Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1892-06-15

AOunotSG silence. IfGIneulaIely aIter-
ward R9onl took his hat.
you are going out, Raoul:' i,szarded
Louise softly.
''If You will kindly permit me-
And out he went, but not with an as
sured step. On the staircase he stopped
to listen.
''She did not ask me, even," thought
he wonderingly, "if / were going to be
late. How strange! But it proves what
1 belieyed-that have been too weak
with her in the first months Of our mar
riage."
Once in the street he paused again
irresolutely, not knowing where to go;
but finally strolled on at random, but
toning his gloves and still uneasily re-
flecting. His wife was the best little
woman i'll the world, but-he had been
too weak with her, there was no doubt
Of it,
AT the tobacconist's on the corner he
stopped to light his cigar. On the boule-
wards all the cafes were open, u crowd
filling the chairs. All, how good it was!
To stroll at ones ease in Paris one must
always SlrOll alone.
He passed before his old club, blazing
with light and astir with men, but he
dared not enter, though he had great
desire to do so; he dreaded the smiles
that would greet his appearance and
and crossed to the opposite side.
Then, too, how irritating it was when
he gave his arm to his wife to have her
make those long stops before the jewel
ers' and milliners' that always made him
so furious. Yes, he was right-to stroll
agreeably in Paris one must be alone.
Nevertheless, two hours later, filled
with remorse, he turned his steps home
ward to find his wife with red eyes.
"Crying!" thought he; actually cry
ing, as if I couldn't leave the house a
moment without her behaving as if l had
really deserted herr And instead of
embracing her, as he really wished to
do, he calmly mounted the stairs with
an icy little "Good night, my dear!'
Louise, on her side, was far from
stupid; her husband was bored when
with her-she felt it; she felt, too, that
even the rustic of her skirts irritated
Raoul. What should she do? The best
she could, at all events; and by thou
sand and one little wifely efforts and
attentions she sought to re-establish the
tender little chats and jokes and joyous
laughter in the corner by the fire. But
the very restraint that she imposed upon
herself made the effort abortive. Time
and again she opened talk with him in
the old, light hearted fashion, only to
be thrown back upon herself by cold
OF nonchalant Eyes" or "no" from Raoul,
accorded without even raising his eyes.
More than all, too, she was wounded iii
her self respectWhe trying on dress
or hat before him, ON the effect Of which
she had counted, to receive only an in
different, mo, it isn't bad, that dress
or hat-but, had 1 been you, I'd have
taken yellow in place of that blue"
Proud little Louise Only woman
and wife would know how she suffered.
This state of things had lasted perhaps
month, when one evening, Raoul, who
was still at table, received note, all
sealed and white and dainty perfumed.
''Allow me-" said he, addressing his
wife; and he tore open the note, which
ran:
My DEAR RAoUL-Who knows if it would
not be agreeable to you to find yourself again
in that little restaurant of the Bois de VIM
cennes, which is in the middle Of the water.
1t is room No. 8. Is it not, whose windows
open upon the lake? have an idea that Tues
day p. m. tomorrow that room will be free.
What do you think? At all events it will be
well to see.
Toward O'Clock the sun will have, gono be-
hind the trees; it will be fresh and cool in that
little chalet and the fillets chateaubriand there
are simply delicious. Thine. AMANDA. \
amanda, Amanda" said Raoul to
himself; "where the devil have | known
an AmandaY and he remained a mo-
ment pondering.
"Is it bad news?' asked Louise quietly.
Then he remembered his wife's pres
ence, and answered like man interrupt
ed by an importunate chatterer, mo,
no-only from my tailor" And as he
hurriedly began to sugar his coffee to es-
cape looking his wife in the face it
seemed to him, from the corner of his
eye, that she was observing him fxedly
Thrown off his balance, he did not tear
up the note, as one usually does with
tailor's effusions, but replaced it care
fully in the envelope and slipped it into
his pocket. Stranger still, and still
more difficult thing to explain, he was
charming all the rest of that evening.
That letter and Amanda-whom he
rould not recall the least In the world
roused in him, apparently, the gayest
fancies. He was fattered, though he
would never have admitted it, that there
were some who did not believe the old
spirit entirely dead in him.
81 shall certainly go to that rendez-
vous," he told himself, land it is well for
me that am not like some men. Very
few indeed could resist a moment Of
madness, which for me will be only
moment of frolic. To go ON as 1 am is
to rust out like iron. All, how lucky it
is for me, too, that my wife is an angel!
She does not suspect, poor darling; not
the least in the world" He turned to
look at her bending TRANQUILITY over her
embroidery and murmured again, mo,
not the least in the world~ And with
staggering air he began to pace the
salon, humming to himself with salts
faction, like one who is armed to the
peern ana who tells himself, 81 kill no
one; it is only because am good-how
good they do not know" And really,
feeling himself at that moment of su-
perior essence, he was happy as king.
Next morning, while breakfasting,
Raoul could not resist the temptation to
explain what tillet chateaubriand was,
and how to cook it.
eff you would like one this evening""
said the young wife, suppose try it"
''No, thanks; spoke Of it, but do not
want it. Moreover, it would not be pos
sible this evening"" and he thrilled with
pleasure at putting his foot on the slip
perry incline, persuaded that he at least
would not fall.
"But why not this EVENING"" Louise
persisted.
"Have I not told you, then? l met
Paul Varennas today, and promised to
dine with him tonight. His brother, he
says, has just returned from Mexico. l
tzied to excuse myself, but he insisted
80 much that couldn't get out of it, you
know"