The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1885-12-31
DUVAL'S NEW YEAR.
A Happy French Marriage of Pure
Love.

A carriage and pair, with servants in
green liveries, the whole concern somewhat
frayed and worn in its magnificence, drov
in one summer afternoon to the old town
of SaintJean-sur-Loir. The dark, narrow
streets were full of life; the place before
the cathedral was crowded with stalls
carts umbrellas and people. On the ca
thedral steps two stout citizens in white
waistcoats were standing, each of then
umbrella in hand, talking over with some
excitement the last news from Parasitic
possibility of war, for this was market-day
in the first week of July, 1870;
There were four people in the carriage; a
little pale lady in black, with an elderly
Able beside her, who talked to her unceas
lngiy, and two young men smartly dressed,
esff Tor q visit OF ceremony. One of these
seemed plunged in gloom. Though hand
some, he was not nearly u a pleasant
object as his brother, who smiled a great
and sometimes made a joke in a low
voice. Perhaps his jokes had malice in
them, which naturally made them un-
Paiatable to the gloomy one. Forinstance,
the lively brother drew attention to those
" worthless on the cathedral steps.
Loo Charles, quick, there is your
AOWACQ oStoIcly. 1uSu, 1
believe it isi' he said, in a tone of horror.
b he is He sees us; he is coming"
the Able was saying at the same moment
70 the lady beside him. "Come, come,
Charles, NJ. Duval is an excellent man"
The Able showed a little irritation. Nine.
De Mesnil threw a glance at her son, in
which anger and amusement and pity were
oddly mixed together.
D you see, Charles?" she said. "There
Is NJ. Duval."
az see NJ. Duval, mother,n replied the
melancholy Charles.
The carriage stopped and M. Duval came
up to it, his red face beaming, his shiny hat
nourished away from his shiny bald head.
and complimenting. 1t was the Abbe's
business to fuse these discordant elements,
these families of noble and bourgeois, which
were about to ally themselves for mutual
benefit. The Able, from his position I'M
derstood beth sides, loved both, was angry
with both.
After some talk, in the eyes of all the
edmiring market, the two young men got
out of the carriage and NJ. Duval was
obliged to obey Mme. De Mesnil by getting
in. The Able gave him his place. It was a
fine event for the fat little citizen to lash
through his native streets by the side of a
Countess. This was the reward of a good
Catholic, q Legitimist, SO long solitary
among all the Republican and 1mperialist
The young men meekly followed their
mothers carriage through the streets and
out into the suburb of st. Martin, where all
the rich and fashionable people lived.
Charles made no attempt to escape from
his fate, though he had several chances of
doing SO.
'This poor demoiselle will find Mesnil q
desperately dull place, after all the attrac-
lions OF her town. remarked Louis, as they
passed some public gardens where q band
wa playing opera music.
There will be money" said Charles,
trinity .sShe can live where she pleases
and 3D. ], too shall live where I please"
u hope not. hope she will prefer Trou-
vile, or Biarritz. with Paris in the intervals.
The gayer she is the better l shall be
pleased. The less 1 see of her the happier
i shall be. A person who wishes to live
with us at the chateau-a person brought
endurance
IN. Duvalis a good Catholic, a steady old
FELLOW. 1 fear she may be respectable"
mo, no. In that case I shall refuse to
marry her, !" said the Comte De Mesnil.
only smiled, for he was used to his
brother. He was sorry for him, too, though
he laughed at his oddities. This poor
Charles was one of the quietest and most
studious young men in France. When not
buried among his books he was to be found
straying alone among the shady alleys of
the park, or in the woods that clothed the
hills about the chateau. He generally car
ried a gun, but never shot anything. In
the evening he would brighten ..p and en-
terrain his mother with all sorts of odd
fancies: He was perfectly happy and
wanted no change. But this sort of life
could not go on forever. The family was
very poor; the chateau was falling to ruins.
Charles must marry and he must marry an
heiress to retrieve their fallen fortunes.
They soon came to M. Duval's house.
standing back from the road in a small En-
glish garden, with rows of geraniums and
groups of tall, elegant shrubs. In the draw
sitting in a circle of armchairs with foot
stools before them, and here and there a
plant with great red leaves reflected in the
shining floor. The two young men took
their places in the background behind their
mothers chair. She, the Able, and M. and
Mime. Duval were quite equal to keeping up
the talk, which flowed in a sparkling stream.
Charles n Louis had nothing to do but to
use their eyes, which they did without
scruple, not a grimace of poor Nine. Duval's
scaping them. She was a dark, thin
woman, with a long nose and eager eyes.
Most likely, in ordinary life, she was a sensi-
BILE person in fact, people said that M.
DuvaI'ss success was greatly owing to her
prudent management. But just now her
head was a little turned, like her husbands.
She was full of airs and compliments, and
made odd Jumps and bounces now and
then, as If she would have darted across to
kiss Mime. De Mesnil's hand: but that little
lady's cool business-like manner seemed to
discourage any such outburst.
Behind her parents, a curious contrast,
sat Mile. Barbe Duval, a tall, round, soft
looking girl, with a pale complexion n
large brown eyes, and a quantity of fair
hair frizZed over cushions. Apparently she
thought the occasion serious. She sat mo-
~tionless, very grave, without a CLEAN of life
or fun anywhere about her. Once she lifted
her eyes and stole a look at Charles across
the circle. Unfortunately she met his eyes
quite full, fixed intently upon her, on which
she dropped hers and gazed at the bach 81
her mothers chair.
This visit had been arranged on purpose
that the young people mightmee and make
acquaintance with each other, all the open-
their parents with the help of the
Able. The consent of the two most inter.
ested was now the only thing wanting, and
that was a matter of form.
Barbe, like a sensible, honest girl, set a
very fair value on herself, and in her com
Portable home, with all its luxuries, cor
scious, too, of satisfaction from its many
1ooking-glasses, did not at all feel as if she
was being lifted from the dust to a throne.
By and by, she hardly knew how, she
found herself with Charles in the garden.
They were walking slowly along an alley
of lime trees, commanded by one of the
drawing-rOom Charles carried
his hat in his hand; Barbe also was bare.
Co4Oa oOhAO " bAOJA i6o aooA
ing to say to each other. Charles, knowing
what was before him, had prepared speeches
for several varieties of little bourgeoise, but
not one of them would suit Mile. Duval; she
was too serene, too natural, too grave
Charles was not sure that she was not toe
handsome and too charming. These doubts
were no comfort to him, however; they up
set all his arrangements. A woman like
this would interfere with him terribly. She
could never be packed off to amuse herself
at a watering place, or bundled AVA. into
some corner at home. What was to be done
with here Charles felt savage and bit the
top of his cane.
"What do you think about the war, mon
sieurl". said Barbe, in a calm sweet voice
edo you wish for it2"
"Yes, mademoiselle, with all my heart
We are sure to beat the Prussians. Besides
one can volunteer q ave b chance Of
dying In q satisfactory way" .
Chatses spoks. With . sort OF dssperat.
gfnanfsst n did net srrssr 70 stsaks