Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1892-11-24

trustful. Not shadow of any mental
trickery, neither on his part nor on mine.
We were cousins, we were brother and
sister. OF his father, left behind and
watching over his extensive vineyards,
Rene spoke with the tenderness of a
child, and little by little 1 came upon
the gentleness and sweetness of a young
girl hidden away in the character of this
Bedouin. Shall tell you exactly what
I discovered? 1t is this: In all the
glimpse of his life, which up to the pres
ent has been that of a true soldier de-
voted to his profession, don't see any
place for a woman. He has never been
in love, that's certain. I see it, I feel
it. For ten years-he's thirty now-it' s
been his custom to keep a journal.
asked him to let me see it. He promised
to do so without the slightest hesitation
Think of it, dear Blanche, a man of
thirty, an officer being able to hand the
daily record of his life TO young girl to
readl He only had his diary of the cur
rent year with him.
Its fortunate, said he, "for you'd be
bored to death if you attempted to read
many of these books. Filled as they are
with a constant recurrence of the same
subject, you'd find them insufferably
monotonOus."
was anxious to look the book
through at once. Would there be a
mention of me? Why this curiosity on
my part? He sets down everything, so
there must be something about his com
ing to see US. How would he express
himself?
Under date of June Is I-found this:
Yesterday mother received a letter
from Madame de Marias. Her daugh-
ter must be very pretty girl if she has
fulfilled the promise she. gave ten wears
ago"
Farther along, under the date of his
arrival, June "a, found this:
~AdIienne is a very pretty girl, and
very intellectual, too, and very kind"
That's all 1 found, Blanche. I wish
there had been more. 1 had told Cast
mir of my cousins expected arrival. I
had talked about him as if he were a big
boy, not very bright, in fact, a mere
nobody. You would have laughed if you
could have seen his look of astonish-
ment, of disappointment, when the two
men came face to face. 1 hadn't told
him of the transformation which had
surprised me. Why didn't I tell him? I
can't say; possibly 1 didn't want him to
know that 1 had seen any change.
didn't want to seem to have taken any
particular notice Of Rene.
The profession of arms has benefited
mir. He has become a very handsome
fellow, and bears very little resemblance
to your description"
He has been very i'll, 1 stammered.
THAT makes him the more interest
ing" he made answer slowly, and as he
uttered these words Casimir looked
steadily into my eyes. His filed will
sadness. 1 had almost said tears.
yearned to throw my arms around his
no fr1l Il 70 frY.
involuntary display Of jealousy.
wanted to say to him:
Are you out of your wits? Can yol
suppose that Rene seemed to me an,
more than playmate of my childhood
a relative seen after long absence?"
But held my peace. Something toll,
me that that was the best. 1 even ap
peared little nettled by his remark
but in manner only. After all. I wa
not engaged to Casimir; he had n
right to make such a remark. Tn
more so or the less so, as Rene himself
after the presentation, had shown tn
keenest discernment and the creates
delicacy.
Cousin, " he had said to me, there
no need of seeing you and NJ. de Vile
long together for any length of tim
without being able to predict a maj
risge. I must say he impresses me as
most thorough gentleman.
You are in error"
He is not thorough gentleman"
-Oh, yes; but there is no question
any marriage"
Why did I tell this falsehoOd? VIII
impulse led me to utter it? was und
no obligation to make Rene my conf
dant, but I felt that the moment
guessed the truth I would be in hon
bound not to deny it to Casimir. 1 vi
- oil III 4rnr-V 1n1 ofar-
away from Rene. hurried to my roOI
I burst into tears. can write no mo
now. God help mel Would that y
were here, Blanchel
LETTER NO. 4.