The free press., 1893-12-14

it and say nothing at all. Then feel
bad, very bad, that my little girl have
alover and that I, her mother, know
not of it. After long time she tell
me his name. 1t is Jean Lefroy, and
she knew him at the house of her
friend, and he tell her he love her,
and ask her if she love him-although
think it not right that I do not
choose for her-and she say she do
not know. But one day Mons-Mr
LEROY come and say:
"'Why you not write me, Marie?
and she say to him that l am her
mother, and he bow very low to me
and say:
Madame, love your daughter,
and l write and ask her when I may
come and tell her mother that I wish
to marry her, and she do not answer
me, at all, at all, and he stride very
fierce about the room, and Marie put
her head on my shoulder and say that
she love me, her mother, only. And
he ask very quick:
why you say you love me?' and
Marie will not answer She just put
her hands to her ears and will not
listen to him. / think she must be
crazy, and l speak hard to her, but
she just run out of the room. Then
he go away and say he will come back
again that evening. Then I speak to
Marie, and she say there is another
man too, and she do not know which
she like better-that when one of them
better-and it is making her pale and
thin. Then 1 am very severe with
her and tell her it is very wrong; that
she cannot love either of them, or she
would know. But she say she think
she will marry one of them, and I tell
her that Mr.. LEROY is coming tonight
and she must say either yes or no
to him, and she say that 1 will break
her heart.
"'Well, in the evening a strange
gentleman come, very fair gentleman
with pretty curly hair, and he ask to
see nv Marie. She look over the
stair and she say to me:
"'It is the other one.
"Then am nearly crazy, but Marie
say she will not go to see him till Mr..
Lefroy come. Perhaps L can tell,
she say, when I see them both to-
gether.'
"When Mr.. Lefroy come, we go
down the stair and there they are,
both together, and they look hard at
each other. We talk little while,
and then I say: Gentlemen, what is it
that you want?'
"And they both say quick, Marie !
And Marie she say:
I" But you cannot both have me.
Is it not SOP And the one that came
last say, very angry:
''You must decide now, which one
you will haven
''Then Marie look at him and frown
and say quick:
every we'll then; 1 decide now that
l will not have you
"Then Jean Lefroy he smile little,
and the other one walk ont of the house
quick, his face like storm-cloud, and
then Marie sit down and cry. She
will not speak to Jean LEROY, al
though he coax her very hard. She
only say that she will stay with
me. her mother. Then Jean he bow
and say to me that he hope my health
will keep good, and Marie stop crying
and make HIM grimace, and he go
away, too. They both come back
often. But she cannot tell which she
like best ever, and am very weary.
Almost I would be glad that she leave
me and marry. SO one day she tell
me that next week she will marry, ana
there is no time to get her the Clothes
and she will not tell me which one.
like them both very well, and feel
bad, but she only say, you Will see'
On Thursday she would marry, only
quiet-like--only those who marry her
and I, her mothor, there-and we go
to the church together. When we get
to the church, look to see which gen
tleman, but 1 see no one. Marie ls
cool. She say: Let us walt. ne
may be late, and she smile to herself
I think it is very strange; but at las'
/ see Jean Lefroy come round the cor