Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1891-10-22
RENIE'S ROMANCE.

Ally II - lNOM n 1NOLs
Renie Normand opened my studio door
the other afternoon and received the
hearty welcome he had n right to expect.
We clasped hands, and after exchanging
EXPLANATIONS of greeting and surprise,
peered earnestly into each others eyes.
For il was ten years or more since we
had last met; and we had changed in
those ten years; so we looked curiously
into each Others faces. Ten years and
more was stamped upon us since last we
met, but still we stood well on our feet
and our hands clasped firmly. But how
handsome Renie had grown! He always
was handsome, but this, his mature man
ly beauty, was wonderful. His dark
once-laughing eyes now had subdued
sadness in their expression, his mouth
was irmcr, and his curls, that had once
been so blue black, were strongly mixed
with gray.
"You can rest" said to Pauline, the
model, who was staring ut us, wondering
at our silence after the first greetings.
had many questions to ask Renie, and
mdny to answer about those past years,
and l put down my palette and we began
our ross-questioning. How odd it is TO
greet friend you have not seen for
years! friend you have cared for, been
intimate with, and who suddenly dropped
out of your life long ago. You stand
face to face with him again, hold his
hand and hear the old familiar voice; and
there is the same freedom and familiarity
in manner now as before, and yet be-
tween you is an Invisible space of years,
tremendous void that can never be
filled
We talked-hardly that, we asked
question for question. scarcely waiting
for the answer, for still we understood
each other with half word. We had
known something of each others lives
not much-from paragraphs in newspa-
pers, had exchanged New Years cards
not much more; and that was very little
considering how intimate we had once
been in the Iutin Quartcrund afterwards
in the long summer time at Fontaine-
bleau. And as we talked Pauline lay
curled up in the corner amongst the cush-
ions listening; no one minds model
listening.
$50 you have been professor all
these years at Bordeaux; but you came
TO Paris somctimes:"
Yes, once or twice year"
"And you never came to see me"
What was the use of ringing your
bell III summer"
That's true"
"Or in winter; twice tried to find
you when came up at New Years and
you had followed the sun SOUTH
II am afraid am rather unsettled"
Il remember when YOU were settled
you were always talking of going some
where. But am coming to Paris next
year. expect TO have professorship
here soon, and then | shall dispute you
oftspsy, Butt me who will be there
"The old set-not many" ] replied,
shaking my head"
Where are the Grands,' Renie con-
tinued, "who used to live ON the Avenue
de Ia Grand Armee?"
"Oh they? They-went back to Eng
land years ago."
Il am sorry; | shall miss them. What
strange, delightful evenings-nights l
should say--we used to have there, and
what strange crowd il was! DO you
know always enjoyed those long walks
home in the gray morning light. long,
lone mast m;dn;cbt. when no sound was
beayd ON the streets bnt the distant mnr-
+ ~ wagons the AIsotian neasant sweep-
inc and the early twitterino bird"
e.Apd do Won Remember. (" INTERRUPTED.
,.tbe SIMMER that nipht NJ Madame Saw.
ages. the night of the snow-storm. when
the coachmeS. not ours. send in word
thew could not wait longer. and Madame
invited them 70 supperY"
And what has become of Madame
uodome--o Ren;e besitnted irving 70
her name. ..wbo was Miss
KandleY',..
shes dead"
.Dead?"
All the light suddenly went out of
Renios eyes that stared wildly at me.
Dead" he repeated. and then trying
TO pull himself together, asked, what
did she die Off"
"Ennui." answered.
ats awfully hot here" exclaimed
Pauline, who, with woman's tact and
wisdom. had thrown the window wide