Connecticut western news., 1893-03-30
NINA.

Charles Harcourt was one of the most intrepid habitues of the Chateau Rouge and La Grande Chaumiere; in fact of all those choreographic establishments which the Parisian grisette visits regu- larly in order to lose her heart-and not infrequently her rosy cheeks and the freshness of her youth.
 Harcourt pretended to study medicine, and it was among these pretty girls sellers of flowers, embroiderers of linen. and painters models-that he managed to forget the terrors of the hospital and the scenes C, the surgical amphitheater. Charles Harcourt had just arrived at the time of life when soft down shows on the lip, when love knocks at the breast, and when the heart resembles . lusty tree, full of vigor, from which has fallen as yet neither leaf nor fruit.
 The trombones of the orchestra roar, like thunder on stormy sea; the vlo- lins scream like sea gulls above the waves; the music rolls and growls like some hungry beast. All is confusion. White shoulders and gold lace gleam through the heavy air. The innocent and the guilty dance together in the same delirious motion.
 While the dancers turn and whirl, advancing wildly and as wildly retreat ing, far in corner sits a slender girl watching the dance with an air of sad- ness. Her mournful eyes follow the crazy motions of the crowd with aston ishment, and a light sigh moves the folds of mull on her breast
 In the midst of this indescribable confusion, this pellmell of figures and voices, appears that of handsome boy of twenty-two, remarkable for his vivac- ity and the boldness of his speech and gesture. Finally, when the violins have ended their agonizing cries and the lamps are dying before the oncoming daylight, this boy, whom his friends sa- lute as Harcourt, leaves the ball, a new conquest upon his arm-it is the slender brunette of the corner.
 Charles Harcourt appeared no more at the balls of the Latin quarter, but spent his days at LEcole de Medicine, passing his first examinations with dis tinction. In one of those fascinating little houses-such are Beranger pre- tends to have inhabited at twenty Charles made his home, guarding jeal- ously the dangerous happiness of a union contracted without the help of le maire and which is called morganatic to avoid the use of a less, delicate phrase.
 His conquest of the ball was named Nina. She was good and affectionate child, and in spite of the anacreontic quadrilles of the Latin quarter, she was innocent. She had kept her heart in- tact It was her sole economy. Charles and Nina loved one another like two of La Fontaine's doves. But Nina was a consumptiye, and Charles read with af- fright the death of his happiness in the paling face of his beloved.
 His care of her was untiring; but this implacable .malady never releases, and soon in a kiss Charles received his mis- tress's lastsigh. Nina died in the hos. pital; her long illness having exhausted their feeble resources, and Charles had the cruel courage to deliver the body oi his beloved to the investigations of the pathologist. He wished to pursue, even in the flesh, this rival who had killed her. He made use of cynical usage te preserve the skull. This, with plaster mask nodded upon the emaciated body of the dead girl, was all that remained to him.
 Mina's loss affected Charles profound ly. Out of character frivolous ant careless, devoted only to coarse pleas ures, had grown deep and serious love Tlis honest and generous affection hat stihed the germs of evil. Nina dead he was seized as by vertigo, and h, plunged into the abyss. He found him self face to face with evil, and threw t this monster the rest of his youth. In this ocean of false pleasures the re membrance of Nina was drowned, ant petulant little grisette called Mariett, took her place. One night in Novembe Mariette and one of her friends, Charles and one of his companions were togethe in little house on the Rue Gres. I'm night was cold and sinister; masses o | heavy clouds were driven across gra, | sky, the moon showed her mounful fac 1 only at intervals, sudden showers bea upon the windows, and the wind howlet | at the cracks.
 These four young people drank an, sang, unaffected by the storm and thei strange environment. It was the strang | medley of the students life that shove, in the small room-here signs of work l and there the broken bottles of drink ing bout. A small table held drie, | tibia, a pile of medical works, som empty wine bottles and some articles o I the toilet. There, too, was the plaste cast of the dead Nina, figure slende to neagerness, the eyes cavernous an empty, the lips distorted into painful smile, the plaster discolored by the kisse placed upon those lips in eternal fare well. Upon the chimney were candle a small clock and human skull A one side tiny couch, on the walls rack for pipes and some cheap Autographs
 Mariette and her friend Rose lounge
 about in untidy dishabille. Barnes
 made a pretense of study while Charles
 dulled by the warm and heavy air c
 the room, leaned on the long table i
 silence. It was a group worthy of tn
 brush of Callot.
 "What is the matter with Charles!
 cried Ernest, shutting his book noisilx
 s'he is as sober as 8 merchant"
 "He is thinking of Mina," said Mari ette, bitterly.
 ssWhen mistress is buried, that ough to end the affair."" said Rose, decidedly
 But often, even when am here,
 find him sitting before that plaster cast. said Mariette, sullenly.
 "Oh, it's perfectly platonic," laughe' Ernest.
 "Bahl' said Rose; 'you don't objec to plaster rival, do youT
 .sTo tue health of Nina" cried Ernest
 Charles looked up quickly. Thes
 jibes cut him to the heart.
 "Mins was good girl" hs said.