The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-12-06

/ About clock in the afternoon along
the Rue Montaigne a young girl walks
| alone Tall. slight, wearing q dress or
! iron-gray cashmere, with a cape OF the
same stuff on her shoulders, and on her
brown hair black lace hat, whose large
brim almost conceals her face. One may
know, however, simply to see her pass, not
what her state of life may be, but that she
| Is Parisieune. Parisienne by education, as
by birth. Il IS only Paris which can give
to women that are born and live there
this assured and harmonious gait, this trick
! Of carrying the head high, of picking up
The skirt over the polished boot; this mars
| Yelous art of dressing, and of wearing with
the simplest garments the true pairician
| air. Every "Parisienue' is not so, but to
/ be so one must have breathed from child
| hood the intellectual atmosphere Of Paris,
! must have been in touch with its refine
ments; in a word, must be 'Parisienne."
The young CIR! goes straight on, not look
| ing to one side or the other. without seeing
| the people who turn when she has passed to
| gaze at the proud silhouette, whose pure
| eyes betray the perfect beauty Of her per
sonality.
Thus she reaches the postoflce. There
she stops, hesitating. At a glance she takes
| in the streets to her right and left Then,
| with quick movement she pushes the door
aud enters the Offices among the goers and
| corners who present themselves at this hour
| before the wtckets. At one of these wiokeIs
| she places herself 10 the line. leaning on the
slab her gloved hand, in which she nervously
cramples scrap OF paper. When her turn
| is come she pushes before the employee under
the raised grating, without uttering word.
this scrap Of paper, upon which three capi-
tai letters are placed.
"B. V. b., murmurs the employe, as IL
| TO engrave them on his memory.
He takes from pigeon-hole behind him
package Of letters; looks at their ad-
l. l.
young girl one which she hastily takes
possession Of, SO trembling and SO troubled
that when some seconds later she fluids her
self in the street, she could not tell if the
man who had just handed it to her is young
or old, dark or fair-she has not even seen
him.
Now she has resumed her ordinary gait
She returns by the avenue of the Champs
Eiysees at a tranquil pace. hiding under the
forced calm of her face the agonized emo
ton which wholly possesses her and against
her heart under the cape the letter which
she burns to read but dare not yet open.
Arrived at the Round path, she turns to
the left sheltered by the huge trees, which
at this side border the avenue. She walks
until she finds q vacant chair. When she
has discovered ono she drops into IL ex-
heusted, worn out, and rests there notion
less. Her eyes half closed, her face color
less, waiting for the loud beats OF her
|
lence.
All around her are seated young mothers,
nurses, BONES and children playing noisily;
their joyous shouts fill the air, blended with
the dull noise made by horses and car
riages on the wooden pavement, and with
the music of the Snowman from the other
side Of the park, who has his enter tainment
in the open air.
When she has seated herself here, all eyes
are directed toward her. But soon the
curiosity of the people grows tired. They
have ceased to observe her She feels her
self free, more calm, and then she decides to
open the letter which trembles in her
fingers, with the fever which agitates her.
She tears open the envelope, breaking the
seal. At a stroke the fawn is pulveriZed.
His flute is taken from him. He ceases to
dance. He will never dance again. And
slowly, governed by an unconscious terror,
she unfolds as if sorrowfully, the double
sheet of paper which the envelope contained.
She opens it and reads.
o, how quickly she runs over these lines
which she has waited for so many days.
The time of her waiting has been divided
between hope and encouragement. She
: has known the anxious length of hours dur
ing which one calls in vain upon that which
ought to come, the narrowing anguish
! which mistrust and doubt cause the heart.
She has believed herself united to him
! whom she loves and whom confidlng in his
promises, fascinated by his attractions, and
conquered by his prayers she has
given herself up in defiance
of duty. And now at this moment
to find herself deceived, dishonored, aban-
doned. victim Of her illusions aud her Gre
dulity. Her morbid fancy has turn by turn
borne her to the radiant submits which
love glorIhes. and preoipitated her into the
abysses which treason hollows, and this pun
ishment which she could not have resisted
inc lfo Of ryyfh hi h11
sustained by her ardent faith in the man
who holds her destiny. This punishment
has lasted indefinitely. And now
And now in one moment an end has come.
But only come for another beginning more
horrible and more cruel. One look at this
abomineble letter, and she has decided. For
with one look she has deVoured every line OF
it, from first to last, without forgetting one
so well that every word which composes it
is craven on her memory, and death only
can efface them.
A groan comes from her lips. She leans
forward. Under her veil her eyes close,
blinded by tears, and she rests thus, twist
ing between her fingers the letter which has
just revealed to her that she is lost-forever
lost.
Yes, losti for the abandonment of which
she is victim, renders her unworthy to bear
, the name of an honest man, unworthy
! also of the brave people whose daughter
can no longer hide her misfortune and
shame, when for those who loved and es-
I teemed her she would be only an object Of
contempt. She will be sheltered no more
Her parents, whose hopes she has deceived,
! will spurn her. And these misfortunes
! will be the work OF man whom she
! adorned and who brutslly has just broken
i her heart and destroyed her life in refusing
to marry her.
, The day wanes. A light fog rises in the
I air. warm still with the rays of the sun
just dying. IL wells the serenity of the
heavens where the stars begin to rise
l On the bank Of the Seine, leaning against
I one Of the piers of the Point Royal, a
v woman is standing. Motionless she watches
the water which little by little grows
y. darker, above her head the bridge shakes
under the carriage wheels which pass
4 To the right and left along the
= quays on the two banks OF the river the
4 night begins to brighten by degrees from
the flame of the street lamps lighted one
i after the other. The string of light lengthens
r little by little. embracing within its reddish
n glow all that from this point one can see OF
a Paris, and transforms into bit of fairy
scenery the distances lost in the fog.
q Boats laden with passengers form a line
: along the river, stop at the landings to take
:. on people or let them Off, AMI give to the
= Saiua ha IF 81 Uida straot brirb,