The Opelousas courier., 1892-07-09

him every day how can I but see him
Do I not buy of him sugar and tea and
oil that VIC have to eat?"
ssIf you were wise you would not b.
compelled to buy food in a little store
like that. Listen: Monsieur, the cap
tain, has told me that if he marries he
will buy the whole house. All, think OF
q whole housed"
"But We arc comfortable in three
rooms"
"Bahl We liHGi. But eomfos4ablal
You have no sense, Nanettel Twice
already has the captain spoken to me.
You will lose him."
"Let him gol have my work and
we have FIVE huadred dollars in bank.
Why should | marry an old horror like
thati9"
"He is not horrible"
"No, you are right. He is kind and
good, and l am sorry he will love me
when / cannot love him."
"But, why2"
"Ah. why2n said Nanette, Struggling
her pretty shoulders. But she ran away
then and began to concoot a marvellous
omelet for supper, singing IN a loud
clear voice, so that her mother could not,
make her hear from where she sat in an
inner room. Why! Never a word OF
love had the young grocer spoken, though,
his honest eyes told his alteration; but
Nanette knew that she always had the
choice of the market set aside for her,
and there was always a little overweight
of all the choicest things in her basket.
But the attentions Of the captain soon
became a burden; not because OF his
prosecutions, but because Madame Hill
lien became fretful and e8acting on the
subject. 1t WIS all feolishness on.
Nauette's part, and no modest girl re-
fused the husband her mother offered her,
she said.
But Nauette had been too long in
America, though she was but twenty
two, to give up her freedom of choice
for any old French custom.
"IIere girls choose their own hus-
bands" she said.
And Madame Hillen screamed:
"You would offer yourself to him?"
aNots 10 bad as that, mamma, though
this is leap-year," said Nanette, for 1888
was but a week old.
"Leap-year! All. you are a bold
grill"
But Nanette was not bold, and her
tender heart was sore over her lovers
silence. He was her lover; of that she was
sure; but he was poor, Sc very poor,a n
needed a wife to help him grow rich.
How she could help himl How she
would save in house keeping, and make his
clothes last twice as long, and tidy up
the rooms the open door showed to be
so forlorn. She was a true woman, this
little Nanette, longing to give loyal SER
vice where she gage loyal love. But he
would not speak.
ut is already two years we have been
in the house," Nanette thought, 'ssand I
know he loves me-"
Something wonderful happened just at
this time. There was an old uncle in
France, a closc-isted miser, who had re-
fused often and often to help his
widowed sister By SO much as q pinch of
salt, and he died, leaving to Nanette a
sum that made ten thousand American
dollars.
It fairly stunned the little milliner.
To be SO rich as that, when-and here a
choking Sob came into her throat-when
the man she loved had not a good coat
to his back, though he worked faithfully
to earn one. Nanette grieved over her
access of fortune as much as she rejoiced.
She shrewdly suspected the cause of
Georges silence, and knew that this
legacy would be another bar between
them. Already her mother was talking
of moving into q better neighborhood
and more commodious apartments.
The captain had offered his congratu-
lations rather ~ruefully approaching the
weight of this new phase of affairs.
sI was sure of the mother,n he
thought, stbut now I am not so sure"
It was dusk when he ratified the key
in his own door, and did not see q tall
figure zeal him, until a familiar voice in
the darkness, said:
.sMay I leave the keys of the basement
with you, captain2'
aHey, What2 You are going aWay?"
eyes, I am going away" said George
Davis, very sadly. II hope you will be
very happy"
ooh, you do! Pray, what is there to
make me especially happy, just now2"
Then George flashed out:
eff such a woman as Nanette were
going to marry me, I should not ask
question" and something suspic-
iously like a sob ended the sentence.
"Who told you / was going to marry
Nanette2o
MADAME HilIien.n
uThen she told a-ahem!-she made
a serious mistake. Nanette has refused
me distinctly on separate occasions. so'
way is open to you"
"Ah, no! / am 50 poor, so very poor,
you see. I have no capital to start any
thing, and lean only scratch out the
barest living. And now this money has
come. No! I will 60 awayi You see
I love her S much, I cannot stay any
My heart is breaking
Old eonidencesl Well, yes; but I
think it must have been the dark that
their hearts to each other. They
such honest, childlike hearts, both
Of them, to belong to great, bearded
men.
/ am quite sure the dark was unan-
swerable for what followed. George wa
standing leaning against the banister
when be said: %
My heart is breakingls
Suddenly there was a little soft rustic