Johnstown weekly Democrat. (Johnstown, Cambria County, Pa.) 1889-1916, 1889-10-18

brought her home to his family circle.
Madame Meurice, it appears, was a
scheming, calculating woman, and,
knowing that Julie would be an heiress,
she tried every way to promote her in
timacy with her own son, who was an
uncouth and ignorant youth OF Is years
without one attractive point in his char
acter.
Hubert MeurIce, the uncle of Julie,
was sea captain, whose calling carried
him much away from his home. During
his absence his wife treated Julie with
the utmost tyranny, even keeping her
locked up in her room for days together,
telling her that when she would consent
to marry her son, Hubert, she would re-
lease her, and do all she could to make
her happy. But to this Julie could not
consent. Imprisonment even was pref
cradle to accepting her awkward and re-
pulsive cousin.
One day she overheard @ conversation
between her aunt and her hopeful son,
wherein the mystery of her treatment
was solved.
The boy asked his mother what was
the use of bothering and importunlng
Julie so.
"If she doesn't want to marry me,
mother, drop the matter. like Julie,
and she would make me nice little
wife, but / don't want her against her
will"
"You are O fool" said the mother
"You know nothing about the matter.
Her fathers will endows her with for
tune at her marriage, even II it be at II,
just her present age. At 20 she receives
the fortune at any rate. Now, don tyou
see II you marry her we are all fixed for
life?"
"Does Julie know about the money!"
he asked
mo, of course not"
cts little sharp on her, said the
boy.
'I'm looking out for you," said the
mother.
"Just so" mused the hopeful.
81 am resolved that she shall marry
you, and that is why keep her locked
up, SO that she may not see some one she
would like better.
Lots OF money, eh? Well mother,
let's so in and win. When shall it be-"
at must be at once,
"The sooner the better"
"Your father is expected home next
week, L want you to be married before
he returns. He approves of it, but is a
little too delicate about pressing matters
bO L hAOM Llltlb uO lliub Is ike
the present time, so l have been making
arrangements to bring this about imme-
diately. have got Protestant clergy
man who will perform the ceremony first
and then you can be married at any time
alterward in the Catholic church, to
make it valid on her side, for her father
was Catholic"
This was enough for Julie. She under
stood the situation fully now, and saw
that her aunt would hesitate at nothing
The poor child feared her beyond de-
scription, and had yielded to her in
everything, save this one purpose of her
marriage with Hubert.
Julie was very gentle girl; one upon
WhUh h1I b-.l. Goat. tn.pOao h---4 .-l--
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
cost from tho tyranny which bound her
No fate could be worse, she thought,
than to be compelled to marry that
coarse, vulgar and repulsive crea.
tule.
Yes, she would run away at once. The
poor child-for she was little more-had
not asked herself where she should go.
She had no other relations that she knew
had always led had caused her to form NO
intimacies, or even to make friends with
those of her own age. Indeed, with this
prospective fortune, yet she was virtu-
ally alone and unprotected and without
a relation whom she did not look upon
as her enemy.
The next day after Julie had heard
this information was Sunday, the gayest
dag of the week in Marseilles, and, for
;unately, Julie succeeded in making her
escape from her aunts house. Still un-
decided where to go, and in her despern
/ ion fearing that at any moment sh,
might be seized and carried back, she
had wandered into the flower market,
" here she came upon us, already dee
scribed.
AS she explained to Harry afterward,
she was intent only upon escape, and be-
lieved this to be her last chance. When
she saw half dozen young Americans,
who seemed perfectly respectable, the
idea that positive safety lay only in mar
riage dawned upon her, and she actually
ran toward US, as we have related, the
moment the thought developed It.
self.
Harry became more and more inn
pressed with Julie story as they walked
nocent beauty and manifest refinement.
1t was all like a dream, almost too ro-
mantle for truth. Our "fate" sometimes
comes to us in this singular fashion, he
thought. There is 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 hRppi-
ness?"
She looked at him thoughtfully with
her soft, pleading eyes. Her brain was
very busy; she remembered what
awaited 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 child-llke trust
They wandered on. Sulie had always
plenty of money In her purse. and they
strolled into little chapel on their way,
where they found young clergyman,
who could not resist their request to
marry them, backed by ten golden ma
poleons, and 80. 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 be-
fore he sailed, that not even one hour
was to be lost,
.'Perhaps / am saving the girls
honor" said the young clergyman, as he