Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1886-03-31

Sand afterwards?" / hissed through
my teeth.
Madeleine had never spoken. She
kept looking at me in terrified man.
ner.
''But we will ask Ia cheyenne her
wishes. Madeleine" 1 said quietly,
will you marry this MANI"
Fool, mailman that 1 was, L did not
zee that the poor child thought that to
refuse was to give this man to deathl
For second she stood with her hands
claSped, looking at him, looking at m e
with terror in her poor gentle eyes, in
her blanched face. But the blood was
in my head; L could not understand.
'Answerl" said sternly.
One more glance at me, the meaning
of which 1 was such dolt that / could
not read, and then she said, with tol,
erable firmness-
'Yes, Twill marry him."
L glanced at my comrades; they had
quite understood my diabolical scheme.
In those wild days men never waited
for events; what they willed they exc
cuted with all speed. Before the even
ing Madeleine was Comtesse de Valla.
She was hurried home then, and the
count was taken away. She asked no
questions; she thought she had saved
this man and done her duty. She never
saw his face again. Before two days
had passed she was a widow; and it was
my task to tell her and Mademoiselle
Adele of the counts death. felt my
revenge was too complete when l broke
I tha 70 rkAr- in, oI,
others arms, and thought she mourn
ed her lover.
did not see much of the two girls
after this, although they were my daily
thought and care. After some time
got them out of Paris. Things had
| quieted down at Lanon, and, though
the interior of the Chateau was wreck
ed, no one opposed their going thither
and it was the best place for them.
They never suspected that l had been
connected with the counts death.
More than year had passed away.
The carnage was at an end, and the
people of France had yielded them
selves to a leader.
We were in the garden, Madeleine
and L; and she had been talking of our
young days, of Hortense, of our good
bye in the little garden on that winter
night. Her eyes were alight with the
sweetest expression, and she held my
hand. rose to my feet suddenly, and
my blood seemed to turn cod and cur
die in my veins.
"Madeleine," said-and her name
half choked me-''yoa must know all
the truth-it is time. L cannot sit By
your side or touch your hand till you
know all: l have loved you passionate
ly since we were boy ard girl together;
but my italian blood runs hot in my
veins. These infamous COUSINS of mine
were the first to make me dlstrust you.
l thought, boy though l was at the
tine, that you were tiattered by the
counts attentions and loved him; 50
would not speak,
paused; but Madeleine said not a
word. There was a soft flush On her
cheek and strange look of happiness
in her eyes. What did it mean?
"Oh, how l loved you all through
that fever in Parisl But knew you
had only sisters loyJ to give me-
When the count came, | left you free.
L was too proud to interfere. If you
loved him, how could help il? L was
only a poor workman; he was great
noble"
Before l could say another word, she
rose to her feet, her eyes full of tears.
"Ah, my well-beloved, )" she exclaIm-
ed, with sob, 81 have never loved but
youip
Then she bent towards me, as though
to lay her head upon my shoulder.
swat little" said; ''ycu must
lear the end. / was outside the door
on the last day the co1nt was with you
the day of your marrigae. l heard
what he said. Knew he wanted to be-
tray you to sacrifice you. thought in
my madness he had already done SO,
and was possessed by Il fiend. L swOre
to myself that lie should do you justice,
that you should be legally his wife.
Well, it was done, but you did not hear
the words that spoke to the men be-
hind me. They were only two little |
words-'And afterwards?' Do you un-
derstand?" continued savagely. 'You !
know what Paris was in those days, |
and how death walked the streets ready |
for any one. He was waiting for Count |
Horace, was ready when he beckoned. |
Do you understands Irepeated. 1.-THE |
count died, ypLr good name was re-
trIeved, and was avengedr'
4 great silence fell on us both. How |
long it lasted 1 knew not. 1t was Mad |
eleine who broke it; she spoke quickly, |
feverishly-
"You planned the counts deathl 1 |
can't believe it. You pretended to save |
him when you knew lie was to diel Did |
you not see how L trusted to you to I
save him? He and Adele had been |
kind to me all my life. / had lived near |
them, and he was betrayed through me |
at the lastl 1t is horriblel What did |
it matter if he wanted to he my lover |
and tempted meP He was fa- above ne |
and only offered what thousands of men |
offer poor girls. How dared you think |
that | would yield to him2 Was l not |
as pure, as good as any girl? YOu-yOu |
who were the companion of my child |
hood and knew me and Hortense, you |
were as eyil-minded as any of the vii
lage gossips! You-you whom l al
ways loved!'
She burst into passion of tears. i |
approached her; how could help il? l |
touched her hand.
"Oh. Madeleine, if had but known |
you loved me-if L had but knowDP'
She sprang away from me, and her |
tears seemed all dried up by the fire of |
her eyes.
''Dc not touch me, do not come near
me; your love is base. is not tie love of |
a man, but of a fiendl To know that |
the count was going TO his death when
he married me; to gain position, wealth
for me, and kill him afterwards! Ineyer /
loved him; married him because |
thought it my duty to save the family
which had protected me all my life;
and you stood by and never spoke
wcrd to stop me How did ! know
YOU loved me? was alone in the world
all I knew was that you distrusted ne.
How did knowP And then-and then
you came when the count was dead,
and we thought you so good and kind
-ahl"
"I do not defend myself" l said, in
the sunken voice of despair. "The love |
which ought to have made me a goo1
man made me a cruel one. Only one