St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1893-09-09

AS Louis Belcourt was returning
home from the theatre a Commissioner
of Police, wearing his sash ard
| furnished with warrant Of arrest,
presented himself before him. The
|. young actor was accused Of having dl-
vulged State secret, crime punlsha-
BILE with death in time of war. He
was arrested, and taken to the prison of
NIaZa.
For more than month Louis Belcours
had been incarceratcd face to face with
the terrible accusation which lowered
over him.
He had been Intercepted as to why
he had divulged the State secret; he had
been questioned as to how he had OBJ
tanned the news; he had kept silent, not
knowing whether Jane would forgive
him if he spoke.
He was to be tried on the morrow.
The successive defeats of our troops,
brave, but ill commanded-had irrl-
tated all minds; the Government was
about to show itself memorable in order
to distract attention for an instant.
Louis Belcourt was thinking, with
grief, of the hopeless love which had
led him to the threshold of death, when
the door of his cell opened and the dl-
rector of the prison, standing aside, an
nounced:
''Madame, la Comtesse de Morfeu-
ille!'
1t was Jane, covered with her long
mourning veil.
Her beautiful hair, but the other day
of a golden chestnut, now counted more
than one silver thread; her forehead
had assumed the austerity of marble;
her mouth, still beautiful, maintained
rigid contours; ar und her eyes were
traced BLUSH circles, and she had up
on her''cntirc visage that indelible pallor
of beings wounded forever, who weep
within.
Louis Belcourt felt himself seized upon
by deep emotion at the sight Of this suf-
fering without remedy.
"You are free, my dear Louis" said
she. II have obtained your pardon, and
you see that they have extended the
favor so far as to permit me to bring 1t
to you personally. Alas, they can no
longer conceal our rcverses, and your
trial would ch,ngc nothing; it would
appear iniquitous now that the news you
announced has been confirmed by the
official dispatcher: | thank you for what
you have done for me.'
And, after silence, rs if she had re-
pressed a sob which had arisen in her
throat Jane resumed:
Il remained beside my husband till
his death. Then took his body to Nor
feuillc. After that | was free returned
and was informed of the danger you were
running"
She could not continue; her tears were
sitting her.
A few minutes later the order to release
Louis Belcourt reached the office Of the
clerk of the prison, and the necessary
forInalities were pro cccded with the
young actor was at liberty.
A few days aftcrwar1 Nine. de Nor
feuiile set out Cor the domain where re
posed the man she had married ON his
death bed.
Roger had been buried with the ring
which Jane had given him at the moment
of his departure; the young wife kept on
her finger that which her husband had
handed her at the time of their poignant
betrotha.
When, some time later, Louis Bccourt
strove to make her see the weakening of
her grief, possible consolation and life
with new love, she stopped him with
gesture:
pursue this no further she said Il
shall forever remain the widow of Roger
de Morfeuile. and not having been able
to be his, shall never belong to any one
elsc'
This was the denouemcnt Of one Of the
most exciting evenings aParis theatre
has ever seen, and thus was arrested
upon the threshold of certain glory, the
dramatic career Of a great artistic, the
life of a woman of exquisite
beauty. who had been hailed at her debut
as wholly irresistible.
The noise Of this episode of Partisan
existence, and the remembrance of its
have been lost among the
events which marked that ter
rible epoch.
But, more than one, on reading the
recital | have just given, will, perhaps,
|ecoiect Jane de Morfeuiiie and her brief
experience on the stage I'Iowitz, in
Press.