Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1891-05-07

sketches in water cOlors.
VerOt found Bauderet's house very
palace OF enchantment; so vague and yet
so effective were the impressions m ade by
its rich tapestry, it's massive mahogany
furniture, it's dim vistas of books and
pictures, and its solemn silence. The
young patrician Frenchman had been
accustomed to old houses, but here, in
this city of the New World, his creole
friend had given him the freedom of one
that seemed filled with an antiquity far
greater than the Roman buildings of
France could boast of-even the most
ruined in old Provence.
Bauderet was anxious to have Verot
see lsobel Des Champs, and, of course,
the young visitor, especially after Bau-
deret's eloquent description, felt quite
willing to meet the beautiful girl. Nor
was he in the least disappointed when he
saw her; indeed, her loneliness so far
surpassed expectation, so dwarfed all
former visions of maidenly attractive
ness, that Verot was struck to the heart
by her first glance.
If Isobel captivated Verot, it was not
a loss of love at first sight, for the hand
some Partisan did not fail to impress her
imagination in turn. From the moment
of their first meeting they were ardent
lovers, as everybody could plainly see,
save only Bauderet. So lost in the in
fatuation of absolute devotion was he
that he could see nothing but Isobel's
dazzling beauty, could hear nothing but
the rich, low music of her creole voice.
Soon enough Verot was in the seventh
heaven of successful courtship-not
courtship, but love-telling and love-listen-
ing-while poor Bauderet went right on
mi of
lordship of Isobel's heart.
The autumn sped; the winter went
like dream, and out flashed the orange
blooms, out poured the mocking-bird
songs, heavily dropped the roses by the
walls. The breezes from the gulf were
sweet and fragrant; <the sky was like
great pale violet tent shutting in the
world with wavering mist-dream of
spring.
The time was approaching for Verot
to depart for France, when one morning
he informed Bauderet that he and Isobel
were to be married, and would set sail
within fortnight to make Paris their
home.
At first Bauderet was stupefied by the
announcement. He gazed almost vacant
ly into his friends eyes, while his face
grew deadly white. Not a feature
moved, however, nor did the quiet smile
quite 60 from his firm, thin lips. 1t was
an admirable exhibition of that self-con-
troll which in those days was so much
cultivated by gentlemen who were in the
habit of settling all matters of personal
disagreement at the point of sword or
muzzle of pistol.
OF course Verot had counted the cost,
and fully expected a duel, but he was
pleasantly surprised to find that Bau-
deret would not demand a meeting.
Furthermore, instead of appealing to the
code, the host, who had been so cruelty
robbed, took the turn of affairs with a
philosophic resignation truly admirable.
After the first great struggle against the
terrible disappointment which the disas-
ter to his hopes had brought, he drew
close to his friend and wished him great
joy.
Verot was both touched and awed by
the strange change that came over Bau-
deret's face and manner. 1t was slow,
mysterious transformation of the man.
His face took on an inscrutable mask of
quiet, almost serene, resignation, behind
which something suggested immeasur-
able depths of poignant suffering. In
his eyes at times burned light which
startled Verot and haunted his dreams at
night.
Love predominates everything, how
ever, and the passionate young Partisan
was so bewildered and blinded in the
rose-mist of happiness that the deepest
significance of Bauderet's conduct was
entirely lost to him. He was aware of
nothing much besides his impending
nuptials, the tender glory of the semi
tropical spring-time, and the wild flut-
ings of the lusty mocking-birds.
| About this time, as is now known,
Bauderet went frequently to see an old
negress, voudoo charm weaver, and
procured from her phial of hideous
poison-a black liquid, thick, rank, fren-
zy-bearing-made from the heads of
snakes, the tails of scorpions, and the
roots of various deadly weeds all stepped
together for many days. Among the
African voudoo workers this liquid was
known by an appellation which meant
"brain burner" 1t was said to induce
madness of the most hopeless kind. Its
connection was attended with the most
solemnly horrible of rites and incanta-
tiOns.
1t was the night before Isobel and YER
OTIS wedding-day. Bauderet appeared
to be in better spirits than usual; he had
some rare old wine brought into the
library, and he and Verot sat up till late
drinking and smoking, while they per-
mitted themselves perfect freedom in
conversation.
Although, as have said, their tastes
were similar, no two men could have
been less alike in personal appearance
than were Verot and Bauderet. The
Partisan was tall, athletic, with blue
eyes and yellow, curling hair, while the
creole was dark, slight, dark-eyed, mys-
FERROUS looking, possessing the singular
magnetism of face at once handsome
and inscrutable. Bauderet's slightness
was not physical frailty, however, for
he was noted swordsman possessed of
extraordinary nervous energy.
1t was late in the night and the lamps
were burning low, the flames Pickering
family and faltering in their brazen sock
cts among the pendant crystal brilliants,
when Baudaret arose and said:
"Well, my dear old fellow, it is grow
ing late, and you must not be drowsy on
your wedding-morn. One more cigar
Just one-the best that Cuba ever gave