Waterbury evening Democrat., 1888-01-18

understand Ny poor head is so confused Did know her? " g she a friend of ours, of Lucien's''
 lie woman was you, Julia De Noirvllle, my mother. You!"
 Il hear you. But what a singular history! What romance. Yes, romance. If It were not so terrible, could laugh. 1 do laugh, ha! ha! You hear me laugh, Ray mond."
 'So you deny its"
 "Why not, since it is not trues This is a calumny, Raymond, an infamous calumny; and you believe 1t, against your mother You come here and make a scene instead of com- ing to show me this ridiculous affair that we might both laugh over it. Do you know am almost vexed with you, you naughty boy?'
 Raymond was so ashamed for her that he hid his face
 And you say nothing, instead of asking my pardon. You are wicked and ungrate- full son, for you have nothing to reproach me with. I have been tender and good to you and have always loved you with four fold affection, even much that scarcely had ,~ny left for your brother"
 "So you still denyg'
 Unhappy child! Why should l deny such an atrocious accusation! I even ought not listen to you, but I cannot let you believe so horrible a thing"
 Raymond took the accusing letter from his pocket and gave it to her. She tried to read it. Then he said coldly:
 "Have you read it!''
 "Oh, my poor boy, I, your mother!" Then she continued wildly: 1T must tell you. There is no word of that true. It was a mans vengeance, not woman's. That man tried to make me love himn-
 ''Who? Laroque?' ''No, the other, Luversan."
 ''You just pretended not to know him.' q lied, did know him; he avowed his love; he was violent, brutal, capable of any thing, and was afraid of him, but repulsed him and he kept his word and revenged him. self, as you can see, since your father died believing me guilty" "Falsehoods Falsehoods! Do you think my father would have believed so base an accusation, an anonymous one, too, had he not had other reasons? No, he remembered, and he was convinced and died without hay ing been able to curse you." "Raymond! what wild imagination has taken possession of you? Return to your mother! You are frightful, with your hor- rid stories"
 "Mother, father had written things which show me that he had suspected" "it is false! I tell you, false How you islander in accusing your mother. Do you think of that, Raymondw And that is not all, mother Do you re- member the day showed you photograph, ou the back of which were the dates of Roger L.rOque's arrest and condemnation, and also the day of Larouette's murder and the hour! You told me then story which might have accounted for all that, but that discovered beyond doubt that that was Roger Laroques photograph. Oh, you were we'll revenged. You pierced the photograph even as you pierced the originals heart."
 She knew now she was lost. She had even no strength left to frame new lies, and she abandoned herself and threw herself upon the floor, where she writhed in sobs and gasp 1 ing groans, but no tears came to relieve her. 1 She crawled to his knees, and gasped: My son, my son, do not curse me. Pardon me. i You are on the threshold of life and know nothing of its passions. l avow you were not deceived. You know the truth. but oh! dc not curse me for 1t. It would be horrible from you, whom have so loved. Oh, Ray. mond, my son, see how I supplicate you. have repented so bitterly. If'I could have undone the past; but I am only woman and could not deliver myself up to justice on account of my children. One must not | demand Of mothers more than they can do i As soon as the crime was done would will lingly have ded but loved you so well that I hushed my conscience and hoped that by an austere and devoted mothers life might l buy my pardon. But chastsement has over i taken me, and alas, by the hand of my dear est child.
 'What would you have me do?" she con tinued. "Raymond, soon-very soon-I shal 1 be no longer with you, for I feel my deatl approaching"
 And l only wish to die," said Raymond
 And your Il argage?"
 "How can you speak of it now? How cal | the daughter of Roger the Shameful mat with the son of her who condemned him t. that unmerited shame?"
 i "Another victim; another ones life upo, my conscience. Oh, God, how many! La rouette, Henriette, Lucien, Suzanne; Roger too, for he will die of grief for his child ]! cried she, wringing her hands.
 Add my name, too, mother, for withou ! her have no life"
 ''Oh, Raymond, kill me! Crush me lil' | some yenemO11S reDtiIe Kill me- kill mew