Butte semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1886-1890, 1886-12-01
pAUtA'S WAY

@!s - 4.
At IS wears of ago her little girl friends
used to hear her say:
~ am an abyss; when I look into myself I
get dizzy; I feel myself as If drawn to the
verge Of a gulf"
Sometimes she fell prey to long fits Of
black melancholy. At other times she would
indulge in a veritable frenzy Of joy, seek
ing ali tho noise and excitement possible,
ami divining within her soul the existence Of
a something which never could be satisfied.
The doctors explained this singular mental
and physical condition by atavism. Her
mothers woman of the world of the endi-
ablee sort-had died at 81, completely worn
out by balls, races, summer s~ojourns at water
ing places, charity balls and benefits, anna
teur theatricals-in short, by the whole mad
life Of modern society. The end of her grand
mother had been even more tragical. While
out at night with a hunting party given in
her honor, in a forest especially Illuminated
for the occasion, she mistook a narrow river
for a road, and urged her horse into the icy
stream in the very heat of his course. They
buried her four days later. And it was the
great-grandmother Of Paula who, being
brought before the parchment de Bordeaux on
the charge of having attempted to poison her
husband (who was present at the trial, by the
way, replied:
"Strong in my innocence, I demand that
monsieur be opened forthwith"
Her great-great-grandmother on the mater
nal side-but no! As Jean de Rieux said, one
could trace tho whole history of this family
back to the C~rusades. and, nevertheless, find
in every single generation some representative
who outraged the laws of life.
And insomuch as only broken down and
half crazy gentlemen ever marry such
mothers, it was not to be wondered at that
the last of the Sambreceur should nave dis
tinguished herself by various incoherent
actions from the time of her earliest youth.
The very day that sounded tho trumpet
flourish of her 18th year, Paula INDUCED in
some more or less shocking prank at the con-
vent in which her guardian had left her.
T~hree-quarters Of m hour later pretty Paula,
escorted by a nun, was driven in a hack back
to the Kersec residence.
Wealthy, advanced in years and a bache-
lor, NJ. de Kersec, Paula's guardian, had
reached that period in life in which prudent
men usually settle down. But he wa q gen.
tleman excessively fond Of society and its
pleasures; and he understood that with such
a young niece upon his hands he would be
compelled to live like q hermit. And the mere
thought of it made him terribly angry.
$50 it seems" he cried out, ''that you are a
perfect little wretch.'~
Pretty Paula smiled, which exasperated her
guardian still more.
"Luckily," he said, s'there still remains the
Convent of the Birds"
"My dear uncle" replied the expelled girl,
II do not really know whether it is or is not
lucky that the Convent Of the Birds exists;
but don't try to cage mt up there, because l
simply won't stay"
"Then you want to get marriedW said the
guardian, without attempting to conceal his
intense desire to get pretty Paula away some
place or other-no matter where.
"Me! I don't know anything about it."
"Bu. if I should find a good husband for
you, would you take him"
"No"
"Why?"
because 1 certainly intend to find a bus
band for myself"
but, mademoiselle, you forget one thing"
"Whatw
"1udG you are pOOI.
"My uncle, you forget another thing"
"Indeed"
"And that is that a gentleman never says
such things"
$50 you want to teach me already! Well,
to cut it short, will you marry-yes or nor
marry who?"
"Guy de Servieres."
"Pray, who is this Guy de-"
"One of my friends"
"About your age!' asked Paula in a tone of
such prodigious insolence that N. de Kersec
fairly lost his temper.
"Mademoiselle," ne said, "you positively
annoy me. You nave been imagining, no
doubt, that I was going to bother myself with
your silly little personality, and that I was
going to give up all my habits of thirty years
standing just to chaperon you here and there.
Now, here is what l intend to do with you:
This very day you shall be placed under the
surveillance of a governess-an old goverpess,
an ugly governess, an English governess.
Fifteen days from now you will make the ac-
q%uaintance OF Guy de Servieres. You shall
marry him within another month Or else I
will disinherit you"
"Absurd!' exclaimed Paula with supreme
im%pertinence.
Fifteen days later NJ. de Kersec informed
his niece that NJ. de Scrvieres desired the
honor of being introduced to her. Paula
sent back word thatGuy might carry his
homage elsewhere. and that she did not wish
to see him. The furious guardian rushed off
to his notary and had a will drawn up by
which Mile. de Sanibrecnur was completely
disinherited. Then, as if to put the climax
A. l:..a,,o-:kx- L. I:>1 - a. -
reason of a particularly i%mprudent supper.
When the inflexible uncle was under ground
Mile. de Sambrecnur and NJ. Guy Servieres
were both summoned at the same time to the
office of Mr.. Grappin, notary, to hear the
of the will. It contained only about
six lines, but these were deplorably concise:
"This day, the 18th day of juno, 1881, I,
jean Yves Hector de kelsec, being of sound
mind and body, do by this, my last will and
testament, appoint NJ. Louis Gabriel Guy de
my sole heir, to the exclusion of all
relatives, known or unknown.
"KERsEC."
Having read this document MIR. Grappin
looked at the two parties over his nose
Guy was pale as death. Pretty
Paula smiled imperturbably.
"The fortune of NJ. do kersec," continued
the notary, amounts in all to 2,360, 900"
"Spare us the centimes," exclaimed Paula,
still mockingly. "My uncle and guardian
doubtless planned all this comedy, in which l
play so poor a part, with the idea that l
would run after NJ. de Servieres in order to
get back the 1000, 600, etc. He made q mis-
take. Let the sole heir pocket his money.
My pride is enough for me-"
As she spoke Mile. do Sambrecpur looked
in the face Of her uncle's friend,
whom she now saw for the first time. And
he was not only not so old as the baron, but
did not even appear to be yet so, and had all
appearance of a highly accomplished
gentleman. He even had about him that in
describable something which under any
other circumstances would have attracted
Paula unconsciously, but decisively.
"Mademoiselle," he said, rising with perfect
grace. IN. de Kersec had indeed hoped that
you might deign to accord me your hand,
and-"
"Never!" uttered Paula, with dry asperity.
II regret your decision inexpressibly," re-
the young man, who. going at once to
he desk at which the notary was sitting,
seized tho will and tore it into q thousand
pieces, without losing his calm sclf-possession
Or moment. Then taking his hat he bowed
IN tho octanicbod x,o,,nr civil ord Jo