Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1889-08-01

ment and dashed her jewels on the
floor, and drew forth from their hiding
place the peasant dress and the wood
en- shoes OF old, weeping over them as
a mother weeps over the tiny gar
menls or the broken toys of her dead
child.
He had thought to buy forgetful-
ness with gold. 1t is mistake men
often make.
1t seemed to her that all love, peace,
content, had died out of her life for
ever. Her heart felt chill and cold
to every emotion OF pain or JOY alike.
Her one brief dream OF gladness was
over, severed sharply rs by sword
killed utterly and forever.
Days might come and go, suns
would rise and nights would fall, and
the great stars would throb in the
skies, and CLEAN over the peaceful
pastures and the flowing waters of her
old home; but never more would she
stand there and look out at these
things with the thankful heart and
trembling JOY she had once known;
never more would her life be one with
the love she had lost, and the tender
ness she had betrayed She told her
self, and there was no voice to say her
nay, and no living thing to speak of
consolation.
1t was brilliant day, cold but fine
the sky without cloud, the sun with
out shadow on its brightness. The
whole city was alive with tumult and
excitement, for large numbers OF re-
turning troops were to march through
with their prisoners Of war and tro-
phies of victory, and all were eager TO
greet and gaze upon the returning he
rOes.
In an open carriage placed,
at their service by one of the
most ardent admirers of Ninette
(and most reckless followers OF for
tune as represented by Baccarat and
Napoleon) sat Leon Monprat and his
daughter She was eXquisitely dress
ed in rich soft velvets and furs, which
made her delicate beauty fairer and
more piquant by contrast. But on her
face WAS the shadow of unspeakable
pain, a dread that had never lett her
since the moment when she learnt this
was no mere review OF troops, as she
Mt first had supposed, but a triumph
ant entry of the Prussian corps with
their disarmed ana Inundated pris-
oners.
Ere long the air was rent with
thunders of welcome. The music of
military bands rang out in riotous
glee- The sound of drums, the rattle
of musketry, the clash of bells, all
gave their tribute in one mighty tenn
pest of greeting.
NTnette turned deadly pale and
lcant back amidst the soft cushions Of
the carriage. She saw great gath
ering mass of figures marching stead
lily toward her. She saw the fiutter
OF the standards, the colors of torn and
tossing flags, the CLEAN OF musket and
carbine barrels, the swarthy faces OF
the men, the arched glossy necks OF
the curveting chargers. the hues OF
brilliant uniforms, all the great vast
sea of moving color that flashed and
fused itself before her wondering
eyes with the background of that
clear blue sky-the glittering warmth
OF the golden sunshine. She drew u
deep gasping breath. 1t was sight
altogether new, wonderful, bewilder-
ing.
Louder and more deafening grew
the cheers; clearer rang the wild music
OF the bells; more exhilarating sound
ed the merry Tataplan of drums and
the glorious strains OF the national war
song. The folds OF the torn
battle flags tluttered in the breeze;
men and women laughed and .wcpt like
children as the squadrons passed rap
idly by.
Suddenly great cry fell across the
tumult-a cry whose agony and re-
morse startled all within hearing-a
cry that reached to the passing troops
who, with down-bent heads, and
shamed and bitter hearts, marched in
the rear of their conquerOrs.
One man turned his weary eyes in
the direction whence it came. He
saw a woman's face with wild despair
| ing eyes, that held his own fixed and
electrified in their incredulous amaze
ment, and their agonized dread. Then
he WAS swept onward with the impetu-
Gus advance of that marching force,
while his heart seemed TO stand still
wi h the agony of that discovery and
the horrors that it revealed.
Ninette-Ninette! what was itP"
implored Leon Monprat, as she fell
back in the carrsage shaking and
CHASTITY, as though she had seen the
dead return to life. A wild, hysteri-
cal laugh burst from her lips. The
anguish that assailed her strength
was more than she could bear.
What was itp" she echoed, in q
voice harsh and strange as madness.
"Only face-my husbands face!
And thought the world wide enough
to keep us--apart.