Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1883-05-05
MONSIEUR, MY HUsBAND.Y

oA1Ons, MI hUSBAND.O
"And you mean to tell mo NV broth.
er proposes to marry Marie to = pms
sian?" Mile. Arc6aimbanlt tho s;stor
OF the well-known S%trasburg banker.
was 1or once reused from her ordinary
well,bred calm. She spoke shrilly. and
ner dark eyes sparkled with rage.
co. said the ugly little able, the
great TREND OF the family and confessor
TO Marie Archaimbault and that be-
loved twin brother, Alphonse. who was
Killed in the late Franco-German war.
The able and Mile. Archaimbault (whn
Kept house for her widowed brother.
now absent for the moment in Parish
were seated in the magnificent drawino-
room of the Hotel Archaimbault in
Strasburg.
neutrality-suspicious.! Marie
the best match in the town-who might
marry. a Vicomte at the very least,N
and the aunt glanced c%omplacently
around at the tapestried walls, the
heavy amber satin draperies, the
massive gilt furniture and m%arqueterie
cabinets, arrayed as primly as the gar
den outside, where avenues cut straight
~ as if by some sharp giant knife, ended
IN a statue or q fountain. "Marie-to
marry a Prnssian. My brother must be
mad, or you"-turning sharply to the
abbe-"are jesting."
81 never felt less inclined to do so.
Mademoiselle." And, indeed, the abbe's
wrinkled-leather face was twisted into
an expression of grave perplexity as he
Leaned his elbows on his knees, loosely
clasping his thin hands and staring
vaguely at the huge rose bouquets on
the aubusson carpet. He understood
the letter he had that morning received
from his friend, the banker, we'll. 1t
was dated Paris, and commissioned the
able to break the news of his consent to
the pretensions for Marie's hand of a
young German officer, the son of a
Berlin millionaire. This the able, who
had been partially in M. Archaimbault's
confidence, took to mean that the re-
cent alarming failure of certain great
Partisan bankers had so far imperiled
the Strasburg house that failure would
only be averted by the marriage. For
Marie's dot had been a temporary stop
gap, and the young German was more
than ready to marry her without it; in
fact, to make any arrangements NJ.
Archaimbault pleased.
But the able did not understand the
SSanser's postscript, which assumed
Marie's consent, and announced the ar
rival of M. lie pretendu as immediate.
''He wishes to have his first interview
with Marie alone" wrote M. Archaim-
bault. Request my sister that it may
be-"
1t was necessary for the able to break
the ice. The roses on the carpet did
not help him. At last he blurted out:
"This gentleman arrives to-day"
'Let him arrive" Mile. Archaim-
bault leaned back in her chair, folded
her arms lightly across her bosom, and
looked-in the neat black dress she was
still wearing as mourning, not only for
the young nephew murdered by the
Prussians," but for captured, subdued,
enslaved Strasburg-as grim and for
bidding as a prison portcullis. "Let
him arrive. He will not see me-"
"No," said the able, quantity. "Your
brother desires that he shall see Marie
alone"
No shell thrown into the beautiful
city when beleaguered by her victori-
GUS foes could have produced a sharper
effect. Mile. Archaimbault gasped,
choked; took up her fan, then dropped
it, and burst into tears.
"That is all right" thought the able,
cheerfully. "When once they begin to
cry, they give in" Then he gave her
time to shave her cry out" and, walk
ing to the window, gazed out where the
town lay spread out around the proud
cathedral, whose lofty spire seemed
still stretching skyward-the beloved
city, now all patches and props like
some wounded human being. But
mademoiselle wept on, and he came
back into the stately room, thinking
how much more unpleasant this was
than his usual experiences of the hotel;
the evenings spent playing with M.
Archaimbault, and teaching the fair,
beautiful Marie English. Latterly there
had been more English and less pic
quet; for the banker, after losing game
after game through inadvertence, would
get up and go to his room, and the
able, after taking a few thoughtful
pinches of snuff, would put away the
cards and join Marie where she sat at
work with her aunt. They had nearly
finished reading ''Ivanhoe;' and to-day
an unknown knight would appear.
How little had they dreamed this!
'.Do you think it would be better to
think how we shall break the news to
Marie, instead of crying about it?'
asked the able, gently. Then as mad
emoiselle incoherently murmured some
thing about 'the shock" and being .'to-
tally unnerved," he rang a small silver
hand-bell.
The yellow satin portieres were lifted,
and, as if by magic, a footman, in the
fawn and crimson Archaimbault livery,
with heavy silver shoulder knot and
loops, spotless stockings and freshly
powdered hair stood there, awaiting his
orders.
"Tell Mile. Marie" began the able;
but the footman stepped aside with a
respectful o%beisance, and a young girl
came in dressed in white with large
bows of black ribbon. She was tall,
fair, with serene blue eyes under arched
brows, and a soft white skin-more like
the Belgian mother who had died
shortly after the birth Of the twins,