The farmers' union. (Memphis, Mo.) 1891-1895, 1894-01-25

radiant. so full OF resources. that at
times Marius was almost ready to ad.
NIT that she was beautiful. But no:
how could she be with that high cclor.
that large mouth and its sensitive lips
translating a hundred emotions in as
many minutes: True. Marius could
not deny that her look was kindness.
frankness. fidelity itself. and that at
times there was a fitting CLEAN of that
soulful fascination SO potent in his
ideal. AS his strenth came back to
him. he found himself taking more and
more pleasure in the society OF this
young girl, so unlike those he had met
in garrison towns, so good and so nat
ural, never given to posing, and hav-
ing. as she claimed to have, real love
for the country. for nature, for outdoor
life. The particular charm about her
was that she thought. talked and acted
like young girl brought up by man,
for such was the case. and Marius
discovery that she had more of the
good fellow" used in its poetic sense,
about her that any woman he had ever
met. But how easy for such a charm
to become very dangerous to a mans
peace of mind, particularly when that
charm has pair of very fine eyes and
lead of hair-well. head of hair
that simply deties description.
But. when crO,s-eXamined in the
most relentless style, Marius was un-
able to detect the slightest trace of
love in his feelings for Mile. Daveluy.
Imagine. then. If you find yourself
able to do SO, the Captains surprise
one day when an old lady. friend of
the family-a matchmaker, as most
old ladies are apt to be-gave him deli
cately and discreetly to understand
that he had made good impression on
Nile. Claire, and that, if he wanted to
marry her, he had only to say the
word.
Captain, said the old lady, tapping
his arm with her fan. with bit OF
resurrected coluetry laugnable to be-
hold, my dear Captain, think It over
carefully. It's one chance in a million,
itary men are simply irrestisible.... And
you know it,"
Marius Dulac was not, it must be
confessed, an altogether undo 5irable
party. He was a Captain in the French
army, as brave as he was handsome,
with \ cross OF the Legion of Honor on
his breast and some little income out
side of his salary. But what matter
about his income: would not Claire's
dover reach the handsome sum of half
a million francs, and would she not, on
the death of he" father, inherit four
millions in addition. all earned in hon
orable industry by Daniel Daveluy, the
proprietor of the famous iron works
under the empire:
That evening, when Marius had
closed his room door behind him and
thrown himself in an easy chair, his
first impulse was to re lch out and lay
hold of the superb prize-a beautiful
wife and a large fOrtune--brought so
unexpectedly within his reach by that
that demon, fate, for such that mys-
FERROUS thing, creature or spirit, what
ever it might be which We cal fate,
alias chance, alias destiny. seemed to
him to be. He detested it. whatever
it wa-, and it seemed to him so cow
ardly to surrender to this invisible
demon the moment it appeared. He
hesitated, and his hesitation extended
over several days. How could he ever
bring himself to marry a Girl in :his
cOld-bloOded, cut and dried way: How
could he contract such a union, 20
lacking in sentiment, so devoid of ro-
ending of stupid comedy, when
every one pairs Off with some one and
the curtain is rung down. just as if it
were choosing PARTNERS for Il dance?
The man with the ideal was no. whit
nearer his goal than before. Where
were his dreams Of celestial face?
Where We're his beautiful theories of
love for love and soul for soul? Like
an honest follow that he was. he was
forced to admit that, no matter h w
deep he sent the plummet of inquiry
into his hearts depths, there was
nothing there for Claire but a kindly
feeling of friendship. He did not
love her: how could ne? She did not
even approach his ideal. She was the
very antipodes to it,
But, after all, would he be justified
in letting slip this chance OF his life in
bartering his happiness for an idea,
a within, a mere fancy: What right
had he to look upon his dreams as any
thing more than dreams? What scin-
tilla Of proof had he that the world
contained the woman he was looking
for? Would it not BE- ridiculous. yes,
prepostarous, for him to sit and grow
old waiting for the lightning to strike
him?
There was another consideration,
too. Marius was a soldier, and his flu
ture had little promise in it, for it was
safe to predict that there would be no
more war for many a year. Poor
France had been hit too hari. Dull,
insipid garrison lie was about to com
menco again for Dulac-a life which
was particularly distasteful to him.
with its officers messes, its cheap
chophouse sauces. the cafe with its
goblets crowned with kepis, the band
| on the mall playing such novelties as
the overture OF Tampa to the music
of which one walked listlessly around
and around till absolute vertigo set in.
Now. delightful h me with a lovable
, wife and handsome children - that
would tie quite another affair.
| True. Marius was not madly in love
with Claire, admit it, but would he be
the first man to marry prudently:
Such marriages were apt, very apt to
be the happiest. The husband starts