St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-07-01
THE LOVE CHAMBER.
i Shall BE Faithful to Him as
Though Were His Widow.

me impregnated with sharp saline odors.
Before ME the ocean unrolled its waves
upon the fine sand, like a green serpent
prOlonging its shining coils in the sun.
Behind me was the cliff, with its gray fis-
sures, whence jutted out here and there the
trunks of sickly trees, brambly growths,
and meager furze-plants. Sloping inward
almost below the foot of the cliff, yawned
a mysterious cavern, spacious grotto
dark and cool.
/ was seized by that unaccountable emo
ton with which nature inspires those alone
with her, when hand slapped my Shout
der, and laughing voice exclaimed:
How do you find yourself this morn
ing?"
1t was the old college friend had umex-
pectedly met the evening before-Gabriel
F, naval lieutenant.
''You must have found your way here
by instinct, he continued. perhaps you
never suspected that tragedy occurred in
this very place where we now are?"
"a tragedy-here?"
Eyes, in that very grOtto. 1t has be-
come famous. The country folks call it
The Love Chamber l knew of the ro-
nance at the very time when its characters
performed their parts. Light cigaret and
lit me tell it to yon."
Il listen"
At the time I am telling you about there
was pretty girl at Biarritz named Pasca-
line--a Basque about Is years of age, tall
and slight-with that peculiar grace so
characteristic of those 1.-THE mountain
women. Her black hair cleaned under the
yellow silk handkerchief which she always
wore fastened about her head in the most
coquettlSh style imaginable. Her ruby
Inns SLIGHTLY cercIouS SboNUad OF a.,arxr
smile rows Of delicate white teeth. Pasca-
line was dresSmaker and supported her
father, a great big man, half paralyZed,
who lived in perpetual revery and rarely
spoke except to reply with some peculiarly
vague Spanish prOverb to any question put
to him. PaScaline adOred the old man and
took care of him like child. SO folks
used always to say, ''Pascaline will GER
tainly do well Oh account of the way she
takes care of her father" Anyhow she
had chance either way-to do well or
badly; for she had two admirers. One was
Noise Dunez, rich, old and ugly, who
offered her fine social position. The
other was Maxine Sarrabeyrous, poor,
young and handsome, who offered her his
heart. Maxine was said to be profess
siOnal guide in the Pyrenees. He was really
a smuggler. And as was only right, Pas
caline loved WASHINGTON love always calls
for love.
Such was the state of affairs for several
months. Noise Dunez would often stop at
the store and scratch his nose, and gravely
observe:
Il can give you fine social position,
Pascaline-a fine social position
loAnd she would always reply:
'You are very kind and good, NJ. Noise,
but | love Maxine"
And old Noise would go off, grumbIing
to himself:
She'll change her mind after while;
she'll change her mind"
But things at last came to such a point
that some decision had to be made. The
two young lovers often took long walks
along the cliff, and people gossiped about it
great deal Unfortunately they were very
poor. A dreSSmaker cannot save very
much, especially if she has father to sup
port; and smugglers have their dull seas
Ons. But it is a very fine profession for all
that Poor as they were, however, they
loved each other so much that they went
TO old Father Pascal one morning, hand in
hand, and said:
''We love each other and we want to get
married"
slowly responded:
possess" Net us be of the few
The lovers knelt down before him, and
he blessed them. The betrothal was ac-
cOmplished. Pascaline accompanied the
youth to the usual scene of their promen-
ade; and that evening they remained out
on the cliffs very, very late. AS the young
Basque girl was returning home full of
happiness. with the JOY of love swelling in
her heart, she met Noise Dmez, who OBJ
served very gravely, scratching his nose as
usual:
81 offer you a fine social position, Pasca-
line-a fine social position"
She answered.:
''You are very good and kind, NJ Noise:
but Maxine Sarrabeyrous and I have ar
ranged everything for the best this even
ing"
And old Noise went off, muttering as he
always did: She'll change her mind after
while-she'll change her mind,'
A few days later Maxine was offered a
splendid chance to make a snug little sum-
A whole cargo of goods was to be Struggled
into Guipuzcoa. The young contraban-
dista was full Of confidence, but the
weather was bad. All day and all night a
mighty wind was blowing from the sea;
and the sailors muttered in fear: 1T is
our Lady Of Guadalupe passing byr'-Our
the green eyes, who, when she passeth by.
taketh with her in her CHASTITY flight all who
are belated upon the vast gray sea.
Il will return in eight days" said
Maxine SarraybeTouS, as he kissed the red
lips of his sweetheart.
But the eight days passed, and then a
month-twO mOnths-three months went
by, and without any news of the handsome
cOntrabandista. Pascaline cried from
morning until night. As soon as her work
was done she would hurry to the cliff. To
remain there for long hours at a time. with
eyes fixed upon the Spanish coast Ali
had she only been free, how swiftly would
she not have departed in search of her be-
trothed, beyond the mountains towering
between her and love! But she could not
go; she must support the aged father.
One night a cruel rumor came
that Maxine had been killed by the custom
house officerS-the gabelous. And in fact.
whole year passed without further news
of him.
MiSfortuneS never come singly-One night
the little store took fire and burned down:
no one knew how the thing happened. Pas
caline and her father were ruined-Moise
Dunez, their ueighbor, had escaped with
his usual good luck; his house was moi
even scorched. But he did not dare ap-
preach the pretty Basque any more. know
ing she would say to him: You are very
kind, N. Noise, but l shall wait for Max
ime Sarrabeyrous. He will come back. !
am sure. But if he should not come back.
/ shall be faithful to him as though l were
his widow. And l am a good girl-re-
solved to make my own living" Yes. she
was good, brave girl-poor Pascaline; es-
pecially brave and good, considering how
unhannv her situation fter har little