Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1889-02-07
A BOULANGER ROMANCE.
FOR SEVENTEEN YEARS HE AND
HIS WIFE HAVE LIVED APART.


FOR SEVENTEEN YEARS HE AND
HIS WIFE HAVE LIVED APART.
The Story OF Fatal Duel In which Mime.
Boulanger Played o Part-The Young
onicer Who Died for her Nuptials
without Maternal Sanction.
An interesting bit of domestic history ID
given anent the "Man Of Destiny" Tho
domestic drama in the Boulanger family
began, say the gossips, soon after the Franco
Prussian war.
ACT L
For the first scene Of it imagine the sitting
room Of a young cavalry captain, discreetly
mentioned as Roger d. Though il Is little
after dawn the young captain is out Of bed
To his amazement woman Is announced.
Through the thick ven he can see that she
Is exceptionally handsome. She is tall and
fair.
"a woman's visit" says she, lat such an
hour as this cannot have failed to sururise
you
Tho young captain Is too polite to admit it.
81 can only say" says he, that l shall be
happy IL l can serve you"
Without knowing mel" she asks faint
smile being visible through her veil.
From her voice the young officer begins TO
suspect that she is not wholly a stranger TO
him. The face Of fair unknown, seen In the
streets and at the races, mas been haunting
him for weeks.
"Yod are getting ready" she continues, ito
fight duel with my husband"
"Your husbandr' cries Roger.
~ am Mime. Boulanger," she says. Il sup
posed that you knew me-"
Nothing could have astonished the captain
more. He certainly had duel on hand that
morning. He was to meet Col. Boulanger.
The meeting grew out of some vulgar mess
room quarrel-some woman whom Boulanger
was befriending "You are q fool, said the
friends Of Roger D., ito be drawn into a
quarrel about such creature as she is" But
the young man was high spirited, and would
not be moved from his determination to fight
He now turned quietly to Mime. Bollanger
"Are you aware he asked, "of the cause Of
this guarrelr
YES she said, ~ have learned II was q
quarrel about cards at the club. AT least,
that is the story they told me-"
1.-The story is correct" said Roger.
"And have come" she continued. ''to In
tercede with you Between TWO such men as
you fatal result is certain. And they tell
me that you are the better swordsman."
''Would you have me forego my advan-
tagep cried Roger, guessing at the purpose
of the visit. why should / not try to kill
this man, now that / have an additional
reason for hating himf'
What reasonp she demanded
1.-THE reason that he is your husband he
cried
Things were getting dangerous The visitor
made her last appeal She told If her two
little girls. She said that it vas only 70,
them she feared. She added that she could
cry with shame for her visit, but abe could
not see her children orphaned. 1t was no,
wholly on her children's account that the
young man promised, first, to avert the due
IL an apology would avert It, and. second, Il
this failed, to act only on the defensive
Having gained her point, the visitor wen,
quietly away.
For the next net Of the drama shift the
scene to big house in the suburbs of Paris
with garden much favored by duelists The
duel took place. Mime. Boulanger, treasured
was calmly waiting the result, when strange
lady entered in great distress; said that she
was the sister of Roger D., and waited, too.
IAN viii be well, - says Mime. Boulanger.
Heaven" says the other will not allow
my brother, who fought SO gloriously In the
war, TO fall at the hand of a wretch like
thisn
"A wretchf" cries Mime. Boulanger
YES" she says, "A wretch. lIf ne were
not wretch would he, q married man, the
father Of two children, be fighting for .
womanf'
You calumniate him, +" says Mime. Boulan-
ger.
would did, replied the other. "But I
have the tale from my brother, and my
brother never lies. Who are you that under
takes this mans defensef'
II am his wife," says hIme Boulaneer.
Ills wife!" cries Rogers sister; and before
another word could be uttered messenger
brought the news that Roger was grievously
wounded. His sister fastened to get help.
Roger was carried into the room and placed
upon the sofa For q few moments he was
left alone with Nine Boulanger She knslt
beside him in an agony Of remorse
who Is it," he family asked, regaining
CONSCIOUSNESS
1T is H. she cried, seeking your forgive
ness.n
II have nothing to forgive" he said,
slowly. Il meant to die for YOU
Hush, she cried. ~ viii do anything to
repair the harm have caused ! viii nurse
you; ! will watch over you Live-only
Hvel"
But the young captain could only motion
her hand TO his lips, and when her husband
entered with his arm in q sling he found her
knseling beside corpse.
ACT III
The scene of the third act Is the mayors
Office In the Sixteenth ward of Paris. The
day Is Oct 20 Of the past year. M. Marmot-
tan, the mayor, has just given his daughter
In marriage, and all the municipality was
taking holiday. At o'clock In the after
noon Gen. Boulanger entered with his daugh-
ter Marcelle upon his arm Her dress was of
cream colored silk with embroidered skirts.
Her hat was of the same color as her dress.
ornamented with flowers, and perched on q
forest Of fair hair
Capt. Driant, In his uniform as an officer
OF Zouaves, gave his arm to his mother.
stately in black silk. Behind him came the
witnesses-Count Dillon, NJ Griffith, Gen.
Faverot de Kerbrech and the bridegrooms
brother.
In its account Of the marriage The Figaro
wrote: Mime. Boulanger, still indisposed,
found herself forced to remain at Versailles
IN the company Of her elder daughter
The usher announced the mayor. NJ. Mar
mottan, after saluting the bridal party,
stood behind his desk He then read the Gus
tomary service Then, as the law demands,
he turned to Gen. Boulanger.
DO the parents consentP' he asked.
There was pause The bridegroom seemed
disconnected After an instant the general
replied, 1.-The father consents.n
And the motherp asked the mayor.
"'IHe mother does NOT cop,a,+ - Ia A..
general, huskily.
Inc law" observed the mayor, requires
that the reason shall be stated"
The reason" said Gen. Boulanger who
had evidently nerved himself for this ordeal
lis that Mime. Boulanger and l have not
Lived together for seventeen years.
IL was seventeen years sinee Mime Rou