The Olneyville tribune. (Providence, R.I.) 1893-189?, 1894-06-30
When Gay broke I had not


my eyes not that the situation seem
ed desperate, for had learned tC
read Clarisse's eyes. But, all night
long j had repeated over and ovei
again TO myself:
Heaven grant that the little no.
tel in the Avenue Friedland is still
for sale! We would be so comfort
able there"
In spite OF this / was no further
advanced when September came, the
last month OF my lease. | was no
longer shown the door when / sug-
gested my candidacy, but Clarisse
assumed bored air and calmly
talked Of something else. Between
ourselves, / would rather she rung
the bell, for | OWNED that she was
thinking:
MY dear friend, you do not dis
! please me; quite the contrary. But
! you must confess that, in the soli-
tude Of Chantilly have scarcely had
opportunity to enjoy my widow
| hood. Let me see il il il really
worthy Of its reputation. In a year
or two we can talk OF your affair"
In year or two Pretty and
charming as she was, Clarisse would
have a score Of adorers around her,
and adorers around the woman one
wants TO marry are like flies in the
milk; they may do no great harm,
but they certainly do not improve
the milk.
Early in September Nine. de Mon
cley informed me one day that she
was going 10 Paris on the morrow to
have II look at her apartment.
II sincerely hope, she added, in
a severe tone, that you do not think
Of accompanying me.
How can you suggest such
thing" said |, with apparent sub
mission. you leave at"
AT eight in the evening, as | do
not wish 10 be seen. shall send
Nancy in the afternoon to prepare
my room. All, poor Paris -
She no longer said Poor Charles -
admit that this Poor Paris !"
made me much more uneasy.
The next evening, at eight o'clock,
the doors Of the express train, which
stops hardly minute, were already
closed. Clarisse had not appeared.
She reached the station just as the
bell rang.
Quick, hurry up, madame!" cried
the railroad official.
Hurry" | repeated, opening II
compartment at random and helping
her in.
But instead OF getting in, she fell
back, almost fainting, in my arms.
Here is what she had seen, and |,
too, had seen over her shoulder: The
seats OF the compartment were unoc-
cupied, and three men, perched like
monkeys on the back of the seats
held TO their shoulders three guns,
whereof the barrels shone in the lamp
light like cannons. One Of them, as
we opened the door, had shouted in
terrible voice: Don't come in,
for
| had closed the door so quickly
that we had not heard the end of the
sentence. Then Clarisse and | bun
died ourselves into the next compart-
ment without quite knowing what we
NCIf NlplIlSs 4 Dt lIull NuS dlItulN
under way. We were alone. Nine
de Moncley seemed half dead with
fear, and | must confess | was vio-
lently shaken.
Did you see them?" she cried. |
What can be happening in that
compartment? They are going to
fght-to kill each other What ter
rible tragedy is to be enacted right /.
beside us?"
Il don't understand it at all, " | /
replied. only one explanation seems
possible to me. They are hunters |
who have suddenly gone crazy. |
Otherwise, why should they climb |
upon the seats? If they simply |
wanted to kill each other, they could |
do it without all that gymnastics.
NO" suggested Clarisse, lit is
some dreadful American kind OF duel. |
In such a case, it seems, they climb .
up on anything they can find. But .
why didn't they stop them at Chan
tilly?"
The train itself scarcely stopped .
there"
Did you hear how they called out .
Don't come in =? The wretches, they /
don't want to be disturbed while they .
are killing themselves. Goodness
Just listen!'
The fusillade had commenced right .
beside us. Several gun-shots had /
dominated by shrill, pier
cling cry, which still rings in my ears.
Then deathly silence ensued; they /
were all dead, however bad shots they .
might have been.
Though we were making about fifty |
miles an hour at the time | made |
ready to get out upon the step and .
find out what was going on in our /
neighbor's compartment. AS | low
cred the window two arms seized me |
and II voice broken with anguish
but which sounded very sweet, just !
the same--gasped behind me:
Philip, If you love me, do not go !