The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1884-04-26

revenged. De Valmont laughed at
the threat. /, however, determined to
keep an eye ON the actions Of the
young lady. III this resolve, however,
| was foilet, She left Algicrs about a
month after, and | never knew what
become OF hor.
"Nearly four years had passed. since
Eugeno's return, We kept up a con
slant correspondence, and learned of
his marriage and a birth Of one son,
whom he called Lucien. He continu-
ally pressed me to exchange and so
back to France.
"At length got appointed to a
cavalry regiment quarterod in Paris,
and left Algiers to take on my new
duties. Landing at Marseillos, I put
up at The Hotel Castellane, where the
first names | read in the list OF arrivals
were those OF Count and Counters de
Valmont, We met with Joy after our
long separation. Eugene introduced
me to his wife--a lady as lovely as she
was charming-and showed me with
pride his SOMA fine chubby child,
with curly hair, and the splendid blue
eyes of its mother. He simply wcr-
shipped this boy-poor fellow!--and
his life and soul seemed wrapped up
in its being and existence. And now,
as to the sad sequel to my tale.
"'De Valmont was on leave, and at
his wife's desire they were about to
visit italy. Not to fatigue the child
their route was mapped out in short
stages. They were resting two days
at Marseilles before going, to Genoa by
La Cornicho, so l decided to stay and
sec them off,
I'm the afternoon of my arrival, as
the weather was glorious, little Lucier
was sent with his nurse down to the
sea, on that magnificent beach where
the splendid palace of Prado stands
Two hours after this the nurse return
, ed alone, looking like q mad woman
, The eyes were starting out OF her head
and, sobbing and crying, she threw
herself at the countesss feet, and sait
she had lost the child. She and he
charge were playing on the beach
: where they were attracted by the per
formance of some acrobats. A small
7 crowd bad assembled, and the boy Wa
t not out Of her sight for half minute
r On looking around he was gone, an,
she sought him in vain. He SCENE,
= to have been spirited away. She calle'
y his name at the top of her voice, an,
ran up and down the beach until .ex
i hausted. Bystanders who heard he
l. cries helped her in her search bu
il they found nothing"
e "Was Lucien drownod?" asked tn
S sub-lieutenant.
g "This was the question started, bu
g it seemed well nigh impossible: TIL
child could only toddle, and the sc
was too far from the place indicate
st by the nurse. So this hypothesis va
>. given up. The police considered it
e case Of kidnapping, and went to worl
but failed to find a clew. The
d searched for weeks through all til
IS slums OF the city--the low quarter
/ whore the dregs of the populatio
congregate, the scum of the Meditte
3 ranean--but with no success. A d,
If scription Of the child was sent to ever
II consul with orders to make full inquir,
d De Vatmont himself obtained speci
1t leave of absence from the war olfic
and spent a year in trying to solve I'll
i mystery He returned more dead tina
+, alive to bury his wife, whom grief ha
Ell killed.
re CAS- to the colonel, at first he ha
N serious intentions of joining the Ira
:" pists and retiring from the world. 81
T. hope sustains him still. He believe
if his boy is not drowned, that Prov
" dence will take pity ON him and y
restore him. Vain delusion! But v
&c humor him in his hope. He has sin,
devoted his whole life and soul to h
is regiment; but the wound at his hea
never healed, and when it broal
to out afresh he becomes sad and SC
", rowful, and talks about presin
ment
ed LA Severina, believe, has kept h
Ie, word, and wreaked q terrible I
in vengeW
IN Brisac finished his story and wish,
ii. all good night
IN ave have six hours for sleep, n
n boys, and then"
as On the morrow, at the early hour
lg, six o'clock, double line of smoke c
ng tended for distance of two miles
ed each side of the plain The Fren,
sc had brought almost all their guns in
,et action. The Austrian batteries post
to on the opposite hills replied with
well-directed fire. In this artille
er, duel, which lasted for some hours, t
* advantage remained with the Frenc
lis The superiority of the Austrian pc
he ton was more than counterbalanc