Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1893-06-21

feared that her husband would lose his
mind. He had loved her SO ardently that
Il seemed impossible for him to resign him
self to the anguish of losing her.
His grief showed itself In . touching
though slightly romantic manner. Pauline
from the earliest childhood had been ex-
travagantly fond Of roses, and In later years
not day had passed without her having q
bouquot of that sweetest of flowers. They
had become 30 closely associated with her
that after her death her husband went to
the cemetery each morning and placed q
fresh bunch Of them In the marble urn
which surmounted her tomb.
One morning Of autumn when, according
to his invariabls custom, NJ. de Sambreuse
arrived at Pere Lachaise, he was much AS
tonished to find bunch Of strange roses In
the urn. while his lay half united upon the
tomb.
Without asking himself whence came
these flowers, which seemed to him impious
usurpers, he grasped them with indignant
hands and replaced them with his own
But "a he was about to throw them far
from him he psussd. looking at them, and
feeling Of pity succeeded his sudden an
ger. No longer did he cherish III will
toward the person who had thus desired to
pay homage to Pauline, and whose only
fault had been In not oomprehending the
privileged and sacred character Of the dow
era AZ he gently laid the crimson roses
upon the tomb he wondered sadly who
could have brought them Some friend or
relativef His conjectures were In vain, and
he relinquished the hope of ever knowing.
Three days later, on reaching Pauline's
tomb, he found that the deed had been re-
psated. He felt the same surprise and an
Ger as on the previous day, but not the
same forbearance. Full Of wrath, he flung
the bouquet which some one had dared
substitute for his upon Q heap OF dried
leaves and immortelles. Then for the first
time he longed to discover the audacions
individual who, without respect for his
grief, had done him such an injury.
The following day matters were even
worse, for strange bouquet was In the urn,
and his own was no longer upon the tomb
He found 1t crushed and withered upon the
pue Of rubbish where he had tossed the
other the evening before. During eight
days the singular rivalry continued. De-
fed and insultsd by an unknown person,
the more M. de Sambreuse tried to identify
the guilty one the more exasperated he be-
came.
memory he recalled that on the morning Of
the burial, when crushed with sorrow he
stood at the edge of Pauline's grave, he had
raised his eyes a. the priest threw the earth
upon the coffin and had seen through his
tears young man whose despair seemed to
equal his own. Who was this young mani
So distressing, 30 cruel, was the suspicion
gnaving at his heart that he was treasured
only when he knelt before his wifes por-
trait and read her constancy In those clear
and loyal eyes
One morning he went to the cemetery
earlier than usual. AS he approached his
wife's tomb he saw q man standing before
10, his hat in his hand, In an attitude Of
meditation and reflection He recognized
him. 1t was the young man whose face had
only passed before his eyes on the day Of
the funeral, but IL had 80 deeply impressed
itself upon his mind that In thinking of 1t
later he had been able to recall the slight
est details of the incident.
N. de Sambreuse walked close to him
WITHOUT being observed
"What are you doing here, monsieur'"
he demanded.
The stranger started, looked at him and
replied in o sweet but firm voice:
DOUBTLESS what you. yourself are doing"
II, monsieur l come to pray at my
wifes grave"
II come to pray here also"
by what right"
"By the right which friendship has given
me-"
"You were then friend of Mime. de
Sambreusew
IL was her friend"
A flush mounted to M. de Sambreuse's
cheeks, and all Of his old suspicious again
took possession Of him.
"You were friend who hid himself from
me and whose existence my wife con-
cealed," he said In trembling voice. "Is
this the reason that you have profaned her
tomb by despoiling 1t Of the flowers which
have put upon itp
"You removed mine"
because they filed the place which mine
alone may occupy"
At these words the young man straight
ened himself a. II to protest. to demand his
rights, but he appeared suddenly to change
his mind, and lowering his head mur.
INJURED:
IL was wrong, monsieur, and ask youi
pardon"
"You loved my wife--confess It."
The other lifted his head.
II loved her much" he said in a tone
equally free from boasting or timidity.
Passive and resigned, he awaited the 10
suit Of the husbands access of fury. But
the grasp on his arm loosened, and he saw
NJ de Sambreuse slowly draw back and
pass his hands over his forehead as II to dis
sipste his anger.
A terrible conflict was going on In the
heart of the wretohed husband Would he
not In demanding full explanation from
this young man run the risk of shattering
the altar upon which he had placed his
idoli Would he not In persevering In his
suspicious, whether they were we'll founded
or not, defile the memory Of his wife and
deprive himself Of the sad pleasure of living
with recollections which up to that day had
been pure and holyf
Abruptly he cut short bis meditations
and said In voice that was kind and gen
tie, but whose vibrations betrayed the he
roic effort he was making:
"You must never come here again, mon
sieur. Promise me that you will never re-
turn and that you will always recognize
my exclusive right to weep at this tomb
and to bring flowers to It,"
Anxiously he waited for the reply.
~ promise, monsieur" sighed the stran-
ger. and he Immediately started to 90 away.
But the husband detained him.
'Since you loved her," he said, "kneel
down once more and let us pray for her to-
gether. From the French OF Ernest Dau-
det