Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1888-12-03
A Strategem.

81 suppose it would be only polite
to say that | feel honored by any re-
quest you may make. But is polite
ness always the truth or favor"
"Spare me lecture in ethics, .
Hugh said with an impatient shrug.
II am in a difficulty. 1t may be q
life long trouble. | see but one way
out of it; and you can help me if you
only will"
was not enthusiastic; for l had
heard a viii per of this trouble, which,
if a true one, | did not see that
could be of use to him. So l said !:
81 make no promise; but if | can
help you, will.
''Perhaps you guess that my wife
has something to do with my official
ties
cat any rate | am not surprised.
You remember, when you married, [
demonstrated: A French girls ideas
of matrimony are so different from
ours"
eyes, | know" interrupted Hugh.
"They fall in love with their hus-
bands after they are married.
elf they are fortunate, they do
sit is not altogether a bad idea, -
Hugh went on to say. ''And really
it is charming to court your own wife.
Far better than to yawn in each 9th
er's face, and to spy out the flaws in
each others disposition. Then one
has so much in ones favor: opportu-
nifty, propinquity, and But | did
not come to bore you with discourse
on French marriages. l by no means
regret my own venture"
"Yet you come for help in diff
Guilty." said drily.
'sPrecisely; and knowing your
goodness of heart do not fear re-
fusal. To refuse to do a kindness is
a pain to you"
"One can very well bear; so do
not count too much upon my good
ness of heart
81 may at least state my case
Certainly" for l was really Curl
Gus to hear it.
SIT is as you suggested, about
Germaine but much has been caused
by nv own carelessness. You know
that the child is not twenty; and [
more than double her age"
Again | assent; and finding that
there is a long story, 1 take up my
knitting.
sit helps me to listen," l said !;
ssto be idle makes me nervous, and
therefore inattentive."
But l had broken the thread of his
story, and it was a moment before
he said:
ssYou believe that 1 have made
Germaine happy; at least until now !;
for 1 acknowledge that there is a
cloud between us, as yet not bigger
than a mans hand; but one that
threatens to overwhelm u.s.
"Hugh." | said, dropping my knit
ting, 81 am not treating you well !;
for 1 am forcing you to say what
must be unpleasant to you. L know
perfectly we'll that in the goodness
of your heart you married a girl with
whom you had not spoken dozen
words, but whose father was your
friend: and that she was penniless,
since he had ruined himself by gam
bling. What L censure you for is
that YOU did not take better care of
one so i'll prepar for Paris society ;
and was not surprised when Mad
anne de Isle limited to me last night
that Germaine is"
There was look of such keen pain
on my friends face that | did not
end my sentence; but up my knitting
again.
THE one thing that You should
have taught Germaine to avoid is
cards, knowing as you did that all
the men in her family were gam
blers.' said presently.
sBut | never thought of a girls in
heriting such faint; and one can
90 nowhere in Paris, in these days,
where they do not play"
1.-The women play more recklessly
than the men," | said drilv. "Your
best plan would have been to take
YOUR bride home to live
ssLock the stable after tbs horse is
stolen. 4 could have managed far
better, / admit. But unluckily my
poor Germaine is already bewitched
by the fearful demon, chance; and |
see but one way of escape"
land it is y
"A secret as yet
~ beg your pardon, l did not mean
to be inquisitive." l said, offended.
"Please put down your knitting
and listen. have an idea that c1n
lay this ugly devil but l must do it
in my own way, through what l know
TO be Germaine's strongest feeling !:
her gratitude. The favor | wish you
to do me is to go with Germaine to
Madame Jesse
''Where the women play until day
light If that is the favor,I must say
it is an immense one"
Yet you will go. You need not
play. 1t may amuse you to look on
Certainly, | should not play; and
i am. as you infer, too old to be Cos
siped about. Yet l doubt my being
amused"