Audubon County Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Audubon Co., Iowa) 1885-1894, 1886-07-15


moments one has sudden revelation
of the hollowness of life, the isolation
of everybody, the nothingness of every
thing-the black solitude of the heart
that rocks itself to sleep and ever de-
ceives itself with dreams that are only
broken by death.
The old woman soon joined me; and
tortured by that curiosity which al
most shoulders somewhere in the most
patient mind, asked me:
$50 you are from France?"
Yes, l am just on a pleasure trip"
perhaps you are from Paris"
mo, from Nancy"
1t seemed to me that an extraordin.
airy emotion passed over her. How ]
saw it, or, rather, felt it, do moi
know.
She repeated very slowly:
$50 you are from Nancy?'
The man appeared at the door, with
his face impassive as the faces of deaf
men are.
She observed:
1T makes no difference; he can not
hear"
After few seconds she spoke again:
You know great many people at
Nancy?"
why. es-nearly everybody"
The Saint-Allaize family?h
"Yes, very well indeed They were
intimate friends of my father"
What is your name?"
l told her my name. She looked at
me fxedly, and then said in that low
voice which always accompanies recol-
lection:
Eyes, yes. l remember perfectly
well. And the Brismares-what has
become of them?"
They are all dead"
"Ah. And the Sirmonts-do you
know them?'
YES. The last one is now gener-
al"
Then, all quivering with emotion
with anguish-with | know not what
vague, powerful and sacred feeling
with know now what desire to speak,
to tell everything. to avow all that she
had hitherto hidden away in the very
bottom of her heart--to talk of those
whose mere name had so agitated her,
she said:
Eyes, Henri de Sirmont, l know him
well. He is my brother"
And l raised my eyes to her face,
startled with establishment. And all
suddenly an old memory came back to
me.
Long years ago it had made great
scandal in Lorraine. A young girl,
beautiful and wealthy, Suzanne de Sir,
mont, had eloped with non-com,
missioned officer of the very same reg,
iment OF hussars that her father com
manded.
He was a handsome young man-a
son of peasants, indeed, but looking SUI
perb in the blue dolman, this soldier
who had made love to the daughter o
his colonel. Doubtless she had re
marked him first, learned to love hin
as she watched the brilliant squadoron
wheeling by. But how he had eve
managed to speak to her-how the,
had ever been able to meet, to come t.
an understanding--how she had eve
| Il t, 1nt hot chn
him-nobody was ever able to find out
, Nothing had ever been suspected o
feared, One evening, just at the tim
the soldiers term of service was over
he disappeared with her. They wer
long looked for-never found. N
news was ever obtained concernin
, them, and all considered her as dead.
And / had found her again in tha
CHASTITY valley!
3 Then / exclaimed, in my turn:
5 "Yes, remember it all now. 70
: are Mile. Suzanne?'
: She nodded her head. Tears wei
falling from her eyes. Then with
i look directing my attention to the Of
!, man at the door, she said:
: That is he"
!, And / understood that she loved hi
o still-that she saw him still as when Il
Il first sight of him had charmed her cir
It ish eyes.
l asked.
r Tell me, have you been happy"
a She answered in voice that can
g right from the heart:
l. "Oh, yes!-very happy. He has g
5. ways made me very happy. l ha'
r never had cause to regret anything.S
n looked at her-made sad, surprise
S, amazed by the power of love! Tn
S. rich girl had followed that man-th
u peasant. She had become peasa
r herself She had accustomed herself
a his life-a life without pleasures, wit
hit outluxuries, without refinements of a.
n kind; she had bowed to all his simI
lie ways. And she loved him still. S
#; had become country wife-weari
ne the coarse bonnet, the canvas aprc
is She ate from an earthen plate upon
he wooden table-ate cabbage soup, boil
with potatoes and lard. She slept
rs his side upon bed of straw.
ng She had never thought of anythi
of but him! She had never regretted I
to dainty dresses or the rich textures.
ep the elegancies, or the softness of sof
tn or the perfumed warmth of curtain
rs, rooms, or the caress of downy beds il
Ike which delicate bodies plunge for slet
She had never wanted anything but h
re he was there-she desired nothi
nd more. She had abandoned life gu