The San Antonio light. (San Antonio, Tex.) 1883-1886, 1885-04-15
FLEURETTE.


would eventually be entirely mine, as
my partner, who was growing old and
rich, talked of retiring.
Once or twice in every year had been
down to Dalebury. All was the same
there. John was still unmarried; and
If he said nothing about her, | knew he
had not forgotten the dainty little girl
who had rejected his love. Yet not n
word had Fleurette sent him. She might
be dead or married, for all we knew. |
used often to wonder whether | should
ever meet her again-whether | should
ever learn her secret trouble; for ! felt
that Fleurette's sadness was not so
much from having to give up the hope
of being Johns wife, as from the cause
that compelled her to take that step.
could only hope, and say word now
and then TO encourage John to hope
also.
One day, while snatching n hasty
lunch, was informed that | was want
ed at once. found respectable SER
want waiting for me.
please TO come to my mistress Mt
once, sir said she. "She is taken very
ill, all of a sudden
"Where does she livep' asked. The
servant named a street within a short
distance, and In few minutes was at
the house.
which we term respectable-dull, quiet,
and espectable-small houses on each
side, letting at low rents; rents, most
likely, decreasing rs an old tenant left
and new tenant came in; the sort OF a
place where the falling gentleman and
the rising clerk or workman meet in
their downward and upward course. On
our way asked the servant what had
happened to her mistress.
II found her sitting in her chair, sir,
looking so wild and talking such gibber-
ish, that came for you as fast as l
could"
She led the way to a sitting-room:
mistress was in there when | left; will
you please go in, sirr'
| went in, but no mistress was visible.
! saw with quick glance that the room
was prettily furnished-manyl little fem
mime knick-knacks, lying about. Hang
ing to an easel near the window were
two dead birds, goldlinch and bull
finch, and on the easel stood q China
plate, painted with faithful repre-
sentation of the models.
Decayed gentlefolks," / said TO my
self, as the servants voice, calling me
from above, put an end to all further
speculations. There was evident alarm
| in the girls accents; so hastened up
stairs, and Just inside the door Of bed
a
room saw a woman lying ON the floor
either dead or insensible.
With the servants assistance lifted
her up and placed her on the bed; then
proceeded to ascertain what was the
matter. 1t needed, alasl very little pro-
fessonal skill to determine the prim-
airy cause of her Illness.
had before me one of those sad cases,
unfortunately becoming more and more
common, of drunkenness in one whose
education and station in life should
have raised her far above such vice.
There was no doubt about it. Even If
the odor of the woman's breath had not
told me the truth, l had seen too many
drunken women in my time to be de-
ceived. | could do little to relieve her,
then; and after assuring the frightened
servant that her mistress was in no dam
ger, L placed her comfortably ON the
bed, and gave the girl instructions to
loosen her clothes. As she did so look
ed with pity and some curiosity on the
unhappy woman.
She was lady, evidently-so far rs
the common sense of the word reaches
-delicately nurtured and well dressed,
Her features were pleasing, regnl ar and
refined, yet, in spite of all this, she lay
here victim to the same vice that
urges the brutal collier to pound his
wife to death, and causes the starving
char-woman to overlie her wretched
baby.
l did not like TO expose her weakness
to her own servant, so promised to send
round some medicine, and to look il
again in the evening.
AS stood with the door half open
and turned to give the servant som,
last instructions, a girl passed by IN,
hastily, not even seeming aware of my
presence. Before ! had time to speak
or even to look at her, she had throw
herself on her knees beside the bed, ant
was weeping bitterly over the unfortu
nate woman. Her face as she kneele,
was hidden from me, but | could SCI
her hair was black, and something il
the turn of her graceful figure strucl
me as being familiar.
"Oh, my, poor mammal my poo
mammal" she sobbed out. what shall
do?-again, againl Oh, poor mammal
drew near and said, you need no
be alarmed at your mothers illness; sh
will soon recover"
The girl rose on hearing my voice
She turned round quickly and looked a
me. 10 and behold she was our long
, lost Fleurettel
Fleurette-and, as l could see, eve
u rough her sorrow, as beautiful a
yver | advanced with outstretche
hands; but the girl drew herself up an
waved me aside with the dignity of
: diminutive empress.
} "And so, as you threatened, you hav
intruded upon my privacy. Col wi
never speak to you again"
Miss Dorvaux," answered, almOs
as angry as herself, your servant wi
tell you how happen to be here, an
you will see it is from no wish to il
, trude. am going now, but shall +,
! turn to see my patient this evening
when hope, for the sake of old day
you will give me few minutes COZ
> versatlon."
Then, as Fleurette returned weepin
4 TO her mother, l departed, revolvin
1 many things in my mind, as the write,
D say.
l had found Fleurette ut last. Act
0 ally living within one's-throw of n
!. doorl Perhaps she had lived there ev,
}. since she left Dalebury. Now haviI
found her, what was to do with he
: guessed that had also fathomed Ia
IS mystery. You see, il was only COZ
monplace, vulgar little mystery aft
ala mothers drunkenness the SUI
II total of it. Yet, when thought of Il
o girl giving up her love and bright pro
2, poets for the sake of keeping her mot
er's vice a secret; most likely new
At the outer world bright face that h
d from nearly every one the sorrow of h
# heart-it seemed TO me that our lit
O. Fleurette was something very neal
heroine, after all.
NV first idea was TO telegram TO 10