The Dickinson press., 1893-10-14

III ~ SSlo.ihN ~ilG law IL.
to the cavity (Which was of considerable
syace,) and WI, therein hidden and Sc
cure.
Corona uttered a iorvcnt thanksgiving,
and then lazy still. brca,hlc>sly hardening
to every sound. At this moment She was
bitterly blaming the ra>hncss and folly of
that hourin which She had fled from her
wood OF lIoiyillc: and She would have
given much for that safe shelter she had
recently Abandoned. But these useless re-
pinin4s of hers were checked by The brig
ands approaching voices.
The ruilians and the mistress of the
cabaret were now close to her place of con-
cealmcnt,
The woman uttered a sudden cxclama-
ton, stopped and picked up the mantle
dropped a few Sccond>a ago 10y Corona.
"Look, Franco she cried. holding up
the garment. look. the bird cannot be far
Oft, for here is one of its feathers"
AT these words, Corona felt adcadly sick
ness overpowcring her. She feared that
she would now be discovered, and gave
herself up aS wholly lost.
"Diable..N returned Franco. iuriou>ly.
"Wherc isshc'"
And thu saving, he flashed the lantern
hither and thithcr. hoping to discover the
object ofthcir cruel search.
Blu nowhere was She to be seen. You
see, not raising their eyes, they perceived
not the great hollow in the tree trunk be-
fore them, aud accordingly passed onward,
tlinging the rays oftlscir lantern around
them as they went.
For hours and hours the wre:ches pursu-
ed their qucst, while the object Oft Was
crouchiug in her place OF conccalment,
anNiously watching and listening.
A cool, fresh air had now penetrated the
leafy forest, and the gray, ,shos'iy light OF
,,.,rp tr.nc ,,rnn,,tnr -, t1,n Ilt,It,, : %,
terlacing branches. when Corona emerged
rom the friendly shelter ofthc hollow tree,
and dropped to the ground. She was hun.
CRY, inint, aud sick, and kncw not whittier
TO direct her footsteps. BY the aid of the
increasing light, she soon found her way
out oftllc wood. and reached the highroad;
then leaving the lonely cabaret far be.
EDWARDS, never once pausing until she had
placed miles hc,wlNt herself and her tnc>.
Corona had now arrived at u small town,
and Il quiet-lookiny inn was directly in
front of her. But the traveller lung
back, ashamed Of her dusty and
stained habilimcnt>, hc>itating to enter tho
place of entertainment. Corona was
tears when she regarded the suspicious.
looking appearance She presented. She ielt
how crnZily She had acted, and was sorry
for what she had done. She wished nov
that she had hattlcd with her hearts dis.
appointment, that she had displayed
strength and resistance, and firmly main.
tanned her position in the world, Instead OF
becoming a wandercr about it. She
thought OF Paul Favargc, and of the love
she had b%ornchiim. and Of the Count whose
honorable affection she hat! treated SO un-
g%raciously, and her bosom @rew sorcr and
sorer as she reflected.
She did not regret having avoided we'd
xis,,., xV.~H ~,-l L., t.,,., .L {-. l- -.-.
ed that she must ..ovc Paul Favargc always;
but she regretted that she had ever suffered
her fortitude and her prudence to iorsake
her as they had done.
AT length, Corona. Selling courage. walk
ed into the little inn, and requested ia
speak with the mistress oft; 10 whom, in
simple and honest language. shcat once re-
lated us mitch of her narrative rs served tn
explain her position, aud clear it from all
d%iStruSt. Corona rccounicred her advcn-
ture at the cabaret, and hcre-cape from the
%brigand>; but her description OF the where
bouts oftllc rlac" was ~ confused, that it
was difficult To understand FROM it which
oftlc many lone calarets she wishcdto in
dicate.
Corona was both wcaricd and weakened
by the recent scenes uf terror she lad zone
through; and most Welcome to her was the
quiet ard repose she WAS o enabled to
enjoy. The people about her We're hard.
working and honest. and Corona sought
her nightly pillow without fear or s,ispi
cion OF any kind.
Corona had adopted the homely dress o
u well-to-do peasant, in which she locke;
quite as beautiful rs in her ample robes 0
Favarge's last love siit-conccalcd from oh
Servation, but where she could peep at III
sometimes, and raise me to her lips to kiss
1t was bright summertime, and tll'
country l%errabouls WAS very lovcly-st
lovely, that Corona wa, tempted to hinge
in it. And % you might see her dali,
wandering through rich meadows, or sit
dreaming. dreaming ofthe man who hat
| proved false to his vowS-ot love sh'
could never call hers. Corona was very sac
and unhappy at this period-of that Their
| cannot possibly be a single dolbt-but sh'
was not breaking her heart for all that
Well, days and weeks sped OIL. and nov
Corona was gradually beginning to thinl
that Il faitI'ie,s lover was..not worth eithe
her eyes grew brilliant again, and he
cheeks resumed their roscatc hue; her stc]
rcgained its former lightne.s. and her dim
pied smiles returned, and with them til
sweet notes OF her musical laugh.
l do not wish you to suppose that Coro
ia had forgotten paul-Co!ona's natur
\ WAS stitOEelIlcT loD uullt>lNc ~ tD tIltt
but she had certainly sclioo!cd her hear
into u more composed >tate-into thinking
less tondly OF him who had once SO entire
ly filled it.
1t was not the birth OF any new love il
Corona's breast that had thus stitlcd in j
The first. No, it was Simply time and SO
Der reflection that had brought about thi
Wholesome alteration in her feelings
Corona wa notwithstanding, half vcXed-
at herself: and she accused her heart o
Inconsistency and hardness, and felt quit
ashamed of it.
Now, Corona was not born to long cnac
the quiet country maiden-to live an ain:
less l,ic. Heaven had bestowed upon he
glorious talents, and she was now Ion i'm
TO return to her profession, and ITS man,
active duties. But. despite he
respect she could not al
at once lind courage to go back to Paris
to the scenes associated with her love ant
her late disappointment.
Restless. but no longer desponding, Coro
ia at length resolved to return to the grea
city-to revisit it %incognita, as n simple
peasant woman. whose character she cOult
| support most naturally, being thoroughly
convcr-ant with rustic speech and rusti,
manners.
Determined to do nothing rasllly, she al
lowed herself three whole days to conside
the matter. AL the end of those three day;
Corona had made up her mind to go Il
Pari-.
One fine autumn morning, Corona. Will
a bundle i'll her hand. stepped into Fathc
Housctt's cart, aud in it started off Tor til
great city crossed by the river Seine.
Father Iousett. who was a rich mil
Ter, had IL sister living in Paris, an
to that sisters house he had promise
to conduct Madelon (>uch was Corona
assume name, assuring her thai sh
would have a hearty welcome there tor q
long a period as it might suit her to stay i
the capital. Thus far, Corona's mind W:
Al rest. She had . respectable home to r,
ceive her, and she would be able to g
. hither and iEither without any remark, {
question, or distrust. In her present co,
tune, Corona almost felt certain of escal
ing the recognition OF all her old friend
She looked o SO different from her 10
mer self. thai she would defy de,ectio
Besides this she exchanged her pure accel
Tor a vile patois, and her dignitied carria,
3 had given place to a light, tripping wal
a l do not think that Corona had any d
: defined plans in view at the present tim
She had come to Paris in masquerad
= merely that she might see Paul Favarg
and test her real feelings towards him.
the sight of him rewakened in her bose