Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1894-07-28
NINA.

intrepid nHultues OF Ine lnaIteau nouEe
aud La Grande Chaumiere; in fact Of
all those choreographic establishments
which the Partisan 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 csr the surgical amphitheater.
Charles Harcourt had just arrived at
the time Of life when soft down shows
on the lip, when love knocks Mt 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 vio-
Inns 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 ths
same delirious motion.
While the. dancers turn and whirl,
advancing wildly and as wildly retreat
ing, far In corner sits slender girl
watching the dance with an air of sad
ness. Her mournfnl eyes follow the
crazy motions of the crowd with aston
ishment, and q light sigh moves the
folds Of null ON her breast.
In the midst of this indescribable
confusion, this pellmell Of figures and
voices, appears that of handsome boy
Of twenty-five, remarkable for his vivac-
ity and the boldness Of his speech and
gesture. Finally, when the violins have
ended their agonizing cries and the
Tampa 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 L'Ecole dc Medicine,
passing his first examinations with dis
tinction. In one OF those fascinating
little houses-such are Beranger pre-
tends to lave inhabited at twenty
Charles made his home, guarding jeal-
ously the dangerous happiness of a
union contracted without the help of
lie maire and which Is called morganafic
10 avoid the use of less delicate phrase.
His conquest Of the ball was named
Nina. She was o good and aifectionate
child, and in spite of the anacreontic
quadrilles Of the Latin quarter, she was
innocent. She had kept her heart in
tact. Il was her sole economy. Charles
and Nina loved one another like two OF
La Fontaine's doves. But Nina was
consumptive, 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 kiss Charles received his mis-
tress's last sigh, Nina died in the hos
pital; her long illness having exhausted
their feeble resources, and Charles had
the cruel courage to deliver the body Of
his beloved to the investigations of tn,
pathologist. He wished 70 pursue, ever
in the flesh, this rival who had killed
her. He made use of cynical usage Il
preserve the skull. This, with u plaster
mask nodded npon the emaciated bod,
! Of the dead girl, was all that remained
| to him.
Mina's loss affected Charles profound
ly. Out Of character frivolous ans
careless, devoted only to coarse pleas
ures, had grown deep and serious love
This honest and generous affection Ia,
stified the germs Of evil. Nina dead
he was seized ms by vertigo, and h
/ plunged into the abyss. He found him
self face 10 face with evil. and threw I,
this monster the rest Of his youth. 3
| In this ocean Of false pleasures the re
| membranes Of Nina was drowned. an.
petulant little grisette called Mariett
took her place. One night in Noyembe
Mariette and one Of her friends, Charles
and one OF his companions were togethe
in little house ON the Rue Gres. Th
| night was cold and sinister; masses o
heavy clouds were driven across q gra,
sky, the moon showed her mounful fac
only at intervals, sudden showers bea
upon the windows, and the wind hGwle,
at the cracks.
Aurs" Aouf s11hS pCVpac NiAAAh MtAi
sang, unaffected by the storm and thei
strange environment. 1t was the strang
medley Of the students life that Shove,
In the small room-here signs of work
i and there the broken bottles Of drink
inn bout. A small table held 4 drie,
tibia, a pile OF medical works, som
empty wine bottles and some articles o
the toilet There, too. was the plaste
cast Of the dead Nina, a figure slende
to meagerness, the eyes cayernous 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
small clock and human skull. A
one side . tiny couch, ON the walls rack
, for pipes and some cheap Autographs
Marlette and her friend Rose lounge
about in untidy aishahiIle. Earncs
made a pretanse Of study, while Charles
dnlled by the warm and heavy arr 9
tins room, leaned on the long table |
silence. II was group worthy of th
brrsh OF Cailot.
- awhat Is the matter with Charles
cris.i Ernest. shutting his book noisill
che Il as sober as a merchaut"