The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1893-09-27
CHAPTER II.
PIERRE DEPARTS.

When the village had settled down
after the unusual festivities, all seemed
to go merrily as a marriage bell. Even
the lovelorn SWANS, now that their
chances had hopelessly gone, settled
down as men almost invariably do to
the acceptance of the inevitable. And
the village maidens, now that so danger
Gus rival was removed into the calmer
atmosphere Of matrimony, could afford
to 60 back to their loving kindness to
their old companion.
Marie lived in a dream of joy. She
adored her husband, and he returned her
love with young husbands plenitude of
caresses. He was tender with her moth
er and each evening entertained her fa-
Their with a host of "reminiscences. The
cottage became each evening a new So
cial center. One after another old friends
dropped in to hear the wonderful tales
which Maries husband had to tell. Need
less to say these stories were all, or at
least in great part, in some way reminis-
cent of his own prowess, his daring or
his acuteness. The simple rustics sat
with open mouths, and the speaker grew
in heroic proportion in their minds. His
adventures seemed to be marvellous. In
his absence from France in the foreign
Countrywide name Of which, by the
way, he was very careful never to men
tiOn-he seemed to have been always in
hot water His record of escapes from
prison would have led wiser audience
to infer that there must have been Some
roc
into prison, since he had so many time
a need to get out again.
Once he went so far as to show on his
ankles the chain marks which he bore
with him i'll his escape from the galleys.
This was an occasion Of a festive nature,
the silver wedding of his parents-in-law,
when the wine had flowed pretty freely
and the tongues Of all had been loosened.
Marie did not like such q thing spoken
of even in jest or for the purpose Of a
boast. Her husbands honor and credit
were dear to her. AMI vas like blow
to her to hear even from his lips the
mention Of the fact. The rest, however,
were not so particular, and to the men
it was only al excuse for another glass,
while the pity Of the women grew.
Some of the latter had even little jeal-
Ousy on the subject-tAeir husband or
their lover had not such marks to show,
and therefore co1ld not be distinguished
in similar way.
The next day, when Robert had quite
recovered himself, he did not care that
any allusion should be made to the occa-
sion, and when his wife with her heart
full of pity wished to comfort him with
caress for his past suffering he got
quite cross and spoke so sharply to her
that for a good while she felt little
afraid and did not venture to allude
again to the topic.
There was only one Of those who had
been present when the confidence was
made who seemed to remember it. This
was Marie's old lover Pierre. He said
nothing at the time, but a few evenings
afterward when he was by chance alone
with the husband and wife he asked
Robert how long he had worn the chain.
Robert answered tartly that he had worn
it longer than he had cared 30 wear it,
whereup0n Pierre, kSMewha5 nettled, an
swered that it was a pity he had to put up
with SO much unpleasantness and won