The Indiana State sentinel., 1894-11-14

as long 10 try and effect it? assure you
that besides the gain to your son, which
you can easily see and appreciate, his
cure, if 1 bring it about. will be an ex-
tremely important step in my career
80 IL was settled that Monsieur Rey-
naudie should do his best by his mysteri-
Gus process to restore Francois to health,
and Berthe went home, feeling very
pleased with her afternoons adventure.
During the next three weeks Berthe
never came near st. Antoine nor did /
happsn to meet her when l was down in
the town. 1 suppose Monsieur Reynaudie
carried her al the news Of Francois.
which was certainly very wond srful news.
Every evening he came TO the inn, and in
a shorter time every evening he cast
Francois into the deep, dreamless s.eep
which we had seen settle down on him
that afternoon; and every morning Fran
co.'s awoke refreshed and calmed in mind
and body. His appetite returned, his
nervous irritability almost disappeared.
his step grew firm again. his eyes lost
their wild expression, and his face re-
gained its natural outline and color. Every
one talking Of his cure. and Monsieur
Reynaudie was already famous in ST.
Zlte under the sobriquet Of the sorcerer,
but the father abbot denounced the cure
as impious. In fact, Francois was not
likely to find his position less difficult as
he recovered, and many people thought
that the monks would carry the day after
al. Ny own opinion was that Francois
would hold out.
The allotted three weeks was nearly
over, when one day at market 1 found
Berthe sitting at her fruit-stall looking
paler and gloomier than 1 had ever seen
her.
Bon jour, Berthe, 1 cried; what on
earth Is the matter? / thought / should
see you radiant with happiness. Has not
your strange doctor tod you what good
his spells have worked for Francois"
=" Yes she replied, he has tod me;
besides, have seen it for myself. Fran
co.'s has been up at La Pigeonnie.'
g Then. why don't you look more cheer
ful?' L asked.
:" For the best of reasons. she re-
Joined. Certainly, Franc5s's visit was
not calculated to make any one cheer
full
There were tears in her eyes as she
spoke. 1 wondered If Francois had begun
to weary, of his strange betrothal.
Martin she began again, has Fran
co.'s been talking to you lately-talking
about me-?
''I shook my head.
L have seen but little OF him lately
I said. He has been so occupied with his
He has been occupied with something
else she replied. He has got rid of one
fever and caught another He is mad
with Jealousy.
jealousy I exclaimed. And who is
'AhY she replied, that you would
never gueSS-neVer!
~ sha'n't try I rejolned. Tn not
good al guessing-besides / know you've
given him no reason to be jealous
Don't you be too sure, mon cousin;
his eyes are sharper than yours-but
whether or not, we shall never be married
now / don't know why l ever promised to
marry MIN. L suppose his wild. strange
passion fascinated me. 1 thought l cared
EaNa
unnatural-almost hideous. 1 feel as If
l had come to my senses after being
dizzy. l told him so; so l told him 1t
must all come TO an end. You aren't
sorry, Martin, I know
I'm not sorry,' l answered. But
how did Francois take It? Does he con-
sent to set you free?'
"I don't know. she said. 4 scarce
know how he took 1t. My heart beat so
fast as 1 tod him that felt quite faint
thought at first he was going TO strike
me: 1 shut my eyes and covered my face
with my hands; when l looked up he was
walking away fast. He never even looked
round. And our bethrothal is over and
done with. And now guess of whom he
is jealous
L don't think I could I replied. as 1
thought of the number of Berthe's ad-
mirers.
''She came nearer to me and lowered
her voice.
1T is Monsieur Reynaudle, Martin,
she whispered. He declared that Mon
sieur Reynaudie has been making love to
me. But It is not true; Ii is q cruel lie
Monsieur Reynaudie only kept me from
going to st. Antoine so that he might
succeed the better with his cure His
one idea is to complete the cure and Sc
cure the credit for this strange method
of his Then her voice and her face
took an expression / cannot possibly
describe; ii was so wlstful and so weary.
IF he only did care for me-if he only did
love me ever so little. how happy 1 should
be! Perhaps I ought to be ashamed to
say 1t, but I'm not. 1 don't care If all
the world knows that I love Monsieur
Reynaudie's little finger more than Fran
cois's soul and body put together
Berthe! l cried in dismay my poor
Berther
"'You needn't pity me- she said. 4
am free to love him. / am no longer
Sound % Francois. I shall love him for
svsr-even II he never speaks to me
again. I tod Francois so last night
That was when he raised his hand as If
10 strike me-
THAT evening Francois came to me at
my work.
Martin, he said. I want you take a
up to La Pigeonnie when you go
home. 1 want Berthe TO come TO our
under the pine tree tomor-
row evening after sunset l stared at
him in amazement. Don't you under
stand me?' he went on. Tomorrow even
ing at dusk.
"I understand I said slowly, but I
do not think Berthe will come. l saw
her yesterday. She told me all. / think
1t would be better for her to stay away
" But she must come he replied i'm
periously; she cannot refuse me this. I
have a last word to say to her; have
loved her more than my soul, and I went
away without n word when she had dealt
me that terrible blow. 1 have thought il
over ever since. We cannot part without
any farewell. That would be too much
TO expect of me-
"'And them 1 said. shall you go back
to Clermont?'
ITO Clermont?' he repeated, to Cler-
mont? How can / tell? What does It
matter?' Then bitter smile came over his
face. Does she think he win marry her?
Does she think that because he has made
a fool of her he viii make her his wife?
No. Martin, the likes of him may trifle
with the likes OF her. but he doesn't want
TO marry her; and If he did, ne should not
1 would take care OF that
HE looked so cruel and vndictive as
he spoke that i made up my mind not
TO be far away from their tryst the next
evening. 1 scarcely knew what 1 feared.
but it seemed as If Berthe would not be
safe with him alone. / turned to go, when
he called me back.
Stay he said. here is a note for
Monsieur Reynaudie; there is no answer.
L suppose he added more 70 himself
than TO me. that some people might say
is that ] had far rather have died than
that he should have come here 10 cure
me with his spells
II carried my messages. and the next
1.4@l IL