The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1883-06-01

ssGood evening, Mr.. Gordonl"
Good evening, Madame Malinesl'
Sae laughed o little at my prompt reply.
1.-THE. bore Of on introduction avoided for
once. My guess was right-as it usually is. You
gre " Walters friend viii you be mine, I won
She was SILENT looking me in the face with
her searching glance 49,
She turned to my companion. :.'sWalter. Mr..
Gordon and have business to talk about We
will see you at dinner" 80
He accepted his dismissal without word,
and went away leaving US together in the
dimly lighted salon.
s'Mr. Gordon" said Madame Malines, when
we were alone, "whether your appearance
hero will be circumstance for me to remem-
Dor with pleasure in the future, the future
must show for itself. For the present I am
4'"Thank you, Madame Malines. -
She waved her hand little impatiently
I'VE have much to talk of, and little time to
DO it ill., lam glad of your appearance here,
because you can BIO Of use to me in resolving
certain doubts Of mine, and for no other rea'
son in the world"
I waited for her next uttcrauce, having
handed her chair. She waved mo to ar-
other drew it toward her and seated myself
"Mr Gordon, il any understandings
is to be established botween ns, we must DO
fraok one with anoihor. You are q man of
businessw
II am"
tam questions to ask. Will you answer
tham?"
''1f I can do so without any breach Of con-
fdehce-frankly and fully"
nHow long have you known Walter:"
ultimately?
'Yes--most intimately"
what is your opiuion of him?"
stammered something I scarcely
know at tho time.
Would you like to know my opinion of
him?"
81 answered awkwardly that should DO
| pleased to licar any communication with which
she might honor mo.
II despso l,im!" she said calmly
| The speech amazed me, and showed my
amaZoment in my face. She laughed short
| hard laugh of doubtful meaning. and went
! MY opinion Of men in tho abstract is not
| high. Ny opinion of such men as it has bee,,
my lot to know is lower sill II my ju ismont
it.,o see ,, warped by nforn,a's oi'c1m-
Gordon, if you will. will tell you tho story
| of my life"
| She was silent for minute, looking ,st mo
with distcad.d eyes.
Il was an only child, and never knew my
! parents My motaer dioi in giving mo BIRTH;
!
| relative. an uncle, vas unm,rri ii, All | 10 cont
me to the Convent dos Pct IL O.seuux ut
Treiles. There remained unt:l was seven
teen years OF age poorly fnd, p 'orly clld, and
badly taught, or, to tell The ruth, nor Taught at
all; growing up amid univ .rsal neglect and do
spt.. of.eu wonicr now, lonNlng back al
| That dreiry time, 'iat lvd through it, and
o:tener still wish tnat l had nt AT s.vantsrn
was TAX Il I on the convent to he mari d to
my late husband, II. Ma ise,. can rsmem-
| ber with what fttlIDyl 7 .iyy II rl,a
of my approaching release. I was going
to exchange prior for o p,ralse, q iovel..ss
existence for one saact tiel b" love. believed
men we'd their yss ti'.n NJ Gortlo;; l WAS
only seventeen. That Was my first di>illuson
Tho world remember. my int husband with
reverence as q scholar and man IF genius;
! his vito remembers him with iOa.Iny, aB IA
cruel and nggardly tyrant Ey marrying him
| exchanged one prison for another; tho
neglect OF many for whom had no feeling for
the neglecto of one whom stroye 10 l,va and
honor, but who repel!e mo with u cold
suspicion. At the convent 1 had been
dtspised for my poverty; i'll tho world
/. was s,sp received with fu1s"m , aatttst;ry,
and my husbands wsa Il. 1war, Jewel, duch Ouch.
esses envied. drove horses which were the nd
miraton of Paris lived on tho Boulevard DIES
Italiens, md at tho grand 10 els of Nice and
Baden; and I went to bed in the dark to save
the expense OF candle, aid spout the grea er
pari of my mean allowance of packet money
Ill aupp!omentlng my mea.er nj ais served Oh
solid silver by ha'f Il dozen ilu"Asys,"
Sho spoke of these sor!id details of her mar
ried lte with perfect calm of voice and man
ner, with only the SLOW burning FIRE in her
eyes to speak tho passionate contempt she felt
II had at hand the remedy which other
women in my then position ofte:i take. have
boon told that l have moro than the com mon
share OF beauty often enough to believe it;
and such love as the b ainess gandil!s WHO
| tHrnnp pariSinn f1rn yvnr hay r., ci1
| such love as our noveists write of so flowing
| ~, might have had. l might have seen the
| initials of my name filled up with asteri~ks in
the Garnet dan Mondaio, in company with the
You believe me, Mr.. Gordon-I find it difficult
to believe myself sometimes. remembering
| that tme-that I was true to nv husband iu
word, anl deed, and thought"
Thcra was no capacity Of vulgar crime in
| the III which found expression in her eyes,
and believed her. She went on with her story
calmly STILL
.sTbe uncle OF whom have spoken was rich.
hal been taught so well, by Inn aud others,
that q creature in my frondless condition
| should be only too thanGful for any help at all,
that the idea that some part OF his riches
might have been used for the softening of
my hard lot at the convent never crossed my
min.l I was grateful fqahe care which had
found me evon 20 meiSs9h asylum from tho
ac;ua! hunger and pSHsdness which would, I
WIS taught ~ DcIdIJnHVo DeCn my portion
| but for my uncle. Wtif, Mr. Gordon, learned
| by his tlca h-bed confession, when the cowaraico
which he, and the priest who attended him,
called repentance, forced him to confess the
wrong he hat. done mo. that my parent. had
| heen rich, :.nd that their wealth was mine, and
| that lie had robbed me Of it. That, 50 far, Mr.
| Gordon, has been my experience of men; my
/ only kihsman, the brother OF my dead father,
robbed me of my CHILDHOOD; my husband robbed
! re of my vont,: anil now. when womans
ite should be jas; , ginning, mine is ended
''We are such fools, VIC women," she went
on, with self-scora very terrible to soc, s'that
to the end Of the charter, let us be deceived as
| we may, we must love and hope for love.
know your errand hero. can guess pretty
| fairly tho means you will use to fulfill it. You
will pay me the doubtful compliment of saying
| that your friend is unworthy of me. You can
| not know that better than l. It is emb!amatic
| of my whole life that should fix my love upon
n creature whom despise 1t is moro en-
| bemac still that the shadow of happiness
| seek in him should be denied me. have told
you despise him; I do; but love him, too.
| Oh, Mr. Gordon, think what that means and
have some pity for me-"
! The emotion with which she made this APP
| peal-an emotion which touched mo deeply
| had faded from her face and voice before sho
| spoke again, although the pause WAS but q
| short one.
Il have already learned to know eorrow and
| disappointment so WELL and have feared, too,
| to appreciate at their true value those illu-