Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1893-10-19
THE RED FLAG.
CONTINUED.

ings, a place at out table? She will
be my sister as much as yours, and rs
dear to me as to YOU"
That carnOt be. She is more than
a sister to me. She is the one love and
care of my life. Work would lose all
its sweetness if l did not know | was
working for her as well as for myself
/ am sure you are good and generous.
/ dareSay YOU would be kind to her
but you might grow weary Of her; bad
times might come, and you might think
her Il burden. / will run no risks.
should feel as if | were giving her Il
stepfather.'
And you have made up your mind
never to ,naTy?"
Never, while Kathleen is single If
she were well married it might be diff
ferent"
'Then it shall be my business to find
her a good husband said Philip.
with such a pretty girl there can be no
difficulty"
But Philip Durand was a poor hand
at matchmaking. While he was think
which of the men he rubbed shoulders
with at the WOrkmen's chamber was
worthy to mate with Rose OIIarl's
sister, Madame Schubert, who was an
incorligible Schemer in the matrimonial
line, had brought Kathleen face to face
with the man whom Fate meant for
her husband.
The fourth guest and only stranger
at Madame SGhubert's English tea was
Castor Mortemar; and that evening
completed Kathleem's conquest. He
was her adorer and her slave from that
hour. 1t seemed to him as if all life
took new cOlorS after that evening.
The leopard cannot change his spots all
at once; but the leopards ways and
manners may be considerably influence
ed; and although Castor was still
Voltairian in his way of thinking, still
a leveler i'll politics, he worked more
earnestly and more honestly than he
had ever done before; for he had as
sumed the responsibility of winning
a bright future for Kathleen O'Hara.
The WoOing and winning were easily
done, for the girls young heart went
out to him us Gretchen's to Faust. A
little walk on the bridge in the summer
twilight, a flower or tWo-hOught in
the tioWer-market, but cherished us if
it were a blossom of supernal growth
IA chance meeting in the sunny morn
ing, when Kathleen was marketing,
and these two were pledged to each
other for life. But Rose was terribly
wise. She seemed the very spirit of
worldlineSS, and she refused her con
sent to an imprudent marriage. When
CASTOR had saved Il little money, and
could earn, say, three napoleons Il
weell-Which was less than the skilled
cabinet-malIer earneG-Kathleen should
be his wife; not sooner. Castor was
earning on an average two napoleons
weekly and there was not much mar
gin for saving out of that.
Hitherto he had found himself just
able to live, clothe himself like
gentleman, and keep out of debt. And
to do even this he had been thrifty and
self-denying. But what will not love
do? He became as Sparing as Pere
Grandet; except when he wanted to
offer Il little pleasure, a theatre or Il
cafe chantant, to the sisters.
Such offers were but rarely accepted.
Rose watched Kathleen like a lynx,
and allowed few tete-a-tetes between
the lovers. Never was giriish, simplicity
guarded more closely from all peril Of
pollution. But, once in Il way, this
severe damSel relented 50 far as to al
low the two lovers to organize an even
ings dissipation; and it was on one of
these occasions, almost Immediately
after Kathleen's engagement, that SUI
zon Michel saw CASTOR and his sweet
heart together for the first time
1t was Il sultry August evening, the
Seine shining in the golden light of the
western sky, the air heavy with heat.
Durand and Castor had bought tickets
for the side-boXeS at the Ambigu,
where a new play, by Dumas the
younger, was being acted, to the de
light of all Paris-or, at least that in
feIior and secOnd-rate Paris which had
not migrated to fashionable Watering
places and mountain springs. Kath-
ieen and CASTOR walked arm-in-arm
along the quay, so engrossed in each
other as to be quite unconscious of
paSsers-by. Faces came and went be
side them, voices sounded; but it was
all dim as the sounds and faces i'll Il
dream. They lived, they saw, they
heard, they breathed only for each
other.
Close behind them came Rose and
her faithful swain; and Rose, even In
her tender moments, was mindful of
her sister. She was fond and proud
of her stalwart, goOd-loolling workman
lover, who was so fine a specimen of
his rank and race, as much a gentleman
by nature us Castor Mortemar was q
gentleman by hereditary instinct; but
she was not lifted off this dull earth by
her love.
As they walked towards the Pont
Neuf, with their faces to the west and
the sun shining on them, Suzon Michel
met them. She saw them ever so far
off; the tall slight figure of the man,
whose look and bearing she knew so
we'll; the ,golden- haired girl at his
side, radiant and lovely in her plain
alpaca gown, and neat little black lace
bonnet, with clusters of violets nest
ling between the lace and her sunny
hair-those violets which the auburn
haired empress loved so well.
Suzon slackened her pace as they
drew near her. He would recognise