New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-03-04
THE SECRET OF THE CHATEAU.

ions form and when the Reign of Terror was u! It's
he ght il the land. The niue Town o. Ior
In the south Of France, lay all wrapped III sautE
az rveninr sunshine that wrought rats maE!o
among the dIngy houses AUD In the dtpWsy 'h
and alleys. Now Vt played go,u1n In the little
sauare; now t clothed with new Wonui t ~
tnresoue charm the gable OF yonuer olu lie 'IIs
mansion: now It gded into small gloomy Dack-
can't and turnen it into "a fairvs grVtto Nv cnanB,
ing every pane OF glass IN the tiny wihuo"s ro""u
il into a living gen. 49,, o,roo linn
bsI,pS a Gait bearing a sad burden. IL was conn,
over which was spread coarse shauoy oi"e
mantle bJ way OF d paw, the vehicle walked dark
ROBBED figure-a man and woman. oloEH .no
little funeral party Of tbs cart io nosiIy
aud xitb no reyerent sound OF woe: Slowly On
thew came through the river OF sunlight; anu as
they went two three women, lOlteiing WIN
their nitchers pear the fountain, watched them
with ewes which had touch oi sorrow IN tCshl,
and made their comments. as they gazeh' III 10"
"%h. poor young ladyp said the oldest of the
group She's the last of the 1.-THE very iast.
recolleci the coming home oil her motnor ha,i i
l Comtesse rs "A bride aud all the tram OF laokeys
10 gold lace, and the prancing OF the SIX gray
horses and the cheering of the crowd AS she thie%
silver pieces among them like ram III autumn anu
nov TO think that tins should be the funeral OF her
daughter! | have seen strange changes IN the land
since was your age, Babette, my child ,-,
Babette tlssed her head and tho red bandkerchlet
upon It a little di-lainluly rs II her modern lghts
showed heI things which were more worthy OF hoto
than anything which the Ola Wohahs uehio'S
could call III out Of the past.
What good wore they IN the land, these aris-
rocratsr sne cried. They were OF no more uso
than the statues III the garden OF the OLD chateau
where We poor folk can wander now with our ba-
bies or our sweethearts ut our VIII. ,.,
But the young countess was OF dliieteht pat
tern from those who went before her, here pat IN
ihirn woman When my husband lay sick WIN
the fever. aud everybody fled from our cottag on
account of injection. she came TO VISIT US ara h'o,u
by his bed often ana felt his pulSe better thau the
doctor and sent INN streug henuV food ana neil
cEe. She was no more like her grandhother' VINO
used, hon was cmlL. to go r0lHAg along III nti
coach, all one piece OF silk and pTme thIn one oi
the gittcring buttons on the livery coats "i th'
counts iootnen Was ike bright bit ot money ihat
We can spend to buy choco ato and sugar, anu aI
sorts Of good things that will rejoice our husbands
and chIllren's hearts.
We'll anyhow. # she had not died now she soon
vould saii Babrtte decidedly, Her husband ~
in the prison AT Tuulon aud size was quickly
enough To have followed h.m there. know on GOOD
authority; nad wnat PRISON eudS ia l"t Hil''o,
crats IN thess days all know better than We uued
TO know our patrrnOsers IN the times when IL was
the fashion 10 say them ,,.,
Her death seem, to have been sudden ana
rather strange one, SAID the old woman who had
Yea replied the other elder woman it was but
two DAYS since ! saw her crossing the lootpdth
hr 4TS9 s shg i lie fe DOWN n III as
ing before her dresslng-table arranging hef mar;
and never spoke afterw arl.' said the other old
dame porting out her information rapdly. as
fhouy she feared Babette might DO beforehand
with her. , .
tae world il they ale left TO die natnial death
exclaimed Babette dipping her hand into the l"uu-
tam and tos.inu some drops OF water about con
temptuously II they were drops oil atstpctatlc
blood They eat and drink anu sleep so nuch thtt
their brains and bodies get dun and heavy hhd
iiiis' '''' '''' m.,,.
/ wonder villa. is to become Of all the rich plate
and Jewels that belong TO the family I said Rose
sOb. If. ie Mayor will soon find out that cried
Babette He will be IN the chateau depend upon
IT, by tomorrow morning or before ana he IL i2oA
into evrrythIus. AMI make COOL use OF 10 too lie $
a man that knows What he's about. and mat mas no
false fine feeling about the arstocrats Very likely
he'll distribute sOno oil the pluuuet Oh tho Chateau
'Fiine looks grave and sad enough rs she walk $
| by her dead mistress's body. Remarked the Other
no wonder. poor girl answered Rose; they
| were brought NJ tUgotner. and loved ench other
more hkc sisters than Ia, mistress aud servant
But for all her sal looks, | would wager my
silver earrings against your eats necklace. kos'.
| that she il thinking more of her lover Maurice
than OF the dead. It's beautiful arrangement Tor
! her, IN falth, &C. baye him los her companion IN
business like thus. Al she's sly one, Tor all her
demure ways. aud her smooth face. that seems 10
! have more in 10 than an empty nllk-pail,' Dad
| ettc made "a little expressive wnk- which might
| imply more or less according 10 the fancy OF her
companions. a. she spoke these last words. .,.,-
They will mary very 5000 now. should thlnk'
! said old Rose, taking up her pitcher. wbIch had
! been long brmmiDg over patiently at her Sido.
| D
rage after ALL excla med Bibettc with such to1s
tins tune that the folds of the red handkerchief got
loose aud huttered IN the breeze Does he LOOK
! like bridegroom rs he strides along tucro, win
inst tho ZANE grin az usual on his ROAD Taco MS
can't get rid OF il even ~ funeral the blocNhead
Does be look like bridegroom th1t any sensible
girl would give an Old tin Aittle for 2
Well, its strange,t OF all that they shonld bury
her m this wav. if u you sat, there's money and
riches of all sorts left IN the chateau still. said tho
younger of the Two old women.
All Mole Fifne and VI. Maurice know more
about that matter. | suspect than any one else
rejOlned Babetts, with wink yet more '.turated
mistress at tne chateau. now that the count Is IN
prison and the countess dead and they are max
ing the most of their time rs tho BIRDS do IN the
VINEYARDS before the vintage begins.
After that the group round tho fountain broke up
and the women dispersed in different directions
As she went, Babette had Der own special Tram oil
thought, iatO which she probably wonld not ex-
actly have liked any of her friends to LOOK
As sure tho couute7s's diamonds are real. and
not glass this was the way 10 which her reneo-
tions ended Pierre shall try h, lack Tonight
don't see why Babete and Pierre should not be the
fortunate ualr. rs well az fIhue aud hiurite'
Meanwhile tho young man ana the girl, OF whom
their neiehbor mouths and minds had just. all
uncOnsciously to their two selves been 80 iul had
reached the church for tho completion OF their sad
errnnd. No religious ceremonies Of any kind were
permitted at this time IN France But still she
servants OF tho young Contes'o de florion perhaps
rscJlecting that Ia her iio she had secretly clung
to the rites OF her Church, were going To- lay her
remains In hallowcd ground, and portion OF tho
pa Venent beneath the southern wall OF the church
and inside the building had been raised TO allow Of
the body being placed underneath IL. The family
vault OF tho De FlOrlOns was tar away In distant
! large town; but as the trOublous tifnos forbade
tho cOuntesss romans beng transported thlther.
her servant aud sister and compaai0n. flhne
de f0nvrleTe, had chosen he interior oil VerreVl!e
church as their resting place. A. long as no rog-
ious ritos were used, the civil authorities OF the
little town had made no objection to this arrange
ment.
Maurice will do all the rest said Fidne, when
the oollln had been lowered into the place prepared
for H. turning TO the two men who had boon help-
ing them in their mouInu work. Il should like
nv poor mistress's own faithful servant to perform
the very last offices for her,
1T IL strange that Fitne do FOuvriere's grief at
her MISTRESS loss IL not evident In outward
signs said the elder Of the men TO his companion as
they withdrew from tho church In Obedience TO the
girls words Il had expected to see her drowned