Evening journal., 1892-12-13
NINA.

ANdIltS IAuINOhIl WAS bllt VI lllt iAloob
intrepid habitues Of the Chateau Rouge |
and La Grande Chaumiere; in fact of |
an those choreographic establishments |
which the Partisan grisette visits regu- |
larly in order to lose her heart-and not
infreQuently her rosy cheeks and the
freshness Of her youth.
Harcourt pretended to study medicine,
and it was among these pretty girls
sellers of flowers, embroiderers of linen,
aud painters models-that he managed
to forest the terrors Of the hospital and
the scenes a. the surgical amphitheater.
Charles Harcourt had just arrived at
the time of life when a soft down shows
on the lip, when love knocks at the
breast and when the heart resembles a
lusty tree, full Of vigor, from which has
fallen as yet neither leaf nor fruit.
The trombones of the orchestra roar,
like thunder on a stormy sea; the vio-
Inns scream like sea gulls above the
waves: the music rolls and growls like
some hungry beast. All is confusion.
White shoulders and gold lace CLEAN
through the heavy air The innocent
and the guilty dance together in the
same delirious motion.
While the dancers turn and whirl,
advancing wildly and as wildly retreat
ing. far in n corner sits a slender girl
watching the dance with an air Of sad
ness Her mournful eyes follow the
crazy motions of the crowd with aston
ishment, and a light sigh moves the
folds of null on her breast.
In the midst Of this indescribable
confusion, this pellmell Of figures and
voices appears that of a handsome boy
OF twenty-five, remarkable for his vivac-
ity and the boldness Of his speech and
gesture. Finally, when the violins have
ended their agonizing cries and the
lamps are dying before the oncoming
daylight. this boy, whom his friends sa-
lutte as Harcourt, leaves the ball, new
conquest upon his arm-it is the slender
brunette Of the corner.
Charles Harcourt appeared no more
at the balls OF the Latin quarter, but
spent hs days at LEcole de Medicine,
passing his first examinations with dis
tinction. In one of those fascinating
little houses-such are Beranger pre-
tends to have inhabited at twenty
Charles made his home, guarding ieal-
ously the dangerous happiness Of a
union contracted without the help Of
le maire and which is called morganatio
TO avoid the use of a less delicate phrase
IIi5 conquest of the ball was named
Nina. She was good and affectonate
child. and I'm spite of the anacreontic
quadrilles of the Latin quarter, she was
innocent. She had kept her heart in
tact IL was her sole economy. Charles
and Nina loved one another like two of
la Foutaines doves. But Nina was a
eonsumptive, and Charles read with ai-
fright the death of his happiness in the
pahng face Of his beloved.
His care of her was untiring; but this
implacable malady never releases, and
soon in kiss Charles received his mis-.
tresss last sigh. Nina died in the hos.
ptal: her long illness having exhausted
their feeble resources. and Charles had
the cruel courage TO deliver the body OF
his beloved to the investigations of the
pathologist. He wished to pursue, ever
in the flesh, this rival who had killed
her. He made use Of a cynical usage tC
preserve the skull. This, with plaster
mask nodded upon the emaciated body
of the dead girl, was all that remained
10 him.
1lnas loss affected Charles profound
ly. out of character frivolous an,
careless devoted only to coarse pleas
ures- had grown a deep and serious love
This honest and generous affection ha'
sthed the germs of evil. Nina dead
Ao was seized as by a vertigo, and h
plunged into the abyss. He found him
self face TO face with evil, and threw t
this monster the rest Of his youth.
I'm this ocean of false pleasures the re
mcmhrance of Nina was drowned. an
apetulant % little grisette called Mariett
took her place. One night in Novembe
9arstte and one of her friends. Charlie.
and one of his companions We're togethe
In q little house on the Rue Ores. Tn
night was cold and sinister; masses {
heavy clouds were driven across a gra
sky. tie moon showed her mounful fac
only at intervals, sudden showers bei
upon the windows, and the wind howle
aU the cracks.
These four young people drank an
sang, unaffected by the storm and the
strange environment. 1t was the strane
in the small room-here signs of worl
and there the broken bottles of drinl
ing bout A small table held a drie
ua. a pile of medical works, son
empty wine bottles and some articles
the toilet. There, too. was the plastl
cast of the dead Nina. figure slend'
tomcagerness. the eyes cavernous an
empty the lips distorted into a painfi
smile, the plaster discolored by the kiss
placed upon those lips in eternal far
welly pom the chimney were a candl
N i1all clock and human skull Z
ONE side a tiny couch. on the walls racl
for pipes and ome cheap lithograpi
9lameite and her friend Rose lounge
about m untidv dishabille. Earne
madel pretense of study while CharlC
danoi ly the warm and heavy air
the r0on, leaned on the long table
silence ID was a group worthy of q
uush of Caliot.
taI D..