Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1892-12-08
NINA.

Charles Harcourt was one OF the most
intrepid habitues Of the Chateau Rouge
and La Grande Chaumiere; in fact OF
all 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 1t was among these pretty girls
sellers of flowers, embroiderers of linen.
and painters models--that he managed
to forget the terrors of the hospital and
the scenes c. the surgical amphitheater.
Charles Harcourt had just arrived at
the time of life when 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 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 a 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 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 Tor his vivac-
ity and the boldness of his speech and
gesture. Finally, when the violins hay >
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 his days at L'Ecole 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 jeal-
ously the dangerous happiness OF a
union contracted without the help of
le maire and which is called morgauatic
to avoid the use of less delicate phrase.
His conquest Of the ball was named
Nina. She was good and afectionate
child, and in spite of the anacreontic
quadrilles of the Latin quarter, she was
innocent. She had kept her heart in
tact. It was her sole economy. Charles
and Nina loved one another like two Of
La Fontaine's doves. But Nina was 9
consumptive, and Charles read with af
fright the death Of his happiness in the
paling face of his beloved.
His care of her was untiring; but this
implacable malady never releases, ant
soon in kiss Charles received his mis-
tress's last sigh. Nina died in the hos
pital; her long illness having exhausted
their feeble resources, and Charles hat
the cruel courage to deliver the body o.
his beloved to the Investigations of tht
pathologist. He wished to pursue, ever
in the flesh, this rival who had killed
her. He made use of a cynical usage tt
preserve the skull. This, with plaster
mask nodded upon the emaciated body
of the dead girl, was all that remained
to him.
Mina's loss affected Charles profound
ly. Out of character frivolous ant
careless, devoted only to coarse pleas
ures, had grown deep and serious love
| This honest and generous affection hat
stifed the germs of evil. Nina dead
he was seized as by 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.
In this ocean Of false pleasures the re
membrance of Nina was drowned, an,
q petulant little grisette called Mariett
took her place. One night in Novembe
Mariette and one of her friends, Charles
and one of his companions were togethe
in a little house on the Rue Ores. Tn
night was cold and sinister; masses o
heavy clouds were driven across gra,
sky, the moon showed her mounful fac
only at intervals, sudden showers bea
upon the windows, and the wind howle,
at the cracks.
These four young people drank an
sang, unaffected by the storm and thei
strange environment. 1t was the strang
medley of the students life that showe
in the small room-here signs of work
and there the broken bottles of drink
ing bout. A small table held drie
tibia, pile of medical works, som
empty wine bottles and some articles 0
the toilet. There, too, was the plaste
cast of the dead Nina, figure slende
to meagerness, the eyes cavernous an
empty, the lips distorted into painful
smile, the plaster discolored by the kisse
placed upon those lips in eternal fare
well. Upon the chimney we're candle
small clock and human skull. A
one side tiny couch, on the walls rack
for pipes and some cheap Autographs
Mariette and her friend Rose lounge
about in untidy dishabille. Earnes
made pretense of study, while Charles
dulled by the warm and heavy air G
the room, leaned on the long table i
silence. 1t was q group worthy Of tn
brush of Callot.
"What is the matter with Charles;
cried Ernest, shutting his book noisil!
che is as sober as merchant"
"He is thinking Of Nina" said Mar
ette, bitterly.
"Whco a.ristresais Is hrlried. that ourl
Newspaper Endorse.
; Educators are certainly the greatest bel
efactors of the race, and after reading d
franklin Miles popular works, cannot hel
declaring him to be among the most ente