The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1893-10-28

stretched on the sofa. These letters
without doubt had been placed there by
his wife, who had said nothing to him
about the secret drawer that he had dis
covered. What he believed to be the
correspondence Of friend, written in
response to those condolences which a
young woman would be apt to make
after marriage, was in mans hand.
And what other man but himself had
right to address her as .My darling2"
He opened the letters one after an
other. There was little variation in the
way they began-it was either ''My
adored one" or 'tMy well beloved"
Well, he would get at the heart of the
matter, SO he began to read one of the
letters, the one first under his hand.
This is what it'contained:
MY DEAREST WELL BELovED-When you in.
formed me yesterday that they were forcing
you to marry in order to forgot me; that your
parents obliged you to prefer my rival, / could
not refrain from tears and reproaches. You
know my love for you-that Is my only excuse.
Today am coming to beg you to postpone this
impossible union. Tell this man that you do
not love him; that you can never love him. He
VIII understand and retire. If he persists,
then so much the worse for himl Fear moth
tng-I am not threatening you-today am
calm. My whole happiness is in your hands.
await your answer with Impotence, but con-
fdence. With deepest love, JULIEN.
He passed his hand tremblingly over
his forehead, looked around him stupid
ly, asking himself if this was not some
frightful dream.
No. he was at home in his own parlor
near his wifes secretary, and in his hand
was letter-a love letter.
Then Fabienne-his Fabienne? No,
no! 1t was impossiblel He threw the
letter from him angrily. Then curiosity
again seized him, and he took up one of
the other notes-a short one containing
only few lines:
My ADoRED-When you receive these lines,
shall have left France. shall not como back
until you recall me. l cannot be the accom-
plico In a lie. or live near you and the husband
they have forced upon you any longer. God
grant that you may never have to repent.
Farewell, FAREWELL A last kiss on the lips
adore. JULIEN,
This was too much. He rose with a
bound, scattering the letters on the
floor, where they futtered like flock of
frightened birds. He staggered to the
window to cool his burning forehead.
He stood there for moment stupefied,
his eyes on the clouds, then began to
walk up and down the room with nerv-
Gus strides, like Gagged animal.
After while he sat down and reflect
cd. 1t was true-Fabienne, whom he
loved SO much and in whom he had so
much confidence, was like all other wo-
men! She had lied to him from the first.
She had lied to him since, every day. All
those little caresses and evidences of af-
lection had only served as q mask for
the basest treachery.
He had been too happy. It could not
last.
How could she have deceived him sop
How could woman with character SO
sweet yet so decided, who spoke so frank
ly, whose look was so pure and loyal
how could she stOop to such duplicity?
How had she begun to play such q part
when nothing in her way of living, in
her language, her manner, betrayed Sc
cret preoccupation? By what power of
will had she been able to conceal a mys-
terry SO deep and penetrating? Well, it
was all over-this fatal discovery was
the supreme blow. His life was broken
forever!
AS he sat there the panorama of his
life passed before him. The days of his
childhood came back one by one. He
saw himself again running like colt
through the woods of his country home,
startling his mother by the audacity of
his exploits. Then one day his fathers
sudden death and the departure in tears.
Years of battle followed. The little
rooms in the Rue Truffant, with Lise,
the old servant, who would not abandon
them. Then college, with its long and
tedious lessons, and finally the Gown
ing step to success, his admission 70 the
government office, where he made his
way rapidly.
He recalled his meeting with her. It
was in the house Of an old friend of the
family at soiree. He was standing
awkwardly in a corner of the room rub
bling his white-gloved hands nervously
together when she came in followed by
murmur of admiration. She raised
her eyes, they met his, and the romance
of his life had begun. Delicious memo
ries followed-he loved to linger over
them now as over beautiful dream that
cannot, must not be forgotten.
Seated here in his own parlor that had
been the scene of SO much happiness, a
terrible sadness oppressed him. The
romance was over; the book must be
closed. He felt that awful sensation of
the irreparable, that impression of emp
tiness which seizes one after great mis-
fortune-one on which our entire life de-
ponds. His anger fell, and he regretted
that he had found these letters. Better
to have lived out his days in peace and
ignorance. How many husbands quite
"a unfortunate no bimsalf ~, otbo, ,,o,,,