The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1891-05-22

fore him without daring to speak 10
him, and he did not even deign to turn
his eyes toward her. She loved him
desperately. She said to me: He is
the only man / have seen oil this earth.
l know not if any others exist
"Her parents died. She continued
their trade; but she took two dogs in
stead OF one-two terrible dogs that no
one would have dared to brave. One
day, on entering this village, in which
her heart had remained, she saw u
young woman come out OF the Chouquet
shop ON the arm Of the man she adored.
She was his wife. He was married.
That very evening she threw herself
into the pond near the mayors house;
A belated drunkard fished her out and
carried her to tho apothetary shop.
"The younger ChouQuet in dressing.
gown came down to care for her, and
restored her to consciousness without
appearing to recognize her. Then he
said to her in o harsh voice: You are
mad You must not be so stupid.
"This sufficed TO cure her. lie had
spoken to her. She was happy for a
long while. He would receive nothing
for his care OF her, though she stoutly
insisted upon paying him. And all her
life passed thus. AS she mended chairs
she thought Of Chouqnct. Every year
she saw him through the window OF the
shop. She acquired the habit Of purchas-
ing Of him supplies OF triAing medicines.
In that. way she saw him close beside
her, spoke to him, and gave him money.
"As l told you when | begun, she died
this spring. After having related her
sud story, she begged me to take to the
man whom she had loved so patiently
all the savings OF her lifetime, for she
had toiled only to put aside and be sure
that he would think Of her, at least once,
after she was dead.
"She gave me 1897 francs. left with
monsieur the euro the twenty-seven
francs for the burial and carried away
the rest when she had uttered her last
sigh,
the Chouquets. They were Just finish
ing their breakfast. They made
me sit down and l began my speech in
an unsteady voice, satisfied that they
would weep. AS soon as he compre-
hended that he had been beloved by
that vagahond, hatchair-mender, Chou
quet leaped to his feet with indignation.
His wife was equally exasperated.
Chouquet strobe about the room, ex-
claiming, This is simply horriblel Oh!
il / had known it when she was alive,
would have had her arrested by the
gendarmes and put in prisonH Twas
stupefied at the result OF my pious un-
dertaking, but / had my mission to
complete, and resumed.
"'She charged me to give you her
savings, amounting to over 1000 francs.
As what l have told you seems to be
very disagreeable to you, it would, per-
haps, be better to give the money to the
poorp
"The man and woman stared at me.
dumb with amazement. ! took the
money from my pocket. Then | de-
handed, What is your decision 2
Madame Chouquet was the first to
speak. Since it was the woman's last
WISH she said, it seems to me that We
cannot well refuse to take the money!
The husband, slightly confused, resumed,
I'VE can ut least buy something with it
for our childrenn
II said, with an air of disgust, as you
please Then handed himthe money,
bowed and took my departure. That
was the only absolutely unseltish love l
ever met with in my life, the love of the
poor chair-mendcr for so unworthy a
man" said the doctor in conclusion.
Then the marquise, who had tears in
her eyes, sighed:
Decidedly, only women know how to
love!"