Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1893-07-06

" DOdSU. llGG UuSDuutl = llOllOI anu CItulb
were dear to her, and it was like q blow
to her 70 hear even from his lips the
mention Of the fact. The rest, however,
were not so particular, and to the men
it was only an excuse for another glass,
while the pity of the women grew.
Some of the latter had even little jeal-
ousy on the subject-their husband or
their lover had not such marks to show,
and therefore could not be distinguished
in similar way.
The next day, when Robert had quite
recovered himself, he did not care that
any alluson 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 q good While she felt q 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 Maries old lover Pierre. He said
nothing at the time, but a few evenings
afterwurd when he was by chance alone
with the husband and wife he asked
! Robert how long he had worn the chain.
Robert answered tartiy that he had worn
it longer than lie hait cared to wear it,
/ whereupOn Pierre, somewhat nettled, an
swered that it was pity he had to put up
with so much unpleasantness and Won
| dered he had not chosen to get rid Of it
sooner when it troubled him so much.
He said this in an aggravatingly doubt
full way, as if ne did not believe the story,
which, to do him justice was but the
exact expression of his sentiments. Rob-
ert got very angry, but restraining his
passion said to him slowly and with
such an intention of atfront that tho
other could not but notice it had he been
never so thick skinned:
My good fellow, we often have to put
up with unpleasant things and with I'M
pleasant people, too, but we who are
not mere vulgar Doors know well how
to get rid of them when the time comes.
Pierre did not want to distress Mario
by quarreling with her husband III her
presence, so he simply shrugged his Shout
ders and seemed to take the matter as a
joke. All the same however, he took
the matter to heart, and although he let
the conversation drop for the time he de-
ter1nined to renew it at another time
when Marie should not be present. In
the meantime he was i'll at ease at such
a rebuff and took the earliest opportuni-
ty he could of getting away He never
came to Farmer BoaumOnt's house again,
and as the incident had the effect of cur
ing him of his seemingly hopeless pas
sion he was perhaps in the long run glad
of the rude rebuff.
Not very long afterward he had a
slight alteration with Macaire. The lat
ter, when he had taken certain amount
of wine-which, by the way, began to
occur with incommendable frequency
was given TO rude kind of chat, "
which had always in it such q measure
of unl;indness that it became apparent
that he had a rough side to his character
and something of u decidedly bullying
nature, the very suggestion Of which be
gan to make him enemies. From this
, he began III measure to be feared, and
} there were not wanting some who when
he was not present predicted some evil
those who felt agglieved by Roberts un-
kind badinage was Pierre but he re-
, solved not TO have any alteration if he
| could avoid it for the sake Of Marie's
peace of mind.
} He was, however only a very young
man, and the blood of youth is hot anG
there are limits to young mans pa
tiencc.
The occasion came one evening whe1
= Macaire was more than usually rougl
: in his manner and seemed almost as j
he had determined TO have quarre
with some one. lie tried to provoke hi,
usual victims, but without avail. Thu
| irritated him, and he grew nastier still
in his manner, but still without response
so that when Pierre joined the circle h,
greeted him in the most insulting man
ner he could, saying:
l Come here! Como here, my it'll,
jack in-the-box! Make way there, gen
tlemen, for the unhappy lover who wa
e tossed! Come, little boy. Drink
measure to the successful rival who car
ried off the bride"
Pierre's blood began to boil, the mor
so because the other young fellows be
a gan to laugh loudly partly to cover thei
/ own discontinue and some of them i'll
4 secret hope that Pierre, who was vel
r known to be one of the strongest youn!
l men in the place might be infamed tt
0 chastise the insolence which had beel
l showered upon them. He tried to con
: troll himself and succeeded to some de
+ gree, although the hot flush of passion
/ mounted TO his brow. Robert was eyi
o IDENTIFY determined to provoke him, for
leaning back III his chair, he said witt
Q an air of infinite contempt:
T. Look, gentlemen, the pigeon is chang
f ing to the turkcycock. For myself | d.
+ not care to see the sparrow III a rage al
+ though the spectacle is not without it
o comic side"
= Pierre could hardly speak with rage
S He felt the veins of his forehead swell
S ing, and the laughter of his companion