Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1893-11-04
A MARRIAGE FAILURE.

Gontran shook his head and raised his
arms with the gesture Of one that has
escaped great danger.
"lt is !, yes: look at me well, for you
have not seen me lately. have been
clustered. padlocked. confiscated, sup-
pressed, as good as married. An acci-
dent that is past, yes, but which makes
me cold to think OF it. Not that. my
fiancee was ugly, silly or disagreeable--
no, she was charming. Eighteen years
of age, blond rs a corn tassel, great shin
ing eyes that sparkled drolly and looked
you full in the face with n gaze little
questioning, a little wondering, as of
one that had taken her experienced lit
tie from everywhere, the world and the
coulisses
"How did find herr Very simply, as
such things are always done when one
wishes to marry. voilai got up one
day in a devilish temper. stomach irrita-
BILE from the last nights supper, heavy
of head, empty Of heart. With all this,
bad weather. cold, gray. sad, vague
enuui in the morning; Mt noon, black
ennui. Nothing TO do, nothing TO read
nothing to lovel
"'Zoundsr told myself, it's time to
marry. If found a family it will GER
tainly occupy me-
II threw myself into a coupe and
made for the house of my notary, an old
friend of my father. and laid the case
before him.
"'Do you desire blond or brunette
wifeY said he, turning his papers.
"a blond should prefer said l.
"'WhyY
".Because-Toupinette was brunette
contrast
"The preference appeared TO him just.
He proposed to me Mile. Bertha Briyard.
"'Prettyy
every prettyr
"'Whom does she resembleT
"sNo one-only herselfr
".But see you, think WE'LL said I, lis
there not in the corps de ballet some face
that recalls her ownT
I'm the corps de balleti What a
question:
"'But only ask an approximate af.
firmative.'
my notary reflected.
".In the corps de balleti The corps
de balleti No, no one; but at the bouffes
-ah, yes. the little Angeler
".Angeiel Angelel Ravishing. She
resembles Angelo. does she, your little
blondT said |. .Ah, welll I'll marry
her instanter. When will you present
mey
"well, to skip preliminary details. we
were to see each other first at the Hotel
Continental. A charity bali for the
benefit of the shopgirls who desired to
become water color painters. A quad
rifle, waltz, two fingers of Irritation
and we should know each other suffi-
ciently well to enter upon the official
parleying. An Americanism? Yes, but
one goes rapidly in such affairs.
AT the last moment. behold the ball
countermanded.
They replaced 1t by the opera
comique. A classic presentation. The
notary preceded me 10 the box. Bow 10
the mother, bow 10 the father, q hash o.
the eye to the young girl Ahl delicious,
that young girl A genuine pasteli A
| 1fAuAI AAthA1 ttoctI tbSy AtlEs N%At 1tAAAAh~ *
eyes. and the darlingest little ears, be
hind which curled and clustered ten
drills Of hair that shone in the gaslighi
like golden mist. Much prettisr than
Angelei
.It was settled the wedding should
bel
.The wedding? Yes, but before tina.
realism would come the romance, the
poetry Of the engagement To marry
thus was enchantment, and NJ. Brivard
the father, very agreeable old man
with no other occupation than that oi
, detaching his coupons, had set the day
for my coming to his house, the evening
Of our first meeting.
81 see still that family picture In the
Boulevard Malesherbes, the great whits
and gilt salon, the usual furnishings ot
the dealer La mode, sofas from Beau
vais, richly atrocious, bronzes too gold
en-. screens too gaudy, plush too glaring
pictures too new. A luxury born OF yes
terday and stamped upon the invoice.
But fawiessly exquisite, prett,
enough TO eat, 50 to speak, her blont
head bent under the rays of the lamp
) Mile. Bertha cutting with Japanes.
paper knife the leaves OF the last numbe
Of The Revue des Deux Mondes-i
Greuze reading Feuilletl
"a trine arranged, trihe too studied
perhaps, this playing the family note;
!. little too sentimental, but very. .genteel
! Genteel enough TO damn a saint, and
was not saint
But, after all, what is 80 delicious .
the passing Of the betrothsl hourss IL
the preface, the prologue, the prcambl
! to marriagei A preface full Of beauti
fui promiaesi that makes one believ
reading it---s beautiful book 10 coms
= What romancel What poetryl Whs
!: hsppiness and delight