The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1886-05-28

God, that there is no one in that
Closet
She repeated the words without EN-
barrassment. ..... .....
THAT will do, said M. de Merret.
Then, after momentary silence, dur
ing which he curiously examined the
cruciiix, which was Of ebony incrusted
in silver, he added: "'That is a beau
tiful cruci6x never saw it before"
81 bought it at Duvivier's when the
prisoners passed through Vendome
last year He bought it of a Span
lard.
"Did he Indeed /" M. de Merret
replaced the crucifix on its stand and
rang the bell. When Rosalie appear
ed, moment later, M. de Merret led
her quickly to the ernbrasure of a
window and whispered 81 know
that Gorenhot wants to marry you |;
poverty alone has prevented him. You
told him you would not be his wife
until he was master mason. Now
run and look for him. Tell him to
come here and bring his trowel. He
will be richer than you ever hoped he
could be. But mind this on your
way out, say nothing otherwise e.
he looked at her in au insignificant
way.
Rosalie started to 90. He called
her back. "Here-take my key"
Then, in laundering voice, he called
through the corridor, jean p .
Jean, who was both valet and.coach-
man, left his cards and came. His
master motioned to him to come near
er. $50 to bed. all of you," he said.
Then, in a whisper, he added "When
they are all asleep--asleep, do you
hear ?--come and tell me-"
After giving these orders M. de
Merret, who meanwhile had not lost
sight Of his wife, came quietly TO the
fire, where she stood, and began to
tell her about his game of billiards
and the gossip of the club. When
Rosalie returned she found them chat
ting in the friendliest..way.
Some time before NJ. de Merrett had
caused fresh ceilings to be put through
that part of the ground floor which
was used for reception rooms. Now
plaster is not to be 1had in Vendome.
and the cost of importing makes it ex
pensive. Knowing there would always
be purchasers for it, M. de Merret had
consequently ordered large Quantity.
This circumstance suggested the plan
which he then began to execute.
"Gorenhot is here, SIR" said Rosal,e,
in an undertone.
"Show him in," he answered.
When Nine. de Merret saw the
mason she turned pale.
"Gorenfot,' said NJ. de Merret, "go
to the stable and get some bricks get
enough to wall up the door of that
closet you'll find plenty of plaster"
Then, drawing Rosalie and the mason
aside, he addressed Gorenhot in
whisper: "You sleep here tonight.
but tomorrow you shall have a
passport to town in a foreign coun-
try. | will give you 6O0O francs for
your expenses. You must stay away
ten years. II you do not like the
town you go to you can choose anoth-
er, provided it is in the same country.
First go to Paris and wait for me
there. In Paris l will give you a
paper that will insure You 6OOO francs
more-when the bargain is completed.
In return for this you must never lisp
word of what you do here tonight.
AS for you, Rosalie, you shall have
10, 900 francs the day yoh are married
TO Gorentlot but to have them YOU
must hold your tongue. Otherwise,
not penny y
"Rosalie," said Mime. de Merret,
"come and do my hair"
Her husband walked calmly up and
down, watching his wife, the mason
and the door, but he did so in an un.
suspicious and natural manner.
Gorenfot was obliged to make a
certain amount of noise once, when
he was putting down a hod of bricks,
while the Count happened to be at the
other end of the room, Nine. de Merret
seized the opportunity to say to Ro-
sale ga thousand francs a year for
you, If You manage to tell Gorenfiot
to leave crevis at the bottom" Then,
raising her voice, she said, with an air
of utter indifference $50 and help
him.
During the entire time that Goren-
fot took to wall up the door the Count
and Countess sat in silence. On the
husbands part the silence was inten-
tlonal; on that of the wife it was pride.
When the wall was half done the
mason, seeing M, de Merrets back
surned, took the opportunity to break
one OF the two panes of glass that
were in the door. This incident prov
ed to Nine. de Merret that Rosalie had
spoken to Gorenhot, All three then
saw mans face, sombre, dark, with
blaok hair and glistening eyes. Before
her husband turned the poor woman
had the time to make a gesture to him,
which signified hope.
Al o'clock, toward sunrise-for il
was then September-the construction
mas finished The mason was put
under Jeans care, and Nj. de Merret
slept in his wife's room.
That morning, on arising, he said,
earelessly "By the way, l must 90 to
the Mayors for the passport He put
his hat on, took three steps toward the
door, turned back and took the cruci-
fix
His wife trembled with Joy. "He
is goingto Duviviers, too, she thought.
As soon as her husband had gone she
called to Rosalie. "Quick!' she cried,
"a pickaxe saw how Gorenflot
worked we will have time to make an
and fill it up again.
In trlce Rosalie had brought the
tool to her mistress, wi o at once be-
gan to tear down the wall. She had
already knocked out several bricks,
when turning in an effort to strike a
harder blow, she saw M. de Merret be-
hind her, and tell fainting to the
ground.
"Put her in bed" said her husband
coldly, Forseeing what would happen
in his absence, he had laid a tran for