The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1882-08-31

also that she should care to be 30 kline
to man whom her sister has treated
with such marked dislike.
The refreshment-room is Amos
empty, and she seats herself and mo
tions him to a chair beside her wher
he has brought her an ice.
DO you think, M. lie Marquis, thai
it was only to eat ices with you that
have forced my society so resolutely
upon youp" she asks, with look ot
earnestness very rare on her bright
coquettish face.
81 think you an angel of compass
sion to an old friend of your child.
hood, Mademoiselle Lucille"
"It was compassion, but more fo1
my sister than for you." she says,
gravely.
"Your sister, he echoes, bitterly.
cit has not occurred to me that Madame
De Miramon is in need of compassion,
and yours is too sweet to be wasted
"Chut, monsieur" she interrupted.
Forget that am as fond of pretty
speeches as most young women and
think of me only as JEANNE De Mira
mons sister, who believes that much
as she loves her, you love her even
more"
For the second time this evening De
Palissier forgets possible observers
! and clasps both the girls slender hands
in his, as he murmurs, unsteadily, "God
bless you p
"You forget that we have an audi
ence, monsieur" she says, withdraw
ing her hands quickly, but with
smile Of frank comradeship. 81 have
a story to tell you, and not much time
to tell it in. Years ago, when Jeanne
left her convent on becoming fiancee
to M. De Miramon, she met you at her
first ball, and you loved each other. 1t
was very foolish, for you were a cadet
of your house and only sous-lieuten-
ant, and Jeanne had not a sou, so both
the families were furious but all
would have ended as well as a fairy
tale if you had been reasonable. Jeanne
met you time after time in secret, and
promised any amount of patience, but
she would not run away and marry
you in defiance of her parents
50 you tormented her g. with
doubts and shamed her !. with
suspicious until she dreaded those Sc
cret meetings almost as much as she
longed for them. At last, after making
a more violent quarrel than usual you
exchanged from your regiment at
Versailles to one in Algiers, and left
her no refuge from the reproaches of
our father and mother but to marry
NJ. de Miramom. He might have re-
fused to marry her after hearing her
confess, as she did, that she had given
her heart to you, and that only your
dcsertiOn had induced her to consent to |
their marriage. But he did not; lie |
had better revenge than that. He
married her, and for eight years he
tortured her in every way that a jeal-
Gus and cruel man can torture proud |
pure woman. He opened all her let !
tiers, he made spies of her servants, and |
not day passed that he did not make
some mention Of your name. Our pa
rents died within few months of the
marriage, and / was at my convent.
There was nothing to be done with her
misery but endure it, knowing that she
owed it all to your impatience. Can
you wonder that she is unforgiving?"
He is leaning on the small table
between them with folded arms and
lown-bent eyes, and he is very pale,
even through the bronze of ten African
summers.
81 loved her always" he says, al
most inaudibly; then pauses; nor does
le finish his sentence, though she
waits for him to do so.
"You loved her? You could not
AVE wrecked her life more utterly if
'ou had hated her. Can you wonder
hat she has grown to fear the thought
# love that has been so cruel to her as
ours and her husbands? Monsieur
ny brother-in-law died two years ago
God is SO good!" continues Lucille,
lercely. "Since then Jeanne has been
It peace, and she shrinks with absolute
error from disturbing the calm which
las come to her after such storms. She
ears you, she avoids you, because
hall 1 tell you why?"
She can see his lips quiver even
Inder the heavy mustache, but he
leither speaks nor raises his eyes.
"She loves you," murmurs Lucille,
ust aloud.
He lifts his eyes now and looks at
er dumbly for an instant, then, rising
bruptly, walks away. ;
al des beaux yeux, mon Dieup
he thinks, with thrill of wonder
hat Jeanne should have had the :
ourage to refuse him anything in the
ays when they were young together.
He comes back presently.
"My child" he says, very gently, !
do not try to make me believe that, I
Mess you are very sure, for if I once I
elieve it again, IL"
i am as sure as that l live that
eanne has never ceased to love you, {
nd that you can force her to confess S
II you will make love to me-" ]
ZIP You2 You are laughing at 7
le| with rush of color into his dark |
ace. =
"Do you think so ill of Jeanne's $
IsterP" she asks, softly.
"Pardon. l am scarcely myself, and I
cannot imagine how" 9
"Jeanne will not receive You be- ,
ause she knows her heart and is afraid \
it. She fears that you will destroy !
he hard-won peace she values SO !
ighly. But you are wealthy, dis =,
the head of your name-a S
cry different person from what you |
'ere ten years ago, and she can find 7