The Windham County reformer. (Battleboro, Vt.) 1876-1897, 1885-07-31

" mrn,, ~ veu stay. and took seat near ner
La.the Wir SeuVJ yegging her to go on WIN nGt
bo,k, bu tpisshe was too pollte 10 ~. ~ ~
wasayoume6 Beranger's poems anu ~; in n omr
discussia raised as to Berangers rank ~ our
literaturaMiss Anne forgot to be either sny VI
awkwardpd was soon at her best, we wei9
still deep I argument when the door opSiie'u
and Mile Saude came In. She staiteu q , ,'au
on seeing m and the color rose qnickiy III he.
face, she look hands with llttie Nucn Va
embarrassing and talked spasmosically ana
with an evidet effort, and felt my presence
was for once nwelcome to her. lett as soon
as could, feSng sure that something nau
greatly disturH my friend, and wondering
whether she ha already heard what l had
met the two lades at the house OF mutual
acquaintance, andNwas Immediately seizea py
Miss Anne and drawn into quiet corner IN
the doorway between two larger and smaller
drawing rooms. HE girls expressive race
was white with trouble, and her eyes had the
look of hunted animal.
"Have you heard :" she inquired in a sort Of
fierce undertOne. "Have you heard what
dreadful, wicked things people .Sref saying OF
Claude-Claude who Is as much above them
as-as-" Here she broke down, and the
sentence ended with sob.
| began half evasive reply, but she stopped
"You have heard! can see it in your face
How dare they How dare they Do you
know M de Latourelle himself began the
report. He said some horrid thing at the club
or party, or somewhere aug people TOOK ~
go that | should like to kill him." she cried
through her little clinchea teeth. was almost
afraid of her she looked sp pretty and yet so
unlike herself; her slight bgure was trembling
with suppressed passion. We were half hid
den by a curtain, in front OF which were two
chairs. As racked my Drains for some way
of calming Miss Anne1he sound OF English
Voices drew near, and their owners, a young
and an elderly lady, seated themselves within
esrshot. They were in the middle OF an ami.
mated conversation, which had evidently ex'
cited the elder lady's indignation ..sl.
81 tell you, my DEAR" she said IN loie
which positively bristled with outraged pro-
priety, dit is perfectly true, and 40 wGnae CT
meet us. Happily, don't see M dc Latourelle
here, or 1 should make some excuse and leave
the house, though l would rather meet MN
than her. Really society is SO lax nowadays
that one is afraid to 60 anywhere for fear OF
meeting some doubtful person.!
felt Miss Harland clutch my arm
"Don't move % she whispered fierceiy:
"Well, but, dear Lady Maxton," reJolned the
other lady more gently, "yof zee, dare say,
Mr. Henderson doesn't believe these stories
against Miss Maryon; he is great friend OF
hers. If were he l should call M de Latour-
ellie out and challenge him, and there would be
an end of The scandal"
"My dear Alice, how absurd As If an Eng
lishman like Mr. Henderson would do such an
immoral thing as fight duel, And what good
would it do even if he did None at all
4of course ] know It wquIa DC No. go9g I'm IN
EnS GLAND, tbut here-a ieIs, co ap,, re"km.
Der that silly little Nine de Papilon and tne Ie,
mendous canard there was about ner nItallon
with the little Italian Marquis her orolner
called him out and wounded him, ana every
)ne's conscience was satlshed lhat sne WAS au
blurred woman should certainly call the
,omte out If were a friend of Miss Maryon's;
The has no relation to do it,"
At this moment gentleman Joined the ladies'
Ind the conversation took the usual turn OF
,olite remarks about the weather, etc. and LETT |
Il ademoisele Claude's affairs alone for the mo
nent.
mile of angry contempt upon her lips. She |
walked away from the curtain into the emaller |
Dom, which was quite empty, and faced me With |
look of determination and hope.
"That girl was right-sone one must call the |
om,e out will ask Mr. Henderson myself to-
light" she cried. AS if to favor her intention
our host followed us into the little room,
man Oh luf., live or thereabout,, with cold
greeable manners and good deal OF converse
Ional power, clever journalist and writer OF
ONE valuable papers on political economy.
'oward Miss Harland his manner was always /
emily paternal, and he was one of the few peo-
lie she tai ked to with confidence and ease.
"Mr Henderson, she said, going up TO MIN
nd LAYING her hand on his arm with an appeal
lg gesture that brought softer look into his
npassive face, 'Mr Henderson, will you do
le great service Please, please don't refuse
he y
"My dear yonng lady, anything l can do for
GU will do with great pleasure. Do you want
le to publish something for you 2 he said,
lrning with smile to me.
"Oh no." she cried, impatently, "nothing so
nall as that Iwant you to save Claude from
lese scandal mongers, these people who are
lying such horrid things about her, such
licked lies You know what mean and who
is. l want you so much to call ont M de
atourelle and make him ashamed OF himself.
on WILL won't you !"
"My dear child,' cried the astonished jour-
Hist, "you don't know what you are asking.
e don't fight about such things nowadays;
andal is lived down, not fought down."
"That may be all very we'll in England, but
III know it isn't trde here" appealed Miss
1ne, unconsciously quoting her mentor. "They
hit for the smallest slight to honor, and l
low it would put stop to everything; over.
ard some one say so. Do think OF Claude
link what it will mean to her; what it does
can to her! Why, she is quito ill ever since
e heard 1t yesterday at Mrs Brewers. She |
Id her of it 'out Of Kindness you know"
e seemed" turning swiftly to me. "She had
st heard the report when she came in and saw
III. OH what shall do? What can do 7"
lie wrung her hands together, and her voice
d wall OF anguish in it that moved me mex.
essibly.
Mr. Henderson was touched. He took her
nds in his and said, very warmly for him - I
Gnr,ft Y |
II do all can to put a stop to these reports, I
ough l can't fight for you" =
MISS Anne drew her hands from his with a
lex movement OF despair and rushed out of
room. Mr. Henderson turned to me. \
Il am very sorry for the poor child" he said \
asely, "Dnt the worst Of it is that, though there
not word of truth in the scandal, there has
en- good deal OF imprudence and it won't be d
sy 10 stop peoples mouths. De Latourele &
es about limiting at his conquest with his {
nal graceful cynicism, confound him And | C
get nothing out of him but elevated eve | S
ows and ambiguous replies. e
we moved into the next room again as he u
)ke, and looked eagerly for Mile Claude. d
she was nowhere 10 be seen. She must \
We lett Just as we came In, for saw no more 4
her or Miss Anne that evening. I
III.
As walked home from Mr. Hendersonss a u
ned the whole affair of DE Latourelle and y
lie Claude over in my mind; had an idea, y
determined If possible to carry it out. Why 3
'uld not l be the champion Of my friends r.
nor and challenge the Comtei The more I | IL
ught of it the more fired was my imsgina- n
I with the plan. Miss Annie was right; Mile | a,
ude was really i'll with the pain OF her pres in
position; her voice had a hard ring In il, 7
her manner was feverish and uncertain. 1 n,
noticed this even in the few moments be- ~
had been carried off by Miss Anne. A w
It constituencies to praise or blame was a | 70
rked feature in Mile Claude's character and ~
-oof OF her very womanly nature; it was SO
,nsistent with her defiance OF little social con-
knew now that she was suffer- 70