Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1885-04-17
,ntr All, Monsieur say that you will
nen
I will come, since Mademoiselle wishes it.

mgntr All, Monsieur say that you will
comeln
81 will cone, since Mademoiselle wishes it,
Rut-n
''That is enough" she said; s'let us not lose
moment. I was unwilling to leave her
even TO come.to you. The agents of police
were with us this afternoon. All, it has been
terrible"
1 felt the poor ladys hand shake in mine asI
led her down the dark stair. At the outer
door gave her my arm; it was now freezing
hard, and the pavement was like glass.
Neither Of US spoke another word; with the
thought that was in our MINDS what, indeed,
could be said?
AS we left the house, No. 2S Rue Dauphine,
a man who had been standing in the shadow
Of q passage opposite crossed the street and
followed us. I noticed this, and, taking the
change Of looking hack at the street corners,
saw the man always behind U.s. keeping lis in
view. He took the opposite siee of the Rue
de POdeon, and was almost abreast of us
when we reached Madame Dumaine's door.
There he walked very slowly, almost stop
ping. Evidently the police were taking an
Intelligent interest in my movements
Madame Du1naine's shop was No. s Rue de
TOdeon; over the door was painted in white
letters-"Glove Cleaner" Madame was of a
respectable family; her late husband, a mer-
chant in the Faubourg st. Honore, had met
with losses; at his death bis widow had found
herself poor. Obliged to earn livelihood in
some way, she had taken little shop in the
Rue de FOdeons with parlor behind, and
had struggled hard to form connection as
glove cleaner. The struggle had not been
very successful; Madame Dumaine and her
daIJChtnr 7opat-hanInd nd ind,
as they were, had to starve themselves
in order to pay the rent. Then Ga
b1ielle went on the stage. She was a singu-
larry beautiful girl, and believe might have
made almost greatactress. Beginning with
soubrette parts in one of the Boulevard
theatres, she was earning salary of So francs
week when first she met Raoul Girard be-
hind the scenes. Raoul was writing theatrical
critics for LIE Drame, hence his presence
there. l think they fell in love with each
other at first sight; know, at all events,
that Raoul did. Gabrielle had many admir-
ers; but shewas as good as she was beautiful,
and when she accepted Raoul she at once left
the stage. know that Raoul had not asked
her to do this, as he said to me himself he had
10 right to demand such a sacrifice: it was
her wonan's instinct that led her to make it.
They had been betrothed now for nearly two
years, and were to be married as soon as
Raoul had passed his final examination for
the bar, andwas making an income that could
at all be depended ON.
It was familiar place to me, that little
shop in the Rue de rOdeon, with the rows of
gloves in the window and on the counter, and
the faint odor of benzine that hung about it.
had spent many merry evenings, along with
Raoul, in the little parlor behind. Now all
was dark and silent, as if sorrow worse
than death had entered there. I entered the
room with extreme reluctance, for cannot
bear, OF all things, to see a woman cry, and
expected to find Gabrielle in tears. But
was wrong.
She came forward to meet me without Civ
ing me her hand, and looked me straight in
the eyes. Her face was pale, but bore no
traces of weeping She carried herself
nrOldlV like q nuenn. tharo 1rac q +o,.oI, 81