, 1889-09-06

with the utmost tyranny, even keeping
her locked up in her Dol for days to-
gether, telling her that when she would
consent to marry her son, Hubert, she
would release her and do all she could
to make her happy. But to this Julie
could not consent. imprisonment even
was preferable to accepting her awk-
ward and repulsive cousin.
One day she overheard a conversation
between her aunt aud her hopeful son,
wherein tho mystery of her treatment
was solved.
The boy asked his mother what was
the use of bothering and importuning
Julie so.
"If she doesn't want TO marry me,
mother, drop the matter. / like Julie,
and she would make me a nice little
wife, but 1 don't want her against her
will"
You are a fool" said tho mother.
"You know nothing about the matter.
Her fathers will endows her with a fort
une at her marriage, ever if it be at II,
just her present age. At 20 she receives
the fortune at any rate. Now, don't you
see il you marry her we are all fixed for
life?'
Does Julie know about the money!"
he asked.
"No, of course not"
ats a little sharp on her" said the
boy.
I'm looking out for you" said the
mother.
"Just so" unused the hopeful.
81 am resolved that she shall marry
you,a and that is why l keep her locked
up, so that she may not see some one she
would like better. Your father is lex
pected home next week. I want you to
be married before he returns. He APP
proves of it, but is a little too delicate
about pressing matters so quickly. 1
know that no time is like the present
time, so l have beer making arrange
ments to bring this about Immediately.
l nave got n Protestant clergyman who
will perform the ceremony first, and then
you can be married at any time after
ward in the Catholic church, to make it
valid on her side, for her father was n
Catholic"
This was enough for Julie. She I'M
derstood the situation fully now, and
saw that her aunt would hesitate at moth
ing. The poor child feared her beyond
description, and had yielded to her in
everything, save this one purpose of her
marriage with Hubert.
Julie was n very gentle girl; one upon
whom her aunt could impose with inn
punity. She had no idea of asserting
her rights, much less Of standing up for
them. But she was thoroughly fright
ened now, and resolved to escape at any
cAat from, tho furu u pVlfrh bound hnr
No fate could be worse, she thought, than
to be compelled to marry that coarse,
vulgar and repulsive creature.
The next day after Julie had heard
this information was Sunday, the gayest
day of the week in Marseilles. and, for
tunately, Julie succeeded in making
her escape from her aunt's house. Still,
undecided where to go, and in her des-
peration fearing that at any moment she
might be seized and carried back, she
had wandered into the flower market,
where she came upon us, already de-
scribed.
AS she explained to Harry afterward,
she was intent only upon escape, and be-
lieved this to DO her last chance. When
she saw a half dozen young Americans,
who seemed perfectly respectable, the
idea that positive safety lay only in mar
rage dawned upon her, and she actually
ran toward us, as we have related, the
moment the thought developed itself.
Harry became more and more i'm
pressed with jules story as they walked
along, while he was delighted by her
innocent beauty and manifest refine
ment. 1t was all like n dream, almost
too romantic for truth. Our fate"
sometimes comes to us in this singular
fashion, he thought. ''There is n tide
in the affairs of men which, taken at the
flood. leads on to fortune" Suddenly
he turned to her and said:
Dare you trust me with your happi-
ness?'
She looked at him thoughtfully with
her soft, pleading eyes. Her brain was
very busy; she remembered what await
ed her at home, what had driven her
thence, and then, in reply to his sober
question, she put both of her hands into
his with childlike trust.
They wandered on. Julie had always
plenty of money in her purse, and they
strolled into n little chapel on their way,
where they found a young clergyman,
WIN Noulb hOb iNoiob biiO lNlutSb "
marry them, backed by ten golden Ma
poleons, and so, though reluctantly and
advising proper delay, he performed the
marriage ceremony, aided by the sexton
and his wife who each received a Ma
poleon-
As an inducement, Harry had also told
the clergyman that he was just going to
sea, and that he must be married before
he sailed, that not even one hour was to
be lost.
Perhaps am saving the girls honor"
said the young clergyman, as he finally
consented
Julie came out of the chapel the wife
of Harry B., who went with her to the
Hotel du Louvre. From here he sent a
pressing note to the American consul,
who came to him early the next morn
ing, and by the earnest persuasion of
Harry the consul agreed to take the
young wife to his own house until mat
ters should be settled as it regarded their
future course. In consul's house Julie
found a pleasant and safe retreat for the
! ii hi