The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1894-01-23

adore. JULIEN.
This was too much. He rose with a
bound, scattering the letters on the
floor, where they fiuttered like flock OF
! frightened birds. He staggered to the
window to cool his burning forehead.
He stood there for moment stupefed,
his eyes on the clouds, then began to
walk up and down the room with nerv-
GUS strides, like Gagged animal.
After a while he sat down and reflect
ed. 1t was true-Fabienne, whom he
loved so much and in whom he had SC
much confidence, was like all other wo-
menl She had lied to him from the first.
She had lied to him since, every day. All
those little caresses and evidences of af-
lection had only served as a mask for
the basest treachery.
He had been too happy. 1t could not
last.
How could she have deceived him sol
How could woman with character SO
sweet yet so decided, who spoke SO frank
w, whose look was so pure and loyal
how could she stoop to such duplicityi
How had she begun to play such part
when nothing in her way of living, in
her language, her manner, betrayed Sc
cret preoccupation? By what power Of
will had she been able to conceal mys-
terry SO deep and penetrating5 Well, it
was all over-this fatal discovery was
the supreme blow. His life was broken
! foreverl
AS he sat there the panorama of his
life passed before him. The days of his
childhood came back one by one. He
saw himself again running like colt
through the woods Of his country home,
startling his mother by the audacity of
his exploits. Then one day his fathers
sudden death and the departure in tears.
Years of battle followed. The little
rooms in the Rue Truffant, with Lise,
the old servant, who would not abandon
them. Then college, with its long and
tedious lessons, and finally the crown
ing step to success, his admission TO the
government office, where he made his
way rapidly.
He recalled his meeting with her 1t
was in the house of an old friend Of the
family at a soiree. He was standing
awkwardly in corner of the room rub
bling his white-gloved hands nervously
together when she came in followed by
murmur of admiration. She raised
her eyes, they met his, and the romance
of his life had begun. Delicious memo
ries followed-he loved to linger over
them now as over beautiful dream that
cannot, must not be forgotten.
Seated here in his own parlor that had
been the scene of so much happiness, q
terrible sadness oppressed him. The
romance was over; the book must be
closed. He felt that awful sensation of
the irreparable, that impression of emp
tiness which seizes one after a great mis-
fortune-one on which our entire life de-
ponds. His anger fell, and he regretted
that he had found these letters. Better
to have lived out his days in peace and
ignorance. How many husbands quite
as unfortunate as himself in other ways
were living in tranquility, free from
doubt. Cursed letters!
But what reason had he for thinking
that they were written to her? They
were not in envelopes. There was no
address. Perhaps they belonged to a
friend. 1t would be just like Fabienne
to have taken charge of a secret cores
pondence to help one she cared for. But
was he not part of her? She need not
have confded everything to him, but
she might have spoken about. it. Per-
haps she had forgotten to or feared to
anger him. Some day, no doubt, she
would tell him all. He was ready to
seize at any idea to dispel his suspicious,
and as he reflected he recovered in q
measure his spirits.
He made the resolution to return the
letters to their hiding place, put every
thing in order and say nothing for the
present about the matter. Then some
day he would suddenly unmask his bat
teries, and his wife would be forced to
avow her guilt or explain the mystery.
He gathered up the letters carefully
and placed them in the secret drawer,
fearing every moment that his wife
might enter and surprise him. He looked
at the clock. 1t was only an hour since
he had come in, and yet it seemed as If
he had lived wears during that time. He
fastened to arrange everything and
closed the secret drawer. At that mo-
ment the doorbell rang Just in timel
1t was probably his wife, who had for
gotten her key He felt sharp twinge
I in his heart at the thought of meeting
her face to face, but he hurried to let her
in. Instead of his wife, whom he ex-
pected, strange man confronted him,
who addressed him by his own name.
''Sir," said the visitor, 81 wish to speak
to you particularly, and / shall be
obliged if you will give me an interview
of five minutes-if l do not disturb you. +"
This speech puzzled Louis, but he
made motion for the stranger to enter.
He closed the door, and they sat down in
the parlor.
The visitor was tall and sturdily built.
His face, sunburned and weather beat
en-, showed that he was accustomed to a
life in the open air. A red ribbon in his
button hole indicated that he was an Of
ficer in the navy.
He cast sweeping look about the
room, then his face lighted up, and he
said:
81 hope you will excuse this intrusion,
sir, but the matter was of so much inn
portance to me that | sought out your
address and FASTENED here. will come
straight to the point. | beg that you
will sell me, at any price, your ebony
secretary"
Louis started in surprise and STAN
mered out:
''Sir, what do you mean?"
"Oh, know that my proposition is a
strange one, but when you understand
my motive you will pardon me. That
piece of furniture which you bought
from the dealer, who gave me your name,
was sold at time of need by person.
Here the voice of the stranger trembled.
by person who through my fault
was passing through painful crisis.
She had Just lost her husband, who had
sduandered her fortune to the last penny,
and she was forced to sell everything,
even to the smallest trifle. This secre-
tary, which has been in the family for a
number of years, went with the rest.
But she would only consent to part with
it on condition that it could be bought
back at the end of year. As she did
not appear at that time it was purchased
by you. was out Of France at the pc
Rod. Well, came back and found my
unhappy friend. Our first thought was
to find the dealer and recover the secre-
tary. l learned through him where it
was, and here am. trust you will &C
cede to my request, strange as it may APP
pear"
Sir" said Louis, unfortunately that
piece of furniture belongs to my wife,
and she has filed it with her own things.
could not possibly disarrange it with
out consulting her"
The stranger grew pale. Then he said
to Louis in choking voice:
"Sir, do you know if your wife discov-
cred secret hiding place in the secre-
tary?p
"What hiding place are You talking
! Iasy Co.. Il