Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1883-07-20

| '7'''' Nv ''''Cut i'IlPuOSidl piS 'l
pretty women at the stationer's am
showing her one of them. said:
That's my sweetheart. What do
yon think of herr"
Hortense answered, with feinged
indifference: "She is very pretty
Then they separated. retired to
their rooms. and wept bitterly. Fol
two months Paul had not written
Emile's letters We're unanswered
HOrtense had written twice. hut re
ceived no reply.
Matters had reached This pass on
the morning of that fatal first Of Jan
nary. Emile awaited the appearance
of Hortensc to offer her his good
wishes and presents for the year. H
had succeeded in procuring from
Panl's relations his photograph re
duceI from portrait, and had set it
in gold locket bearing Hortense's :
initials in q spray of diamonds.
When the young girl received the
present she opened the case and see
ing Panl's photograph s. he blushcd,
turned pale, and began to weep
why these tears7" said Emile.
almost ready to sutlocate He quick
ly recovered himself.
You don't understand me-" said
Hortense. Il weep. bnt it is from
pleasure and she burst into sobs.
Emile went away and did not re
| turn until near evening. Hortense
waited for MIN, seated by the fire
lace, and still weeping. The lockct,
partly open. was lying on the mantle
piece. Emile, quite perplexed by her
appearance, mechanically cast his eyes
upon it and uttered an exclamation.
His picture had taken the place of
Paul's.
"What does this mean?' he OK
claimed. "Hortense. what have yon
done?"
leave me,' she said, taking the
locket and slipping it into her dress.
"Leave me: don't speak to me-I am
going madw
"Mad?" repeated Emile, really
alarmed.
Don't you see? Can't you under
stand anything?' the girl cried out. a
prey to violent agitation. Don't yon
see that this kind of life is impossi
BILE? Can't you understand that l
love you. and that this life of false
hood andrestraint is killing me?' and
throwing her arms around him she
hid her face on his breast and sobbed.
while he trembled like one shaking
with fever. 1t required a few mo
ments for this intense emotion to
subside; then, making a violent ef
fort, he disengaged himself from her
embrace, and obliging her to sit
down, said, in broken voice:
''Hortense, l love you!"
"Oh, Emile!' interrupted Hortense,
overjoyed.
"Let me speak. love you. For
a long time 1 have vainly struggled
against the feeling, which has over
whelmed me, fool that 1 was. How
could one help loving you? When L
felt that intense love taking posses
sion of my heart, the memory of Paul
rose up before me like a reproach.
At this very moment it causes me
deep remorse."
"But love you," faltered the girl.
"Be still! Those words are a
crime. Poor boy! He is so full of
trust; relying on our honor, counting
on our fidelity, on my word, he
He stopped, overcome by emotion.
"But why is he not here?" Hor-
tense asked, suddenly.
Because he has confidence in us.
I will not betray him for ary consid
Grafton. Death soonerr'
They paused, and strange, thrill
ing look was exchanged between
them. All their thoughts and emo
tions seemed to be fixed on that idea
of death, thus abruptly invoked as q
menace, a refuge and an expiation.
"Yes," said the young girl, crowd
ing all her long pent-up feelings into
that one second, Il would rather die
than think Of" She did not finish
She was going to pronounce Pauls
name. Emile took her two hands in
his, placed himself in front of her
and with a penetrating look scanned
her face, in search of confirmation OF
the desperate thoughts just expressed
"Would you?" he asked slowly
with determined energy.
| Horte1se rose, and with solemn
affection, exclaimed: ''Instantlyp
and falling into each others arms
they renamed in a long embrace
This was their death sentence.
e y
The following morning, at an early
hour, the postman appeared at the
door with letter bearing the post
mark of New Orleans. He knocked
and rang without avail. No ono an
swered, and he was going away whe1
a neighbor stopped him, saying
Emile was at home. They rang an(
knocked again. Suddenly the neigh
Dor turned pale.
"Do you smell anything?" sh'
asked, frightened.
NO" he replied.
THAT smell! Charcoal! My God
, could anything have happenedw
The concierge was called, and salt
that the night before, very late, Emil
had gone out to bny a sack of char
coal. The neighbor remembered tha
, the evening before, at differel.t times
, she had seen Hortense at the win
+ dow, her eyes all swollen and re'
. from crying.
! There is no doubt about it." sh
exclaimed. "they have perished. W
must send for the magistrate"
The magistrate on arriving force
open the door. The woman's pre-
: dictions were only too true. Emil
was lying extended on a lounge. Hol
D tense on a chair, both cold and in
sensible. Restoratives were immedl
4 ately applied. Alas! all their effort
q to revive Emile were useless. Th
carbolic gas had done the work. H
q was dead. Hortense still breathe(
e They succeeded in restoring he
, When she recovered ber senses tn