Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1893-07-07
A LOVING bride.

| Oble, the petDs OF the place looked upon
them with dis rust and suspicion until IL
was learned that they had purchased an es-
tate on the ouis skirts Of the town. "'rhey
are good people," then was the cry, 10 dis
tinguish between them and those who have
no property. aud who doubtless are then
| considered bad
Mime. Pipclet was one OF those sentimen-
tai women for whom love Is more passion
| OF the Imagination than of the heart She
had deceived herself into the belief that she
was madly in love with her husband, who
| was an etfomnate, commonplace little man
altogether without force of character. AS
a matrimonial speculation, he had made a
pretty good bargain in marrying Nine. Pip
elet, who brought him snug fortune and
great expectations"
Before her marriage Nine. Pipelet had
| passed her time I'm reading romances and
| dreaming of future existence filled with
the most marvellous adventure. Finally,
| ip despair of being eloped with, she had ac-
oepted the hand OF the inoffensive Pipelet.
"Let us fee, Bertrand" she cried flee
| to better world"
Bertrand mildly suggested the town of
Grenoble as good place TO fee to, and his
romantic bride agreed with delight because
| 1t contained an old fortress where a pris-
oner had sculptured on the walls Of the
tower, with the help of a single nail all the
scenes Of the Passion.
Mime. Pipelet selected a pretty little house
on the banks OF the river. A large garden
full of fine old trees came down to the wa
ter's edge, and the barnyard was a dovecote
filled with white doves.
"Oh, my Bertrand" she would exclaim
In their solitary walks In the garden, show
sweet II Is to be alone when one loves as we
lovep
"Quite right, my dear" said the docile
I, husband as he picked u thread from his
coat sleeve.
my love-" continued Nine Pipelet, rails
ing her eyes to heaven, my love requires
quiet and mystery. Your heart and cot
tage are all desire, oh, my Bertrand"
II think dinner must be ready by this
time" remarked NJ Plpelet, sniffing the
air.
my days" went on his wife, needless of
his interruption. my days are yours till
death, oh, my Bertrand--till death. which
trust will take me first"
II certainly smell the dinner"
"When l think that you may die before
me, my soul Is torn with agony and feel
that shall go mad. Oh, my Bertrand,
what should do desolate and alonel It
cannot bel II must not bel Promise me,
oh, my Bertrand, not to die first"
"Ill do my best" said little Pipelet in a
resigned tone of voice, "but let us go to
dinner"
This sort Of thing occurred day after day,
Nine. Pipelet smothering her unfortunate
husband with protestations Of undying
love, which he bore with the angelic pa
tience Of martyr. Little by little. how
ever. he found bis strength falling away
He sank into the most extraordinary state
Of languor Doctors were called from
Paris, but he baffled them. The cause Of
his disease was apparently beyond them.
His wife alone could have saved him II
she had only loved him a little less. But
her tenderness became something ferocious
as she saw him gradually wasting away be
fore her.
Courage, my Bertrand" she said as she
You will recover, my Bertrand. my life, my
ALI For l love you with my whole soul
] and never tire of telling you So"
Under this despotism of exaggerated af-
fection NJ Pipelet rushed, rather than
walked, toward the grave, and one day,
after his wife had told him for the thou
| sandth time how she loved him, he died in
her arms.
Nine. Pipelet's grief was Of the most
theatrical and picturesque sort. She tore
her beautiful hair, had Mysteries every
| quarter of an hour, threatened to become a
| nun, and finally wound up with the deter
| mination to roast herself on the fagots Of
| the defunct Bertrand. The neighbors, to
| whom such performances We're most novel
| and delightful, crowded the house night
and day and consoled and wept with the
| afflicted widow Among them was good
| looking young fellow of athletic build and
| bronzed complexion. M. Raoul was his
| name, and consultations from his mouth ap
peared to be especially grateful to Nine
| Pipelet.
The widow had hundred portraits paint
| ed of her lost one, and finding them all in
| sufficient to recall poor, dear Bertrand"
she hit upon the plan of creating an illu,
sion as perfect as possible A sculptor was
engaged to model figure In wax from one
| Of the numerous portraits, and this figure,
dressed up in the late lamented's clothes,
presented a second edition of him that was
most lifelike. Every hour of the day the
| widow embraced 1t and pressed it to her
heart convulsively. Whenever neighbors
came In, she delighted In exhibiting 1t.
| Sometimes the grief of the widow complete
| ~ overpowered her. and NJ Raoul, who be
| came more and more intimate In the house,
| then became the widows deputy and per-
| formed the sentimental duty with much
grace. 1t at last became an affair of habit
he ended by showing the figure and di
lating upon its sad history in the monoto-
nous manner of sideshow lecturer" or
book agent
Ten months after the affecting death OF
M. Pipelet the people Of Grenoble were sur
prised one fine day to find the little house
| Of the widow closed up She had departed
for sunny Italy with NJ Raoul, merely
leaving behind note for her attorney bid
| ding him sell the house and all IL contained.
| He at onoe set about the SALE In an old
! divan was found the wax figure dressed
with scrupulous care. Stripped OF its
| clothing 1t was sold to an unknown man for
| francs Is centimes.
II was a glorious morning in August,
| and the side alleys of the Champs Elysees
| were alive with shows Of all kind, holding
| forth amid the din of clarinet, trombone
| and bass drum. In the midst Of the crowd
| were young man and woman, who made
themselves noticeable by their anxiety to
bee all that was to be seen. The young
woman was nibbling bopbons, which she
| bad won at rouge ct noir.
"Oh, my Raoulp she exclaimed, how
amusing II all Is, with its fun and nosel'
you're right, my dear. We must stay
In Paris for month more at least"
What dear you arel Oh. look therei
] see a waxworks show. Let US see 1t by
| all maank"