Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1893-08-12
4 PaRISIgN EPISODE.

II was in 1870; the war had just beer
declared
Marshal MacMahon had received or
ders' to paralyze by a bold stroke the
combined action of Northern and South
ern Germany.
In Paris--as in all France-the fever
of anxiety shook everybody. People
strove to escape from the anguish OF
waiting by the excess of pleasure and
discounted in advance-or. at least,
feigned to--the first victory by giving
the reign to folly. The opcn-air restau-
rants mingled their tumultuous CHATTER OF
arms with the trumpet flourishes of the
Champs Elysees; the lights of the cafes
chantants illuminated enlaced couples,
who glided toward the gloom; brilliant
toilets bloomed in the groves of the
public gardens. Like every place where
the intoxication of forgetfuness was
sold, the theatres were crowded to over
flowing, and among them was one of the
principal boulevard theatres in which
the public, thronging from parquet to
dome, seemed one evening particularly
impatient.
The audience had assembled there tc
witness the debut of Mile Jane de Boil
ney-that was the nom de theatre of the
those who knew her-and the journals
repeated their judgment - had been
proclaiming in advance that a star of the
first magnitude was about to rise in the
French dramatic sky
She was known to be handsome; she
was said to be entirely devoted to her
art. marvelousy gifted and of natural
brilliancy, which illuminated everything
as soon as she appeared
She had, for her debut, chosen "La
Dame aux Cameliaso then still in the
radiance of its first success, and it was
known that the author of the play had
said that the role of Marguerite seemed
to have been written for her, and for her
alone
The result, indeed, had justified from
the first act the most enthusiastic predic-
tions. The mere presence of Jane de
Bolney had, in fact, sufficed to win every
heart, to delight every eye. When the
spectators had seen that exquisite crea-
ture advance. with her tall and willowy
figure; when they had perceived that
pale, fine face, with lips at once naughty
and caressing, with limpid blue eyes,
with pure and vigorous forehead and
white complexion; when, by graceful
movement of that profile of supreme ele-
gance, they had seen revealed supple
and proud neck and pink little ear
which shone like pearly shell against
a golden flood of hair floating down over
the back of the neck, murmur of admi-
ration had arisen from the dense crowd,
and, by its prolonged buzz, had inter-
rupted for long minute the dialogue of
the actors.
From that moment the ovation had in
creased, and the second act had ended
in an explosion of triumph which no past
success had equaled.
Among those whom this victory had
most deeply affected was Louis Belcourt,
one of the pensonnaires of the theatre,
thanks to whom Jane, whom he had
loved from her early youth, had sue
ceeded in making her debut; in fact,
leagued with the majority of young jour-
nalists, Louis Belcourt had been able to
force the manager to give her chance,
Notwithstanding his exclusive passion
for pupils of the Conservative, through
which Jane had refused to pass.
This young mans passion had excited
the sympathy of all who knew him. he
loved Jane with boundless devotion
and loved her without hope, for he was
acquainted with the man to whom the
young actress had betrothed her soul and
for whom she reserved her life.
Only recently had this infinite love
filled the actress heart.
At the finish of the last Longchamps
races, at which Napoleon III was pres
ent, she had paused in front of the im.
perial tribune to look at the ladies who
garnished the first rows. Suddenly she
had felt something like blow on her
heart. From behind the fauteuil Of one
OF the Empress danes OF honor she had
seen emerge the face OF man bronzed
by the Southern sun, whose eyes had
pierced her with look In which was
painted the same profound commoton
which she herself had felt.
A. II moved by superior power, the
man had drawn up his martial figure.
lie Ills hId beneath his citizens dres.
his military bearing. Quitting his place,
be suddenly left the tribune, came
thsoagh the crowd thranglng around Il,
and. apparegtly unconscious of his move
naenis. presented himself before Jane ID
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