The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1885-02-14
HATKONA'S STORY.
From the Paris Figaro.

loved MT. still wore mourning for him.
Ny daughter was FIVE years old. We
Were both visiting some country friends,
at the home of old Madame Matouchka,
whom YOU all know, and who lived about
twelve versts from Moscow She had de-
termiGed to get married again; and in the
hope of maturing her designs he had in
vitud me TO pass the first bali Of the au-
tumn season at her place.
The only circumstances which could
have Justified anybody in speaking to me
Of - second marriage was that all my Tor
tuae had been invested in certain manu-
featuring enterprises once very lucrative,
but at the time l speak Of gradually
diminishing in financial Importance
through the lack Of firm and skillful man
agemcnt.
lad not been in the country residences
/ spoke Of quite twentyfour hours when
q II nd Of my hostess came to ask her
hosI Ja}ity-a Ffenchman, quite hand
some Young fellow, and highly educated,
q ..aduuJe OF the Ecole Cen,,aIe. Ial-
ways liked the French, regarding their
pgolestations as altogether sincere. They
axe quite charming, too the desert OF the
human sDe les, OF certainly the entremets.
At least | now tell you what | used to
think Of them in those days Still | had
always been told that while the French
make the most adorable lovers in the
whole world, they make the most esecra-
bic husbands imaginable. Such were our
ideas in Russia.
Well, this young man, NJ. Ciaud Mar
billot, had completed his studies with the
highest houors, and only needed small
financial star: in order to make a fortune.
Madame Malouchka, who wished him
we'll, Immediately thought OF me. did
not Immediately comprehend my danger,
and exposed myself to it with absolute
innocence.
NJ Mar5iilot rode very well indeed; We
used to take our hours ride through the
country every morning.
NJ MarOilIot sang quite agceeably; our
evenings were spent at the piano in the
execution Of duets.
NJ Marbillot knew a host Of fairytales
and children games-the funniest things
conceivable. He could cut out paper
men As well as anybody, and was never
afraid to sc down on all fours in order to
play at Wolf" nv little daughter would
cry if she passed five or six hours without
seeing HIM.
NJ Marbil0t was in constant CORES
pondence with the most eminent euCin~
GERS and scientists in the whole world
Every morning at breakfast time, when
the mail was brought to him he would
Amrediy glance at the envelopes and ez-
claim: ITS from that dear Old De Les
ceps, or: cat last!-heTe is the reply
Of nv friend Edison, or: Here IS a
note from my dear friend Pasieur"
So finally, one day Madame MatouchEs,
doubtless thinking l had become sutt1-
GENTLY fascinated, said to ne;
-"Haikona, there's Just the husband
you want;-you viii never be able to inc
a better one. That young Franchman j.
jus, charming, very charming think; anC
so well educated and so full of good pos,
tive practical knowledge He needs only
one thing to make him perfect;-a nice
wife like you. Why he swears By your
name; he is always talking about tn,
beautiful HaikOna, And if YOU have a
much good common sense as you hav,
charms and fine qualities, your weddin-
Will be celebrated in less than a month.
Now this brusquc attack upon MT
proved a very unfortunate thing for Mad
anne Mgtouchka's protege 1t suddenly
illuminated the path had been uucou'
sclouslv travelling. | was thoroughly
frightened when I found how far | haC
gone already, and still more frightened
when I reflected how few steps there re
NAMED for me to take in order to becom
Madame Marbillot.
From that moment the combat pro
ceedcd with all batteries unmasked. tn
p0stuant openly declared his pretensions
The old lady became absolutely annoying
At first l eudeavored to call to my al
the memory Of my dead husband Bu
this plan | was soon obliged 20 give uE
for the good reason that such seniimen
tai proceeding naturally provoked CON
parsons which were all to the atyantag
Of the new Conner. There is no bette
trump card in the wooers game than tn
mere TACT that be Is playing against dea
man
Finally one day, being pushed to th
last extremity, l demanded to be LEI
alone for twentyfour hours in order to fc
feet calmly about the matter and make
decision. 1t was previously agreed upo
that in case Of refusal, NJ Marble
should leave at once without asking fC
reasons.
| must confess | was ycIj much pgZ
lied The hands Of the clock seemed t
run around the dial with crazy swif,ness
there were much fewer seconds in thos
minutes, l thought, than ordinary mir
utes
At eleven o'clock went to bed,
though, as you may suppose, had not Il
least feeling Of sleeplincsz! My lit
daughter slept in q Cradlc-quitc close
nv bed. She was five years old 90.
think | Told you so before.
At this very moment ] can see tn
room again jlst as plainly IS if ! were
1.-THE watch light that djmly illumiI
ated the cham0er;-the windows, lool
Ing out upon the park, their lower pan
darkeued by the silhouettes Of shrubbcl
without; their upper portion showing
grey sky speckcd with stars. The pc
traits nailed to the wall look at each oti
er smilingly as though they wished to 81
good night" before closing their eyeli
of canvass or paper. can still hear Il
tic-tac of that clock, aud the regul
breathing of my little girl.
Perhaps had been weighing the pr
and cons of my dilemma for about tw
hours, when turning suddenly on my sid
toward the edge of the bed, said to N.
self
MOI will never give my child
step father.
Just then Il am telling you the trutl
l saw,-Andre, my dead husband, SIN
ing at me, standing between the bed al
the wall. recognized the dress he wo
on the day met him for the first tim
His face did not look unpleasant; and +
first impulse was to hold out my arms
him.
But when saw him approaching n
tben-ahi dame,-fear seized me: anC