Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1889-06-06
LINK BY LINK.
A THRILLING STORY OF THE
FRANCO RUSSIAN WAR.
BY MAURICE LEGRAND.
CHAPTER |.
JEALOUSY.


09ND SO Ninette marries to-mor-
~ row?7
True enough. And fair wife,
and good one, too, she will make.
You may think so. Mere Mivert;
to my mind it seems that a Eighty,
giddy girl, always thinking of her own
wax-doll face and the dress for her
next dance, and the DIV kirtle for the
village feast, is not by any means the
best wife for a Woodworking man like
Pierre Leroux."
"You are very harsh on the young
thing, Rose Michel She is so fair
and sweet, and so dainty in all her
ways, the wonder is that she is not q
thousand times more vain with all the
flattery she has received since ever
she could run through the village
alone"
"She's come of a bad stock, and
will bring no luck to any honest mans
house, muttered brown-faced Nor
man peasant-women who stood gossip
ing in the market place with her
neighbors this fair summer morning.
Gay, ay, true enough" exclaimed a
fresh-looking couutry-woman, joining
in the conversation with alacritv. Il
remember her mother; the girl is just
like her. She was beautiful if you
like-handsomer far than even Ninette
will be. They came of a good family,
and were very proud. The girl had n
craze for the stage-she ran away TO
Paris"
eyes, yes, we know all that
chimed in the market-woman.
"Ah, well, she came back, you re-
member, so changed; all her beauty
faded, ali her gay bright eyes gone.
And then the child was born. l
nursed her. Dear heart, how she
wept over the babel 1t was so like its
father, she said. And the pretty tales
she told it, of how he would come to
see it, and what it must do, and how
it must look-she was such child
herself; and then time went on and he
never came, and she pinned and faded,
and grew pale and so thin one would
not have known her for the same"
"And heP' asked the gossips.
''He of course, never came. She
died with his name on her lips. A
life thrown away for mans sake!
All, well, it i common enough.
''Do you believe she was married ?"
81 saw her wedding-ring. She al
ways said he married her; but in that
great vile city it would be so easy to
deceive, and then-he never came"
''He has never been near the child
either?"
"No; and the grandmother is so old
now, and the girl so fair. All! it is a
good thing for all that she will marry
soon, and have one so loving and
steady as Fierre Leroux to look after
her."
ut is to be hoped Pierre Leroux
won't end it more than he can manage
to do that" said the sour visaged Rose
Michel.
True" echoed the others; "she is
so gay and Eighty. A pity one so well
TODD as Pierre did not choose q steady
well ordered maiden TO keep his house
and study his welfare. Ninette will
want everything and give nothing"
..You have all daughters more
suitable for Pierre Leroux than
the girl he has chosen, is
1t not SOP" laughed the cheerful-faced
country woman who had spoken be-
fore. ga pity that he could not see
1t as plainly as you do!' and laughing
and uodding to the knot OF market
women, she passed on with her basket
poised on her head.
'IIushl here comes Ninette her
SELF"
The gossiping tongues ceased. A
score OF curious eyes turned toward
the street, up which girl was com
ing-a girl with n face and figure
whose swelling curves and delicate
outlines were shown 10 perfect advant-
age by the pretty Norman costume.
She came gaily up to the group, nod
ding TO one, laughing to another,
chatting TO all in her free, girlish,