The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1890-06-20
We must keep her. sne may tie Mas

and whether it was that she was Mascotte
or no, the next eight seasons harvests were
so full and abundant and everything pros.
pcred so well with these two old neople. that
one might say that their kindness to help
less stranger had brought Gods blessing
with it,
But these poor creatures lived so far away
from Paris, and knew so little of what passed
in the world outside of their narrow valley.
that thew could never h IMAGINED tht
truth, and as Ilenrieite mad dropped into
their world without warning or knowledge
they accepted her advent and never dreamed
OF paking inquiries. They called her Marie,
not knowing any other name, and she was
treated far better than they used themselves.
What work she did was done voluntarily.
She fed the chickens and lambs and gathered
fruit. and did much sewing, her beautiful
work seeming like fairy stitches to the old
people But her out door life and the pure
air, and excellent food rendered her physical
health much more robust than it had ever
been, and her chest, which had shown ten.
dency OF weakness, filled out with removed
vigor, and her beauty took a richer type.
even though clouded by the impenetrable
mists Of insanity. Her insanity took a mild
type and she seemed to have cone back
mentally to the state Of child of 6 or Z. SO
innocent and so ignorant did shs appear. She
spoke very rarely, and then only in mono
syllab!es, and to every question that was
asked of her on any subject she replied:
Il do not know" and then she might after.
ward say what was desired Of her, but it was
indelibly fixed in that poor wrecked in.
telligence that she must always discai1n any
knowledge.
There is no doubt that this was one of the
happsst periods of Henriette's existence, for,
knowing nothing, she suffering nothing.
Peace and kindness were her portion and
bodily health full and preciC US boon In
no asylum the world affords could this poor.
stricken wife and mother have had better
conditions for her ultimate cure than here.
There was nothing to arouse her dormant
faculties, to make her remember that she was
or ever had been mother.
In this peaceful if humble place Henriette
Lsroque lived eight long years. Barely "a
years Old when this crushing blow fell upon
her, she was now 80, but time was gentle with
her, and the absence of wearing thought,
coupled with her healthy life, left her far
fresher and younger in appearance than she
had been before she became demented
1t was i'll 1879 that the tragic events we
have narrated took place, and we take up the
thread again in $780, and follow Roger La
rogue and his little girl, who eight years be-
fore in stormy night left France for
America.
One day, quite unexpectedly, tall man,
with wide shoulders, with hair and head
white as snow, though he was not old enough
to have had such mark of age, alighted
from the train at a station in the charming
little valley town of Chevreuse With him
was beautiful young girl, whose age would
be Judged to be somewhere near 20, but who
was Ill reality not yet II. They were
both strangers, and as such attracted consid-
cradle attention from the lcungers about the
station, who were equally struck by the
beauty and distinction of the young girl and
the peculiar appearance Of the man. Not
only were his hair and beard white, but his
face was horribly disfgured by what seemed
scars from burn.
They walked toward villa which was for
sale, and examined it with a view to its pur-
chase, and in a few days they were installed
there as the owners
AS is usual in small villages, the people Of
this charming valley soon found out all about
their new neighbor, who had bought the
White House, as the villa was called, and they
told each other that he was rich Canadian
who had come to France with his daughter.
His name was William Forney. and that Of
the daughter Miss Suzanne Forney. He.'
mother was dead.
When they were settled in their new home
II. Forney asked his daughter if she thought
she should feel happy in her new home. She
replied:
"Wherever you are am happy, and feel
sure that we will both be happy here"
Tho father bowed his head and looked
tenderly at his daughter, sitting sigh. As
the reader will have OWNED, this father and
child were the same who had fed from
France Oh that dreary night, Roger Laroque
and Suzanne.
| When Roger had left France for the second
time, and as a fugitive from justice, carrying
bis precious burden he took passage for New
York, where he stayed but a short time and
then went to Canada, where he went
to work in a machine shop with q
sort of avidity, hoping to regain fortune
and return to France with the one pur-
pose of discovering the mystery Of the
drama of the Vile dAvray.
Such energetic and intelligent labor was
! bound to achieve it's result, and one after an
other Roger made three important inventions
in the making and management Of Steel He
returned to New York, and he succeeded with
his inventions beyond bis most sanguine
hopes, and he found himself in the possession
Of G reasonable fortune, with every reason to
believe that it would grow and multiply into
more than he should ever need.
While here Roger met with an accident,
which disfgured him so greatly that he felt
almost as if it were q special providence. He
had rushed to assist in saving some people
whose escape from burning building was
cut off, and, after having brought them down
70 the street in safety, burning timber fell,
striking him on the left side of the face, and
burning it SO that the scar which remained
almost destroyed the entire symmetry and
color Of that side Of his face
He moved away from that place and again
returned to New York, only now he bore the
name of William Forney, and Suzanne in q
few years seemed to forget that she had ever
had another name. But did she really for
get? Roger felt sure she had, for during
these whole ten years she had never made the
slightest mention, nor given one look that
might give rise to suspicion that she re-
naen,bered. So Rogers mind was easy on
that sclro
One day Roger said to her quite unexpect-
eddy:
Suzanne, we are going to leave New York
and 60 to Paris, place you know nothing OF.
What do you saya"
II shall like to go whenever you do, father
no matter where it is
She said that calmly. and nothing in hel
face showed hidden thought, yet. after
Roger had gone out, her face saddened, and
a retrospective look came into the depths Of
her lovely violet eyes.
They reached Paris, and Roger went boldly
about, knowing himself unacceptable, and
on solid footing as far as his identity was
concerned. He was received as rich Ameri
can Canadian who had made his fortune by