St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1884-01-05

"HusA!'' cried Mari, "Cease. / con-
iure YOU; you pierre me through the
heart
eyes, / have the consoling thought
that yo1 would have been mine. Buu [
am the most unfortunate of men i am
marriedr'
Mari raised her eyes with a look of
amazement.
II am married, resumed the Colonel,
'smarried these four years. and neither
know Nho my wife is nor &UbeTe she is,
nor whether | shall ever meet her.
'sWhat can you mean? What IS TIE
mystery? But go on, beg OF you; I
will tell you afterwards.
"Here, then sad the Colonel, ':are
the facts. In the year 1872 1as going
to wilma to join my regiment. | az
rived late one evening at a station, and
ha1 Just given orders to have the horses
Immediately harnessed, when suddenly
there arse a violent snow-storm. Thu
master of the house add the position
both strongly advised me to defer my
journey; 5ut, tempest or no tempest, |
was resolved to push on. The position
took it into his head that he could
shorten the way by crossing a river
whose banks he knew very we'll. How
ever. he missed the right ford, and
brought me to q place which was totally
strange to him. The storm continued
to rage, but at, length We deserted a
distant light. | fastened towards it
and found myself outside q church,
whence the fsbt proceeded The door
was open. SIedges were waiting inside,
and several persons. we're standing in
the porch. One of them called to ne
This way! this way" | got out of my
sledgl and entered The church. One of
the people III the porch said: .z'
: I'm tire name of Heaven, what has
delSyed you? The bride has tainted,
and we were all on the point of return
ing home.''
'''Hall bewilG cred and half amused, !
resolved to follow up the adventure.
Indeed I was allowed no time to DELHI
crate, for my impatient friends hurried
me intothe interior of the church, which
was family lit up by two or three other
torches. A girl was seated on a bench
in the shadow, while another stand
ing beside her, was rubbing her tenn
Piles.
"'At length, /" said the latter: God be
praised chat you are come! My mistress
was near dying
San old priest approached and said:
Shall we beginP'
.ssOh, begin by all means, my rev
erend father!' replied |, giddily.
"They assisted the young girl to rise:
she seemed very pretty. Through a
levity quite objectionable, and, as il
now seems to me, inconeeiVable, / adj
vanced beside her to the altar. Her
servant and the three men who were
present were so much occupied about
her, that they scarcely glanced at me;
besides, the light as have said, was
very dim, and my nead was enyeloped
in the fur hood of my travelling pelisse.
In a very few moments we were mar
RED
80 Embrace each other said one Of
the witnesses. NY wife turned her
pale face towards me. For an instant
she gazed as it petrified, then falling
backwards, she exclaimed:
sit is not he! 1t is not he!n
scout of the church / rushed, before
LA1c slSLOLlSnGu S11csb anu InC pL1dbL
party had time to think of arresting my
flight. dumped into the sledge, and
soon left all pursuit behind. 7
:" And, /" said Mari, ibid you ever
ascertain what become Of that poor
Woman?"
"Neyer. 7 did not know the name
of the village where I was married, nor
can I recoleet that of the station where
I last stopped. At that time 50 little
Importance did attach to my criminal
levity, that when all danger of pursuit
was over, I fell asleep in the sledge and
did not awake until found myself at
another station. The. servant whom ]
had with me was. killed i'll battle. SO that
every clue seems lost by which | might
discover the scene Of that folly which |
now expiate so dearly
Mari turned her pale face fully to-
wards him, and seized his hands.
" Whatn' cried Vourmin, ''was it
you?"
.tDon't you recognize mep''
A long and close embrace was the re-
ply.-N. 7. Sunday Times.
Dangers That Patti Encounters.