The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-12-14

nouncement of Lucie's marriage. The
bridegroom was Charles Colnet, an IRON
founder of established position and large
wealth. The match was a good one, and
General LernuX and his wife were to be
congratulated upon having done remarkably
we'll for their daughter.
Maxime's business in life was to forget
her. He was not able to do that vet awhile,
but ne was able to fling himself heart and
soul into his literary work-embittered hard
ened, but strengthened by the one. honora-
bic passion of his life by having loved nobly
and in vain. From being known as one OF
the cleverest journalists of his day, he be-
came famous as the author of a novel which
struck new string upon the seven-stringed
Tyre Of earthly passion and heavenward-
looking hope.
Then by an unexpected inheritance from
an uncle, st. Waller found himself land
owner OF some Importance and furnished
with means which Justified his taking life
exactly as fancy dictated. So he settled
quietly down in the noble Louis Treze
chateau. and for the first year of his posses
sion devoted himself to the almost imposSi-
bic task of improving upon perfection. He
might have fallen into a settled melancholy
but for new and most unloGked-for happi-
ness that came to him three years after his
enrichment. Charles Colnet went the way
of all flesh with an awful suddenness early
in the spring Of that year, and in the follow
ing summer Maxine met his old sweetheart
pale March primrose-shaken and scared
by the shG1k of an unloyed husbands death,
cnildlesS and altogether respondent.
There could be but one result of such
meeting. To Maxime's eye the pensive and
ailing woman was more interesting if less
lovely than the girl he once had hoped to
WIN. And then what exquisite delight it
was Tor him to watch the return of the old
loneliness, like the gradual glow and glory
OF summer sunrise, as the widows heart
,nt,l- nod m tha NIA 1run c,,a =
loved him always, she confessed, when they
parted late III September, she to return to
Paris and arrange her affairs and prepare
Tor second wedlotk, he to 90 back to the
woods aud gardens OF St. Waller, and to
elaborate that which he had been elabor-
atlng for the past three years. He had to
prepare the apartments Of the new chate-
iaine. Everything had been pronounced
complete FROM garrett to cellar. but nothing
In existence could be good enough for the
new mistress of his home and the old mis-
tfess of his heart.
The wedding was solemnized in Paris a
year after Charles Comets death. This
was the beginning OF a new existence for
Maxine st. Waller. All things looked
brighter colored in the sunlight of domestic
No man can make himself young again.
least Of all the man who has taken those
strong years of manhood between twenty
and forty at swinging pace. The later
years OF that man are like the tired hunters
return stableward after grand run with
the hounds The horse may have done
prodigies between noon and shutdown, but
lie has had lis day and must creep quietly
home to rest The most famous physician
in Paris had told st. Waller to be careful of
himself.
"Ycu have burnt the lamp of life rather
too fercely," he said; there is. however.
oil enough left for a good many years 10
come II you will only husband it."
1hls was a sage warning. but it is difficult
Tor man who has won the fruiton of his
I9ndest hopes to remember the shadow on
the dial, creeping on with slow, inevitable
progress. St Waller gave himself up to the
gladneSS of his new life and to the delight of
his wife's society. She was delighted with
her surroundings at the chateau, pleased at
tue idea OF spending the greater part of
the eXcitements and designations of repub-
lican Paris Her husbands friends were
her friends, and although there was a faint
flavor of the Quarter Latin and the Bal
Bullier still clinging to those old comrades,
they were all OF them men of intellect and
some of them men of mark-literary men
and painters, who had made themselves
famous or at least fashionable; advocates
: whose ford eioquence had but too often
made the forger or the parricide appear
rather the victim than the criminal, aud had
found extenuating circumstances in the
darkest story of crime
III was IN the second autumn of st. ValIier,s
welded life that party OF these friends ar
rived at the chateau, intent upon ENJOYING
an Inc sports and pleasures which st. Val
Her lie Rol could Notwithstanding, Shooting.
hunting, yea, even the music of the village
orpheonlstes and the dances at the village
fairs. Maxime's friends were all men.
Lueie supplied the feminine element. and
brought around her half dozeu Of the most
elegant women IN Paris-widows or wives
on iurlough, fresh from their seaside holt
day. or their 'cure" in Auyergne or SAVOY.
Schwaloach or the Pyrenees. Every one
was charmed with the chateau. PRETTY
women went bn1ing up and down the cor
iiuois. peerLng INTO the grim seventeenth
century turrets, tiuttering up and down the
corkscrew staircases, with much music of
light laughter and frou-frou of sing and
lace. ANo
They were delighted with everything. but
perhaps most Of all to find that yerv an an
dacious painter of Partisan boudoirs Toi-
pache, and that daring analyst of the female
heart, Vivien The novelist, on the premises.
there Is something very awful in the
idea OF living for fortnight in the same
mouse Win TWO such men," said Mme. Eyre
monde. the bankers widow; lone feels
ones principles in danger of being gradu
ally undermined. Ii Vivien's Conversation,
is anything like his looks" 'A
Ihank heaven, it isn't" said st. Vail
i E.., .or N; viyIen would be intoIerable.
dream and doze over with a cigar ant e, -
1eet on the Sender. but 10 have to listen tn
corvee?' '"'oiieS-quehe
One OF the first inquiries from the ladv
visitors was for the family gbost. 'AA'
"Of course there is a 9host-eor. 90
story OF a jealous husband and murdered red
lover, perhaps, or a faithless wife shnt mn
IN one OF those too delicious turrets." said
Nine. Belfort. who was stout and senti-
mentai-a kindly disposed creature, who
lem Of how to make the best Of jeilyrfish.
"Unhappiiy, chere dame. there is no
ghost"
What! in chateau built in the middle
OF the seventeenth century-a chateau built
when men wore long hair and velvet doub-
lets and canton sleeves and point d. Alencon
rnff1esf That cannot be- Thera must ia q