Sullivan republican. [volume] (Laporte, Pa.) 1883-1896, 1891-10-16
him, even if she made no movement In

Dell, ana sent his valet TO Cne Telegraph
office. Then he looked at his watch,
he had two hours more to live.
"She will have just time to come" he
said, but then he wondered whether she
would come or not. Would that fond
farewell touch her heart, or would the
dignity of an offended woman be mex
orable even to the lastG The agony of
suspense was now added to the anxiety
with which Raymond de Villemere, in
spite Of his gentlemanly self-possession,
counted the minutes as they passed. He
wrote long letter to his mother, and
the act brought tears to his eyes. 1t
was hardly finished when a ring at the
front door bell made him start, and
few seconds later the door of his room
opened and servant announced:
MADAME the Countess de Villemere.
He stood up and turning pale, ex.
claimed:
"Odette!"
The young woman, however, stopped
In the doorway, and with frowning
glance said coldly;
"This is senseless joke"
"a ioke" he exclaimed. "What do
you mean2"
"You sent me dispatch saying that
you were dying, and 1 find you sitting
up writing. Good day, SIR"
She turned round and was leaving
him, when he said:
"Listen, Odette; let me explain. en-
treat you. See, read this letter--only
look at it once!"
He handed her the letter he had just
written to his mother, and when she had
glanced at the first page, she said:
"Then it is true. Oh, my poor darl-
ingl"
The next minute she had thrown her.
self upon his neck aud burst into sobs.
Long they stood there, clasped in
close embrace which seemed to contain
their regrets for their few months of
happiness and their remorse for their
wasted years. At last they sat down,
hand in hand, struck dumb, over
whelmed with sorrow. But the Count
recollected what was due to the dignity
of his noble ancestors, one of whom, his
grandfather had whistled an air from
the Indies Galantes as he mounted the
scaffold in '93.
''Bahl'' said Raymond, with a smile.
81 have nothing to complain of; ought
to feel thankful for being allowed to die
of a nalady which will be the fashion
tomorrow but Odette stopped him
with glance Of reproach. Women are
not fond of such iorny.
Tbo, thor to1l-ad of ha poct in lOw
tones, as if they were already in funeral
chamber, and in spite of themselves they
smiled at the thought of the days gone
by. When they glanced round the room
many trifling object served to recall
some event which occurred before their
marriage. A hunting scene hanging on
the wall made them hear once more the
merry .'Hallalisl Whoop!" piercing the
November mist, and they spoke of their
long rides side by side over
the dried leaves of the forest.
Some tiny dusty fans on the
mantel carried them back to a cotillon
danced together and to their Irritation
under the exotic plants in the green
house. Then they wandered in fancy
along the green, cool pathways of the
Bois de Boulogne, lunched in the Chi
nese Pavilion, and came back by the
Champs Elysees to the busy, bustling
city, parting for few hours only, I'M
patient to meet again (after the tiresome
club and the five o'clock tea) at the
opera, or, still better, to pass quiet
evening together at her home.
Raymond and Odette ere so busy
with their "reminiscences chat they lost
all sense of tune, and of the catastrophe
which had brought them together again.
A ring at the front door reused them
suddenly, and they looked at each other
in acute anguish.
"Moniseur, Doctor Darlois, said ser
want as the door of the room opened,
and the new conner exclaimed in amaze
ment.
"Whatl Up2 And came to"
"To what2" asked Raymond de Vile
mere.
II came in order to report your
death, said the physician.
'.Thanks for the attention, Doctor"
said the Count with a smile, aud Madame
de Villemere exclaimed anxiously,
s'He Is cured then"
''Evidently, Madame. 1t is very
strange, the Echo des Cliniques of last
week gave a most conclusive article on
Mona. However, am sincerely thank.
full, quite delighted"
The good man was glad, of course,
but yet at the bottom of his heart there
was tiny grain of annoyance.
The Count whispered in his wife's
ear:
'sShall we ask him to dine with us
this evening, dear9'-From the French,
in Epoch.
Feat of Strong Man.
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