The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1894-04-26

little while The curtain will be going
I'D. Think what you are doing You will
be ruined-yeu will spoil your whole life.
Wait till tomorrow
"Listen, - said Jeanne, in clear, decid-
ed tone. tit is now quarter to TO-
know there is train from the Care de
PEST at II, for have sent my letters by a
friend of Rogers who is going by it. If
YOU prevent my going by that train, you
see this dagger-well, I will kill myself
with It'll"
Louis stepped back, dazed and horror
struck. Jeanne opened the door, went
quickly out by back door, and Louis fol-
lowed her, watched her hail a cab and
drive away
When Belcourt re-entered the theater,
he found every one behind the scenes in a
terrible state of excitement.
Mile. de Bolney could not be found. The
house was impatient, and the manager
desperate He was sending for the police
that she might be found and arrested.
Suddenly Belcourt, at the idea of the pos
sible fatal consequences of Jeanne's flight,
determined on a bold move.
He stepped up to one of his friends who
had been taking part in the play, whis-
pered to him and appeared to be begging
him to consent to what he asked.
Finally the friend yielded, opened the
door and walked toward the stage. Then
Belcourt, pushing away the director and
stage manager who attempted to stop him,
gave the signal to lift the curtain and ap-
peared himself before the house. A deep
silence ensued.
Ladies and gentlemen, said Belcourt,
''Mlle de Bolney has received telegram
announcing that there has been disaster
ON the German frontier and our army has
sustained defeat. She is overwhelmed
by the news, and we must ask you to have
patience until she feels able to continue
her role"
A dismal silence followed these words.
Belcourts friend now stepped forward and
executed the order he had received:
s'We, too, are surely as good patriots as
Mile. de Bolney! Surely the play ought not
to be finished before French audience,
who have just heard that our army is de-
feated!''
Cries of "Bravo!" were heard, and unan-
imously the whole house rose and prepar-
ed to leave the theater.
Belcourt had saved the honor Of Jeanne
and of the theater.
The rumor of the defeat Of Reichshof-
fen, which the government was keeping
secret, was soon spread abroad in Paris by
the spectators who had heard it from Bel
court, and the news caused fearful calm
in the gay capital.
Belcourt had been congratulated by all
the authorities of the theater on his happy
idea, but just as he was preparing to leave
the theater that same night he was seized
by police official and conducted to the
Il, IS
vulged a state secret" crime always
punished at least by hard labor, and il
time of war by death.
For more than a month Belcourt had
been in Mazas prison, with nothing to
look forward to but dishonor or death. He
had been questioned over and over again
as to how he had discovered the secret, but
in vain; nothing could induce him to give
any details, for he did not know whether
Jeanne would forgive him for having said
SO much as he had. The next day sentence
was to be passed upon him.
Successive defeats had imbittered the
minds of his judges, and it was pretty sure
that he had little chance of getting off
without paying the full penalty of his
crime. Belcourt was thinking sadly of
his hopeless love for Jeanne, which had
caused him to act as he had done in order
to save her. when suddenly the door of his
cell opened and the porter announced,
Nine. Countess de Morfeuille. 1t was
Jeanne herself, dressed in the deepest
mourning.
Her beautiful hair had some silvery
threads, her face was cold and severe as
marble, her beautiful mouth was rigid,
her eyes seemed to be gazing at some invis-
ible object, and she had deathly pallor-
such as one sees on the faces of those who
have received some mortal wound.
1t was pathetic to see so fair and SO young
a girl in such hopeless despair, and Bel
court was deeply touched by it.
"You are Free Louis, she said gently,
but sadly. 1.-THE empress herself has
asked for your release Thank you SO
much, my friend, for all you did for me. I
came directly heard Of your imprison-
ment. Ny husband had only just been
brought home and buried at Morfeuille."
Very soon after Jeanne returned to her
husbands stately home that she might
visit daily the tomb of him she had SO
dearly loved, and who had married her on
his deathbed.
When Louis had tried to console her and
gently limited that she was too young to
go through the rest of her life alone, she
had answered decidedly:
'Do not ever speak to me of any one else.
will live and die the widow of Roger and
will certainly never be any other ones
wife,
1t was thus that crest artistic was lost
to the French stage, but the memory Of
that debut will never be lost to any Of
those who witnessed it.-From the French.
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MATING WHITE LEGHORNS.