The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-05-07
THEOD0RES SACRIFICE.

IL d CSItdlu pretty Town OF france, SIT
uated between Nantes and Tours, on the
river Loire, there stood at the time of our
story number of very pretty dwellings,
each with its little balcony, its vine wreath
ed arbor, and its garden full of gay flowers
set about with high stone wall, 10 the
midst of which stood a prodigious gate
bolted and barred within as though hun
dred burglars were expected every night.
If it had not been for this precaution il
would not have been esteemed proper foI
Mile. Rosine Michaud to walk so often be
tween the bright borders, or sit 50 much
under the old pear trees in her fathers gar
den. Young French ladies are guarded
very carefully by their parents, and seclu-
sion is their portion during theiy maiden
hood. No one was more rigid il regard to
; this matter than VI. Michaud Not that
NJ Michaud intended to doom his daugh.
ter TO celibacy; he had already chosen a
husband for her in the person of the son OF
an old friend, NJ. Thibault. who WAS
equally anxious for an alliance between
the families.
And strange to say the young people
thus betrothed were very much in love
with each other. Ever since be, little
boy playing with other boys in the road
without his fathers gate, had seen Rosine
Michaud, in her tall white crimped cap
and baby shoes of pink kid. toddle by,
clinging to the hand of her nurse, he had
had an admiration for her, and Rosine had
felt fate only too kind to her in giving her
an aflianced husband like Theodore Thi-
bault, when it might well have been some
one whom she detested
Everything was in fine train-the papers
made out, the little house which NJ Thi-
bault was to bestow upon the bridegroom
already furnished, piles Of white muslin
in the seamstresses' hands and the very
rip r.; brought, when an awful thing oc-
Cured
NJ. Michaud and NJ Thibault sitting
down TO dominos one fine day fell into a
quarrel. At first merely polite one; then
an angry one; then a furious one; VI. Nj
chaud called NJ. Thibault a cheat, and NJ.
Thibault called VI. Anchaud a liar NJ
Michaud gathered the dominos in his
hands and was about to hurl them at the
head of N. Thibault. He thought better
of it and caught up his hat, stuck it on his
head sideways, crammed his fists into his
pockets and, without an "adieu" marched
out of the house, calling to his son to fol-
low him.
The end of the affair was dissolution of
the matrimonial engagement between Ro-
sine and Theodore.
In vain Theodore demonstrated In vain
Rosine wept. The old gentlemen were not
to be moved by the unhappiness of the
children. All the deeds that had been
drawn up were Cancelled. The little house
which had been furnished for the bride
and bridegroom was let to an English gen.
tleman sojourning in the place, and the
lovers were forbidden TO speak another
word to each other as long as they both
lived.
Perhaps it was worse for Theodore than
for Rosine. She was permitted to weep as
much as she chose. 1t was only natural
that she should be found sitting disconso-
lately under the pear trees, and she could
eat no dinner, and refuse herself to callers.
Her mother felt great sympathy for her,
and her father felt grieved that he could
not make her happy.
But Theodore, whose feelings were prob
ably stronger. and who felt the injustice of
the old mems conduct more poignantly be-
cause he was not so used 10 consider his
parents word law, was forced to attend TO
business, to talk to his fathers customers,
TO appear in every way as usual, and was
not allowed moment of private converse
tlOu WIFI luc GU etulItuldI- IlbSlnG
grew sad, but Theodore grew angry. She
gave up all hope; he began TO plan meet
ing. At last, having bribed Roses maid
to keep his secret, he confided to the hands
of the girl letter to her mistress, in which
he begged her to steal from the house that
night. and wait under the pear trees beside
the garden wall until he should come to
her.
Rosine, who never disobeyed her parents
in her life, felt as guilty as though she were
about to commit murder when she stole
out of the little side door to keep the rem
devious but nevertheless her heart beat
high with hope at the thought of meeting
Theodore once more. and when at last she
saw through the darkness a form rise
above the wall, stand on it a moment, and
proceed to ascend by means of rope which
was fastened on the other side, she with
difficulty refrained from screaming aloud.
Theodore she whispered; "oh, Theo-
dorei my Theodore! That it should be
wrong for me to meet thee; that we, who
were once betrothed lovers, should come to
thisr'
But the next moment he had caught her
hands and kissed them, and she forgot all
but that they were together.
This was the first meeting but it was
not the last. Night after night, when the
old people were asleep. and in his own
chamber a mile or two away, NJ. Thibault
snored peacefully, Theodore and Rosine
sat side by side more familiarly than they
ever had before, in the garden under the
pear trees, while Nannette. the maid, kept
watch without the little side door
All this had been going on for some
time, when one night Rosine took her
usual place to wait for Theodore. She
heard the stealthy step as usual. She saw
the 1.-THE form mount the wall and stand
in full relief against the golden moon, just
at that moment rising. Then a faint cry
of horror fell upon her ear and it vanished
from hers sight. There was dull thud upon
the earth without, groan, and silence.
Theodore had slipped and fallen TO the
ground For some moments he remained
insensible: Rosine, nearly mad with ter
ror. stood ringing her hands within the
garden.
Her maid, who had seen all, hurried down
the path Neither Of the girls knew what
was best to do. At last Nannette, stout
Young peasant girl, clam bered up into the
largest pear tree, and managed TO get her
chin on a level with the wall She could
not see anything below, but she heard
movement.
IN. Theodore she whispered, speak IL
you can. Ny mistress Is nearly frightened
to death"