Fairhaven herald. [volume] (Fairhaven, Wash.) 1890-????, 1893-06-14
THE COUSIN.
$50 you are going to be marriedf"

1T is love match, they tell me Mile
de Pont-Croix is a very charming girl"
'She is adorable. love her with all m Y
heart and shall do my utmost to make her
happy"
The other man, he who was not about to
marry, was silent for few moments. His
reflections seemed to afford him some
amusement. Suddenly he looked up. And
the marquise," he said, what does she
think of it?"
Guy de Labanere's face, already serious,
became gloomy at this query from his
friend Hertel, lieutenant in the French
navy.
Perhaps, " hazarded the sailor, "she does
not know yeti
Eyes, dare not tell her am going to be
married"
"You dare notl You, the bravest of the
brave, the intrepid traveller. the hero of in
Vulnerable duelsp'
"Brave2" repeated Labanere, administer
ing an exasperated punch to the pillows Of
his divan; 81, brave2 | am the worst of
towards. All your preaching will not alter
matters-I am positively afraid of that
woman. | have shot tiger just az he was
going to knock off my head as you would
brush fly off the back of your chair But
when / see her little pink fist, shaking her
polished nails within an inch of my eyes,
am terror stricken, absolutely terror strick-
en-, and If there were a tree in her boudoir
would try to climb it. Explain that, if
you can"
II can explain it by the very simple fact
that you were not in love with the tiger,
while you were madly in love-and are so
still perhaps-with the Marquise Sansedo-
nj"
Labanere went over and laid his two
hands ON his friends shoulders.
81 will tell you how much love her, #" he
said Last year while the cholera was
here she was i'll for half day. | cared for
her as was my duty as man and Chris
tian, but hoped-do you understand
hoped that she would die do not deny
that adored her for three years, for she is
the most charming woman, the most be-
witching have ever seen in my life. But
little by little her fits of anger, her ieal-
ousies, her violent scenes, have estranged
me from her, while my increasing GOODNESS
has not estranged her from me. Good Lord,
would like to know what charm she finds
In such intolerable relations"
"Come, nowr' cried the lieutenant, you
can't let the matter drop now. You would
really be acting like cad to keep her in liz
norance any longer"
II don't intend to, but | don't know
what to do | only know one thing, and
that is that one way or another this matter
must be settled | have been thinking
you have always been good friend OF
mine-now, if you would only go TO her
and''--
Never in the wide, wide world | have
met the marquise and | have no desire to
explode a mine. Besides, / do not admit
that it would do TO send an envoy in such
case"
"You see you are afraid yourself Then
listen. Do this favor for me in another
way. Come with me. In your presence
would not dare to be a coward"
80 be IT," said Hertel, but on one con
dition-that we go at once. You must not
stay in such hole day longer. After all
she will not eat you"
An hour later the two friends presented
themselves at the house of the Marquise
Sansedoni. They found that lady raging
up and down her salon like lioness in a
cage, and beautiful as fury.
Without noticing their greetings, with
out thinking Of making any pretense, she
sprang to the table, caught up paper and
thrust it under poor Labanere's nose.
"What does this meani" she demanded
In voice Of Ill suppressed anger.
II his courage left him. Labanere at least
retained his GOODNESS. He placed his hat
carefully on the table, drew out his glasses,
took his time about finding the place and
slowly read aloud these lines;
"'The engagement is announced Of the
vicomte de LAbanere to Mile Marguerite
de Point Croix The Labaneres are one Of
the oldest families of Picardy," etc.
The reading lasted two minutes, during
which the marquise remained erect, trem-
bling, her hands clinched, her nostrils
quivering, and looking so terrible that
Hertel wondered II she had dagger and
at the first word would stab Labanere to
the heart. The lieutenant watched the
Sansedoni's every movement; but, the read
ing finished, Labanere folded the paper,
placed it on the table, removed his glasses,
put them in his pocket and spoke.
= AHA" he said TRANQUILITY, 80 the pa
pers have got hold of it, eh3 thought it
was still family secret Well, yes, my
cousin is going to be married. A good
match too. You know the little Point
Croix, HertelY'
In his establishment the lieutenant was
on the point Of betraying all, and the mar
quise was not the woman TO swallow the
first story she was told.
80" she SAID 10 Guy, still on the OF
fensive, "all the men are vicomtes in your
familyS"
Guy was simply superb. He entered into
q lengthy discourse on heraldic science to
explain the case. "And so, you See" he
concluded, "Gontran and 1 both bear the
Dsame title, but Gontran is the younger. He
Is Is at the most. That is about right, isn't
It, Roberti You ought TO know, for my
cousin served with you, believe"
mot more than that certainly" said
HerteL
This reply-which was ''whopper"-dis-
sipated all doubt from the. marquise's
mind for the present and for the future. She
regarded Hertel as the soul Of honor and
esteemed him highly. The mystery ex-
planned, she gave him a most cordial recep-
tion and reproacbed him for coming to see
her 30 seldom. Il was perfectly apparent.
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