The weekly Thibodaux sentinel and journal of the 8th Senatorial District. [volume] (Thibodaux, Lna. [i.e. La.]) 1875-1898, 1893-10-07
nectlon between this disaster and Fred
erick's love for Antninatte2

All, yes, yes! Becoming rich through
his wife. the lieutenant wouldhav come
to his brother-in-law's rescue.
Julia, moved to tears. was saying:
And then Jacques is so kind, so dill
gent. so honest! If you only knew, Fred,
how he loves your sister and what hap
piress she owes him. All, ruin, priva-
tions-that is nothing. The hard part is
that n man like Jacques should bear the
undeserveG stain Of a kind of disgrace.
VIII it ever be granted to me to console
him.
II his tnrn the Young man kept quiet,
lowering his eyes. thinking of this mar
riaee which might have saved his rela~
tiTes.
But while lowering his eyes he saw his
red ribbcy,, and it seemed to him he
heard an interior voice repeating the SEN
tence he Aad just uttered. 1T would not
be acting Ike q gentleman"
Ee also saw that Martha no longer
curled her dolls wig. Sitting on the
ground mo1oaless ard silent, the child
WAS looking ut her mother. who wept 81
lently. Sine wept-in silence also.
julia said the young man soberly,
'gO, IL my name. t ask for Mile. Bour-
geois' hand"
AT last.' triumphanty exclaimed An
toinette's mother after Julia had formu-
lated her request. Then calling her
daughter she added ii the same joyful
tone: ''Come-he has come to it. Az
swer, darling. Tell-tell how backward
we found him!"
A lovely smile, so chaste in its frank
ness, lit up the young girls face and
without speaking she advanced toward
Nine. Duchemin with extended hands.
Then, kissing her:
Il am 50 happy" she exclaimed
brayelv.
The very next day Frederick began
his ''wooing," as it is called.
Yet what a strange thing! He, so out
spoken till then-so open and so gay
was formal now, circunspect, stilted,
almost unpleasant. Goodby to intimate
chatter" to all freedom. lie chose his
words carefully. No more jokes now!
AT first Antoinette was disconnected
by 1t, but surrounding her painful I'M
preston she appeared happy enough for
two. She was the first TO speak Of their
plans, saying, as if inadvertently, these
dear plans
He still called her ''mademoiselle,"
while she called him Frederick" She
consulted him about the details of their
future home. What shade did he pre-
fer for the curtains? And when they
were passing the glass works, stopping
to kiss Martha, she prompted:
Say Good morning, Aunt Fred"
The attorneys had tahen the matter in
hand. Everything vas ready, for the
lieutenant had told his sister:
Act for me. Have the settlements
drawn to suit yourself"
AS for him, to all questions he an
swered:
Eyes. Ali right. AS you please"
So much so that ST last Julia took him
aside and said TO him:
Take care, Fred. Take care lest you
grieve this child"
"Grieve herr" he repeated, startled.
1T would cause ne the most bitter re-
morse"
Yet one would think you do not love
her"
Not love her." exclaimed the young
man. Il would be the most ungrateful
fellow. Oh, on the contrary, | love her
with all the power of my soul, of my
conscience and of my probity. Devoid
of feeling as | may appear, my heart is
all her own. | admire, and | adore her.
All, why is she not poor? You would
see-you would see then, Julia" he add
ed, relapsing into his darker mood.
The eventful day was fixed. The bans
were to be published.
After dinner the lieutenant accom-
panied the ladies home, walking by their
side along the road. At the door they
babe one another goodby. After that
word had beer spoken Antoinette re-
manned at Frederick's side, very close to
him. She appeared to await something.
He understood. And once more low
ering his eyes he saw the red ribbon lit
by the last r1ys of the setting sun. And
as in an Authorization in the rustline of
the leaves he thought he heard again,
1t would not be acting like a gentle
man."
Then, dazzled, he stepped back, and in
a choking voice said: Listen! Ny heart
is bursting. Even if I unsettle every
thing, Unjust speak. l must tell you"-
What: Everything! He stated every
thing indeed-the situations, his scru-
plies, his great sorrow.
Antoinette and her mother sought to
interrupt him, repeating, "But-but"-
He did not listen. He went on to the
end. And then only were they able to
finish +bo;r. ean+o,oa