River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1884-09-04

ing else now Heeven fancied sometimes that
Olga guessed his Intention and at Madame
Barbarine's four to-six, where Olga treated all
her admirers in that frank boyish way of hers,
when she handed the sailor his tea in glass,
after the Prussian fashion, he thought he saw
IN the depths of the young girls eyes sweet
far-away light that seemed to respond to his
generous PITY and infinite tenderness
eyes, Mademoiseile, my sick leave is up in
week. | shall leave Pau tomorrow. shall
spend few days in Touraine with my sister,
and from there l shall go back to Brest as aid
de camp to the naval project In year or
eighteen months shall go to sea again
lhey were alone IN the readIng-room of the
hotel, standing near an open window, with
thousands of stars twinkling and glimmering
above them in the dark heavens.
Goodbye, then, and pleasant Journey
answered Olga with her fresh, firm voice.
81 want to ask you for something Monsieur
de Ithe. Yes, that lions claw mounted on a
little gold ring that You wear at your watch
chain. have fancy for it, 1t came from
lion that you once killed out hunting in Africa,
didn't it, am sort of wild animal myself
keep il in remembrance of you
Julien unfastened the little charm and put
it into the girls hand; ther suddenly he caught
her hand IN both mo own and whispered pas
sionately;
q love youl Will you be my wife?n
Olga loosoned her hand gently, still holding
the lions claw; then, crossing her arms upon
her breast, she looked Julien full in the face
for moment with no sign of emotion on her
own
'.No," she said, at last, esno And yet you
are the first man who has loved me and told
me SO ia that straightforward way. 1t is for
that reason that / refuse"
Olga cried Julien in a changed voice.
s'IIsteu to me, she went on interrupting
him by gesture, "and understand thoroughly
why answer no. feel that / am not worthy
of you, and should not make you happy You
remember that letter of your sisters that you
complained of having lost Well, you dropped
it here, and picked it up and read it Your
sister answered the confessions you had made
of your feelings toward me-feelings that l
had guessed long ago She rejoiced at them,
like the simple, innocent child she is but in
forms that have shown me what wide, what
a terrible difference there is between me and
the real maiden. When / read that letter l
saw what your family like.
Yours is an old and honorable house
lis it not?-into which you should
bring none but an honorable wife, You should
thank God, Monsieur de Rhe, that you have a
gray haired mother of whom you can never
think without feeling proud tenderness melt
ing your heart have mother, too, but
have been forced to judge her. You have only
seen the ridiculous side, monsieur, but know
her better. II you were to ask her for my
hand, she would refuse you because you are of
minor nobility, and your fortune is moderate.
My mother has made up her mind am to
make grand marriage; or, If Motif not, she
will find ME something else Heinz You see
/ am pretty experienced for a girl of nineteenl
II is horrible--ls it not? But so tits. And that
is why we were at Nice last winter, at Skew
eningue last summer, and why we are now at
Pau. That is why we knock about from one
end of Europe to another like 50 much baggage;
why we never sleep but In hotel beds, and only
eat at the table d'hote My mother was
almost royal princess, you know, and ever
since | was fifteen she has given me to under
stand that | am destined to be an archduchess,
If only left-handed one. Marry a gentle
man hardly more than mere bourgeois
Why, in her eyes, should be lowering myself
All, You must be Disguised with me; and am
ashamed of myself No, don't deny it. No,
you could never take me to your mother-I
whose heart has been so defiled--as your wife
Besides, am only an expensive and useless
luxury that you have no need of, and that
could never make you happy. And, for that
matter don't love you'll don't love any one
Love is among the things that have been for
bidden me. Farewell, Monsieur dc Rhe.
Go away, and say no more, for Gods sake
Only-you leave me your lions claw, won't
you? 1t will remind me of a true hearted man,
to whom have acted like true hearted wom-
an. No; say no more. We must part forever
Farewell"
Three years after the steam transport, bu
Couede, returning from Senegal, touched at
the Canaries to take in letters. After she had
started on her journey through the rough
night again. the boatswain came into the Off
GERS cabin and laid a packet of newspapers on
the table.
Julien de Rhe opened news sheet about
three weeks old, from Paris, and read under
the heading movements and Whereabouts"
the following lines:
Ellis Majesty the King of Swabia, who is
travelling incoSnito, under the name of the /!
Count of Augsburg, arrived here yesterday ev
ening
can annoying accident happened at the sta
ton on his majesty's arrival. The Baroness
de Hall, who, only accompanied by her mother,
the Countess Barbarine, was travelling with his
lost jewel-of slight value, though
she apparently set great store on it 1t is a
simple lions claw mounted on small circlet
Of gold Madame de Hall has offered reward
of two hundred francs for the recovery of this
jewel"
'sLook out, Julien, you are forgetting the
hour of your watch, my dear fellow"
''Thank you," said Julien dc Rhe, throwing
down the paper, and walking from dream
That night the man at the wheel, who was
alone on the poop with the officer of the watch,
saw him put his handkerchief to his face sew
eral times There was a good deal of wind and
sleet, yet, where he stood, it could not have
reached Translated for the Argonaut |
from the French by Mademoiselle Boucher.