The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1894-05-26
WALTZED HER AWAY.

#
able fiances-my cousin Gontran, the
duke de Lannis, and the Duke do Cour-
talin.
I saw him-at the ball OF the De
Fresnes. He did me the honor to dance
three times with me, and | went home
absolutely intoxicated with joy. But
the joy was of short duration, for the
next day he said to his brother, who
told his sister, who told me:
sit seems that I am to marry my
cousin Marceline. Last evening / was
literally thrown into her arms Out of
pure goodness of soul I took pity on the
poor little schoolgirl and danced with
her three times. But there must be no
more of it. I have not yet had enough
Of life. Besides I know of nothing more
ridiculous than marriage between cous-
ins." e. g
But that was not all. He also said to
Robert, II saw her i'm evening dress last
night for the first time, and she is SO
thin"
That night, after Gabrielle had told
me all this, ! disrobed before the mirror
and studied my poor little shoulders
with their great hollows and had a fit
OF weeping. Mamma came in the middle
of it.
my angel, what is it2' She took mo
in her arms.
But / could not speak. The tears
choked me. my treasure, you pain me-
Speak, dearest"
Then, TO reassure her, I managed to say
between my sobs: "Ir is because / am
thin, mammal Gontran, last evening,
thought / was so thinp'
Thereupon mamma began 20 laugh.
She told me that at IL she was much
thinner than ], and she assured me very
solemnly that / would certainly develop.
That winter of my first season mamma
took me to a dozen great affairs, but
they were occasions of mourning and
sorrow, for Gontran was not there.
He did not want TO marry. He even
told me So I did not know then that
this was by order OF my mother.
One day about 4 o'clock I'm the after
noon-it was the second day of June
mamma came into my room with d look
ON her face that was new to me "My
child, - she said, my child
She had no need to say more. / UNI
derstood. All the evening before at the
Prince de Vearn's M. de CourtaIfn had
been with me, and the next morning his
mother had told that her son
knew OF nothing more beautiful than my
face.
Mamma tried to make me listen to
reason. Ii I refused him, / threw away
q splendid chance. The Duke de Courta.
lin vas the mark at which all the ma.
teTnal guns were pointed. Great name.
great position, great fortune.
For me, ] had but one word to oppose
to all these just and proper remarks
Gontrani Gontrani Gontran or the con-
vent, and the most severe convent ut
that-Carmel.
III. de Courtalin wa perfection. I
listened TO his praise all the afternoon
and hated him. The more he was eulo-
gized the more turned from him. With
Gontran / could b quite at my ease, for
he never impressed N with his superb
GRITTY. / knew but little, but my igno-
rance, compared with his. was erudi-
tion.
Mime. de Courtalin had called to ask
my hand for her faultless son. do not
know what mamm said to her after my
refusal. I only know that / was left for
awhile in peace.
And where was Gontrar through the
long summer? Making a tour Of the
world very quietly and quite at his ease.
/ learned afterward that this also was
mammals doing; that when he was In
Japan he had brought me a number OF
lovely little things, placed ina tiny case
that bore my name. The case had been
sent TO mamma, but / had never 9 il.
ALI that year n name vas sounded in
my ears--Courtalin. Courtalin, always
Courtalin. He had all the virtues under
heaven. My determination began To
weaken, I say il TO my shame.
After all, what advantage there was
in being a married woman! Absolute
freedom would be accorded me. Then the
thought Of being . duchess was not dis.
pleasing.
1A4 WA4UC1 h1dAlAAk&h uSpAuy6A RG11EGt
taste and exquisite sweetness. She never
urged, eve tormented me. I know,
however, that she said to her friend,
Nine. de Nelly: my dear, she will
yield before the 2oth Of June. It mus
be"
On that date we left Paris for AK.
les-Bains.
And / did not continue to say no with
the savage energy Of last year. I only
awaited Gontran's return. I knew thai
he would reach Paris ON the Cd or BID Of
April The following day he would Ger.
tainly come 10 see MS.
And 50 it happened. He called aboui
2o'clock, before mamma had quite com.
pleted her toilet. I was alone. 1 ran &c
him.
"Ah, Gontran, how happy I am Il
see youl'
! And ] kissed him without ceremony.
J He kissed me In return, was very much
affected and began to speak such gentle,
kind words that my heart melted. Iii
|, found me d new creature. was nc
longer thin. ] had grown taller and
n IL a n