the nearest village.
 "A woman was at the door of her house awa- itiig his passage. She was still young and without possessing remarkable beauty. had neat and sympathetic chIntenauce.I
 Monsieur Martin" said she to- the post man, have you a letter for me?"' ..1 git, " No, Madame Andre, have not. S.. dl That's strange my husband should have written to me to day :, you cannot imagine how much his silence troubles me" Y. '9 She grew pale and seemed scarcely to have the strength to sustain herself. a The postman assisted her into the house antl handed her chair upon which she let herself fall. The charming children fixed on her sad and anxious looks. :f..E aa '.Yon will receive a letter tomorrow, Ma dame Andre. said Pere Martin; .;the delay of day is easily explained; your husband was disappointed, some unforeseen business sud denly demanded his attention and he missed the mail" ' ''. " ''No; I know him and cannot understand his silence. YOa are aware that he departed two months ago for the city. Some wtrk was to be attended to which promised to bring Ii in in great deal of money n 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 the end. q Tomorrow the farm of La Mane is to be sold he has decided to purchase either all or part of it. It is an oprortunity" which will never again present itself, but I wnuld prefer thousand times that he should miss it to having him returning without notifying
 Ae "S- 5eF'aA' i ',SS9't HJ' @''Si T ',f5 s'' s'
 "Why2" 70 1a"Because some one has wicked designs against hIn,, and at nie Int terrible blow is sot D struck. You know there are two routes by which to return here, one is longer than the other but safer. l am afraid lest lie may 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. If only knew" 'aHf t-@ @Ial'-.' '" '.- ra69''''. ' The postmar, strove to calm her fears, but she shook her head.
 .i''You can think, ," resumed she. t. what cer- tain men are capablesOf when uieys have a grudge against anybody"
 J Sine seemed to hesitate and then added: 7 u
 ei"lf 1 tremble, it is not simply because my husband will have to pass through danger ous spot with money in lis pOcKet, but also because thereris In the district 8 wretch whose dearest wish IS to put five feet of earth be- tween theni."
 ., ''rhs hatred dates from long ago When was q young girl he wanted to marry iilc, but he filled me with horror He has never pardonel me for having repulsed his offers. anu has enveloped in lhe same animosty the d,an preferred to- him. He hates George and myself for being in easy circunst inces. while he vegetaies in want, as if honest peo- pie were responsible for the mistakes of iJIers and dr,lDkards. This is not all A crime was committed recently; suspicious were aroused, but the proof was wanting. possess them and the guilty man knows it. An it is a dangerous secret for a woman who was only children arOnlld her" ..'4 +"H
 Yesterday he aecosted me to sound me did not hide from him my contempt. He saw clearly that he was unmasked in my eyes; he overwhelmed me with insults and threats. took the unfOr une notion tO say to him that soon, when my husband returned, when he had a man before him, he would be less ore. sumptuous Oh, if you knew what glances hls eyes shot at me, what an expressioii of hatred his features wore. know that often during the night he haunts the rrips of the Moulin Br,ulc. If this men should discover that my husband is to pass through that place, tell you, Monseilr Martin, lie is lust!"
 ''What is the scroundrels name ?"
 Jean Bruno. It is not at0nishing that you are unacqainied with him, for since his return to ,he district he has not publicly shown himself."h 9Hsesc
 The postnIan was silent He remembered having heard the woman at the drinking house call tie man he had met there by that name. He asked himself in cOnsternaiion if the letter tad not been stolen from him, but he recalled all the circumstances and banished ths sup position. He felt certain that the epislle had not been in his sack he treasured himself and sought to reassure the woman, yet he resolved to wait her husbands arrival at the chief town
 'f the district to advise him to be prudent. He hastened away, and when he was alone his fears regaineti possession of him. He again began to doubt, and little by little was seized aipon by terror he could not explain. tie increased his pace and leaped over the hedges and ditcLes with unusual ninbleness. Unfortunately, his round that day was exccp- tioI,ally bong, and the bad weather in addition had, considerably delayed him. T .sz59ous s5s g7 He reached the post office little later than was lIis custom. The woman who distributed 1lie mails, on being consulted by him, affirmed that be had taken away a letter for Mne. Andre. One of her assistants confirmed this declaration.
 The postman was thunderstruck. He saw with fright the heavy responsibility thrown up0h him. His terrOrs augmented when he remembered that time and again, at the mo- ment of opening the mail bags man had pre- sehted himself asking if there was anythingfor .Mnie. Audre.a 2iol2a ,s5 .4linB7. |ahesI efs.
 He, flew rather than ran to the office of the coach which carried passengers from the near est station on the railway to the chief town. Gedrge Andre had arrived, but had set out immediately on, foot for the village. 4.a 5
 The news gave Marlin violent shock. The prospect of a catastrophe for which he would be responsible arose before him. He saw this man who had returned with joy in his heart,3 eBcountiug death at the threshold of his own home through his fault, and misfortune over- taKlng the wlQ0w ana orphans. The darkest clouds troubled his Imagination. 4
 He did not hesitate. 9i and without taking time to enter his dwelling. started of again. Those who saw him pass absorbed in his thoughts and noticing no one around him, ask ed themselves what grave affair could have caused this breathless haste ,On the part af man who must have come back from his round broken by fatigue. A. ,.:
 t5 After he had passed over a fourth of the distance he inquired concerning the traveller. and asked if he had been seen. ,i saa ssaza5 g.
 He had gpne by some tune before. The joy cf return had given wings to his feet, as The thought of Il misfortune t,b ba avertei had increased the speed of the pnstaan. D There was mo longer even tine shadow of a dou1,; the fated man had taken the path which le.: straight to the Moulin Brule. Pere Martin calculated that by crossing over another path, which. however, was rough aud dangerous, he