Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-05-03

gravely. arranging the cards. with her eyelids
cast down. as il she hardly liked TO meet her
aunts eyes while she spoke of sacred things.
Happier? Happy-happier- happiest. Those
are idle words, child. / don't believe anybody
Is happy. don't believe in he existence OF
happiness"
ooh, you are wrong, aunt, There are mo-
ments, hours, days in this life perfectly and
beautifully happy"
We'll, suppose I was happy in my time
happy that Easter night when Quljada followed
me home from the church door and talked TO
me while my mother walked on ahead with my
elder sister, your mother, little suspecting that
/ had an sdmirer making love to me under
cover of the darkness. We had only a couple
of rooms to live in and thirty francs a week to
live upon; but il was all bright enough for the
first year. and then, and then, found out
things about my clever young husband. There
was more money. but it wasn't come by very
honestly, and we had to leave Marseilles one
night in secret, never to go back there. We
came to Paris of course-everyb body comes to
Paris-and Dolores was born in a little street
near st. German IAuxerois, where we strug-
gled on sOmehow-till the end came for my
husband. the bitter. cruel end. Are you ever
going to get me that mouthful of cognac?"
Yes. yes. aunt. but indeed YOU would be
better without L."
How dare you dictate to me? | am sick
and faint with thinking of my wretehed past.
Get me some cognac this instant"
Louise left the room and returned with a
tiny carafe and Titania's Venetian goblet She
did all she could 70 discourage her auns's grow
ing propensity for alcohol, but she was only a
dependent. She might demonstrate, but she
was compelled TO obey.
He was arrested at g. low dancing place,
among men and women Of the vilest character,
men who were like bad women. women who
were like vicious men," pursued Madame Qui-
Jada. eagerly helping herself to tine cognac
with a tremulOus hand
Why dwell upon those bygone troubles? I
know all the sad story"
1T does me good to talk-anything is better
than the silence of this ghastly rOom--white
and gOld-so white, SO cold and cherries, like
room meant Tor ghosts. 1t is relief to talk
OF what suffered in those days. He was
arrested for robbery, swindling, long series
Of frauds. and he was taken to prison. never
saw him alive again. He hanged himself at
daybreak. within two hours of his arrest;
hanged himself with silk handkerchief upon
the iron bar of the prison grating before he
had been even examined by the JUICE dinstruc-
ton. and before his jailers thought it neces-
sary 20 take any special precautions against
suicide"
You we're much to be pitied. aunt" said
Louise. quietly putting away the neat little
boxes of cards.
''Oh, have had a dreadful life. Louise. I
have been surrounded by criminals" cried
Madame Quijada, after two or three little
glasses.
Don't talk of it. aunt" repeated her niece,
with a sudden vehemence. You ough. to be
wiser than to talk to me OF the past. knowing
how much | have suffered-knowing that
shall never cease to suffer from that bitter
memory. that the very presence of that man
IN the room STILES me. | cannot breathe when
he Is near me. feel as if / must fall upon
him and kill him. as he killed -"
Hush hush cried her aunt. looking ap-
prehensively toward the door. You are right
We ought never to talk of the past. 1t is dan
gerous. dangerous in every way. Heaven be
praised. We have not heard of your brother for
six months. We may never hear of him
again"
All. l always dread him most after an inter-
val of absence. He will reappear as he has re-
appeared before-or, if not, we shall read of
some crime that has been committed in some
foreign city and We shall know that it is his
work. He has neither heart nor conscience.
Can L ever forget. do You think, how he killed
the man idolized-the best and most gener-
Gus of men? Can ever forget how he used
my name-name forevermore hateful to me
as lure to draw that good. brave man to his
death? And yet he dares to come into room
where annie dares to offer me his hand, red
with the stain of murder"