Wichita eagle., 1889-10-11

slip down to the little cabin and calr her
mother and she would be repaid. She was
faint and giddy with happiness. Suddenly
the door opened and Leon's father stood on
the threshold he had not crossed since the
day he pleaded with the naughty planter
for her. The courteous old host advanced to
meet him.
Monsieur" he said, sit is many years
since | have welcomed you within these
DOORS"
YES" responded the other, ''but tonight
hear you welcome home your son and daugh-
ter, and came to offer my fluctuations.
Almost as he spoke the door opened and
the bridal party entered. The servants fell
back and stood blocking door and window, a
dense mass of faces Only Adele stood apart
in the shadow of door, trembling, fearing,
she knew not what Suddenly there fell a
deep, portentous silence, like the breaks in a
tempest. Before word could be said Icons
father stepped forth and took his hand.
''My son." he said, ION a dark night,
twenty-five years ago, took you from your
mothers arms promised her then to bring
you back. Tonight l redeem my promise. :"
As he spoke he laid Icons hand in the trem-
bling hand of Adele. Leon stopped down and
brushed with his bearded lips his mothers
aShen cheek, and then he turned to his pale
and affrighted wife.
Petite" he said, with knocking tenderness
81 present TO you my mother. After so many
years separation it is charming to bereunited,
and under your ancestral roof"
The poor little bride turned from his cruel
eyes to where her father stood, frozen with
horror, as the truth Of the scene forced itself
on him All her love for the man in whose
face she read now only bitter aversion, all
the teachings of her Iife rushed back upon
her in one overwhelming flash of conscious
ness that she was married to negro, the son
of her own slave, and with a wild cry she fell
senseless to the floor.
For weeks she hung between life and death,
and when health came unwelcomely back
it brought no return Of consciousness for She
was mad. Reason was overthrow by the
great shock and she was maniac.
Leon and his father entreated Adele to go
back with them to Paris. but she stubbornly
refused. Her love told her that happiness
was over for her, that it has passed her by
and would never come back She would be
but burden on those she loved, more sepa-
rated from them than if oceans rolled be-
tween. Their life and hers could never be
the same. So a second time she stood watch
ing the black hull and tall spars of the ocean
steamer bearing all she loved away from her,
and she turned away patiently, knowing it
was forever.
In a darkened room knowing nothing Of
the present, her young mistress called cease
lessly for Adele and she answered the pitt
full cry, sitting her own bitter grief as best
she might
The proud old planter did not long survive
the sorrow that wrecked his daughters life,
and when he died the priest and physician,
his old friends, removed Adele and her pa
tient to the house where Nine. Charpentier
heard of still nights the sound of tireless foot
steps, moving, moving. moving.
Adele never leS5 the mad woman. For
years she kept up her ceaseless vigils, sooth-
ing, quoting, restraining the maniac in her
paroxys,ns. Perhaps she considered it an
atonement for the sorrow that had come un-
Willingly through herself. No one could
know, but when at last Nine. d'Avril found
peace and rest in death, the priest turned
from the dead, white face to the living face
above, which was scarcely less white and
still, and he stretched out his hand above her
head
My daughter" he said very reverently,
81 give you dissolution. Who loves much
and suffers much, much shall be forgiven. =
Elizabeth II. Gilmer in The South Illustrated.