The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1883-02-01
II did not think about the question

marry. ! want tile prctticst ard most
stylish woman in Paris That il the
reason married yon, Jeanette
Fourteen thousand francs! / had
but IA, 900 francs! And yet did ever
dispute one Of your drcssmaker's bills?
And they were outrageously dear, those
bills. / still remember certain memo.
randa Of II 900 fiancs.'
"And I have had one OF 23,OOOi
And, too, / did not have, like
Monsieur, million francs Of rentes;
but was so proud Of your beauty,
Jeanne, and the uproar which this
beauty created in the. world. Your
luxury was my great pride. What
laces and diamonds! What carriages!
What horses! What liveries! And
your chamber. Jeanette, your cham
be- of rubysatin! And then the boxes
in all the first tiers! Three
hundred francs did pay for the first
box to La Famille Benoiton?'"
Boxes? He speaks Of boxes! Why,
even before I was married, it was who
always paid for the boxes. The first
one at Petit Faust cost me 400 francs,
and in 1868 | gave 500 francs for one OF
PATHS benefit
1.-THE date !--he remembers the date!
Why, YOU dined with me Ave times q
week, Monsieur, and you were always
crammed in our box at the Italiens and
the Opera; you who make 80 much fuss
about two or three miserable boxes of
ferel to my wife"
1.-Two or three? But, in truth, such
,,a ~ ;c,, 1aVa ora In famoyc -
1t is my ADVICE said the Eternal
Father, who was beginning to get inn
patient in his cloud, "cut it short,
gentlemen. Cut it short, and / cntreat
yon. madame, make choice"
Jeanne remained impassiye, and the
two husbands talk. talk, talk.
Remember said CASTOR, :" for you
/ ruined my career. | resigned my
commission of Captain of the Hussars,
because you did not want 10 come to
the garrison mt Sarregueminis.
And attached myself to the En-
pire on account Of my love for yon.
Monsieur, yon have gone to the Minis
terial assemblies and to the official
balls. That kind of thing amused YOU.
You were not willing to renounce them.
while, to the great horror of all my
friends, 1 consented to show myself at
the Tuileries. Mt the Tuileries, at the
house Of Napoleon"
No politics." cried the Eternal
Father, land, above all. nothing de-
rogatorv to the Emperor Napoleon III.
He has but to withdraw his troops from
Rome. What would become Of the
couneilg"
$50 he it; no politics. Beside. I
have A few conclusive words to say"
said CASTOR. .'Jeane, my dear JEAN
ne, remember our love, our long
walks in the evening in the woods to
your fathers. Il. Roehes- Crises. We
walked slowly. very slowly. through
the little lanes, Your head on my shoul-
der. And then, on the day of our mar
riage, we went all alone. at six o'clock,
by the post. We arrived Mt my house
ut midnight, in the most horrible cold.
The country was all white. don't you
remembers And what an immense fire
We found in the chateau, and in what
trouble We both were"
"Reallv. SIR hrusluely interrupted
Raonl. such "reminiscences are out Of
place.
1T is possible, Monsieur, but am
allowed to do ito speak of my love
and also Of my confidence. My con-
fidence was a splendid thing! What 4
number Of people said to me, Take
care Of Raoul' Raoul, that was Mon
sienr, That he is very fond Of you is
understood: Int there is one person
that he is still fonder Of, and that per-
son is Your Wife, disdained all this
gossip"
"I have o word to say, too, on the
subject of confidence. Later, sir, after
you, when /. in my turn, was the h,ls-
band, the little slanderers still went
their way. They spoke to me about
Monsieur de Lericonrt-to me! What
an absurditv! He was my best friend! =
/ noticed that Jeanne could not help
giving little start when she heard the
!, name of Monsieur de Lericourt. I
noticed it. but Raoul saw nothing, and
continued: And then Lericourt was
killed III Mexico, and when you heard
| this unexpected news, my darling. you
allowed such natural and Legitimate
expression Of grief to escape you. re
ceivel an abominable anonymous letter.
/ Your wife, it said. has more tears
for the friend than she would have 70,
her husband l never spoke to YOU ol
that letter. Suspect You! suspect
Lericourt,"
"What is this about Lericourt? p
cried the Eternal Father. Is lie /
third husband? lam getting mixed W
with all this"
"One more word, Eternal Father
oply one. But to conclude: On til.
day of my marriage with Madame !:
priest-an excellent priest-declared t.
me at Sainte Clotilde that our union OF
earth should he followed by an eterna
union in heaven.
"And /, Eternal Father" answered.
CASTOR. ION the day Of my marriage a
the Madeleine Bishop, do you under
stand--not 0 priest-a Bishop?- mad
to me in the same words the. SAM
promise
This is getting very embarrassing,
muttered the Eternal Father, "ver
embarrassing. Ny representatives ol
earth act in very thoughtless manne
sometimes. But You. Madame, who ar
saying nothing, speak, it is for you I
decide
In your infinite goodness. Seigneur,
she replied, "you will allow me to max
an arrangement to become the wife Q
NJ. de Lericourt, who is over there i
that little cloud, and who has bee
making signs to me for the last fiftee
minutes"
| turned my head and / perceive
Lericourt. who, in his little cloud a
the left Of Us, was making the most es
pressive and gallant gestures. Yet M
other friend, Lericourt, This charm
ing woman was, repeat, called to cor
tribute to the happiness of her friend
both in this world and the next.
why did you not say SO immediate
ly.' answered the Eternal Father
"This will harmonize everything. Max
your arrangements with Monsieur d
Lericourt. What | wish for is that 70
may he happy in Paradise, since yo
h,y., l,aan A .r.,,l EhriSt,o,