The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1894-12-26
The WIDOW.

The dull viutss's deg vos drawing 20 .
Gloss whoa 1aricnns 40 Cosrvey eano
ho,nc fsosu tLs sovstcEy vhsve ne rsmsins
Of her 6anoe. .Isss dc rhsninss hsd nson
laid
Yht- hsiiiipns young man. tbo eldest son
of the fouatly whose natS> hs ters dico
from she ssscss Of . kxps<~s sesifsns as
ss yssss = sz< sa1 ~ t>s ~ OF mar.
riase srlssLY dex,rsd BY ~ ssnorncA snd
one shot seemed 70 oosn bias all ths ecndi'
tions ~ happiness.
Essisnue sank down iu stats OF ex'
hnusstsa on O sota In she drawing room.
Her st~enxxh WAS exhausted ~ many
overvh<lminQ emotions had conylstriy
rrossvu<sd her, ard she faiBtsd sway. The
csrsfu. stteatlon az loyirg hsnds b5ought
her hack 10 consciousness Then she sworo
% Gss ~ bury hor ~ years w bes sorrows
Of a vstustssy visswhcs4 srd IN tso sci.
smn auHss Il sssrssi fa~tfE t. tss mrn-
ory ef No pssk Pc ssssfuvtsa sAss Nile.
&c cscrpV bsi fcy1sd ssG hes csrsmn'
sicated y hw fsxky ~ vet efs iens to
make itxff sncvH esn<ssHy v TIE vcsid.
Among psavto vhs dfc act knew ha<
well shn wrul s~iy urbo,fsvsw. Her IN.
thor ma r,ss<ixr GENE hsf'sved In bcr rcs.
oluttex. fvr Nbqr tssw her frA VIII and
The cnscsy sx& 8rslssss sf her soul.
Thcy wsrs essvisse eet as tc widow OF
Jean DO Yksuinss sac would wear her
~yidow's ves&s forsvsr, % much convinced,
indeed, thrt they made - s4s-t to COM
bat her r~solvtien.
During ths y1ar that fcllswcd the death
Of her hptssIhsk NsznBss resolved two
proposals Of nsr<are. Ore refused them.
A third xfc srp.vsA vpsn tAs scene re-
ccivcd tho salas trost,aest Hsr sisters
married. Esd their msrrlsss furnished an
opportunity 10 test semsvhss ths strcngth
and deprt II tAs yeuns widows rcsolu-
tiop. bat me scuained enshsngsd.
u am = wsasv," she naSA, and wild
cw moan 10 psmain." Every six months
she sprnt few wsshs witt Jeans mother,
who lived Gues his death in retirement in
the chatrsu ef fhenin0.
When she rrturrCa % hor parents after
these prrioNieui shssnses, she showed the
same disposition to rensin single, and by
degrees tho conviction at which the world
had laughed wns accepted as serious and
0nnl.
1t was believed thnt Mile. do Couryoy
would mover marry again.
Mme, DO Themincs h0d second son,
Pierre do Themfncs Ho was younger than
Jean ana was new Mt The ago nt which his
brother had na death In the hunting
Held
Marianne did not know him. At tho
time when she was botrothed tc Jean ho
was awsy In Asia en- q voyage of explora.
tion, and altheush after bis BROTHERS
death no hnd signiffed bis intention Of
coming homo for two years he had been
detained by the delays Of q long and diff
cult journey. His mother was still wait
ing for hts return.
6he awaited his arrival with impatienoe
that was the moro keen because shc had
not bcup ahle 60 console herself for tho
death OF her eldest SOD or 10 Ill the void
cnrscd by rat 1oss Her grief was only
3 partially eiisvtstod when she was able to
talk III Picff> her second con, In whom
nll her hoppe WIRE now centercd. She
hoped thai econ after his return home ho
would MARI and by bic marriage bring
bnok TO her hearth and home some Of the
Joy ana light that Jcnr's death had over
shadowcd.
Narinnnc was almost the only person to
whom the old lady hat connded this hope
She waB tho person to whom, In preference
20 al others, she spoke of tho absent one.
6hc would praisc his exccllsnt qualities OF
heart, his personal appearance and bis
character.
s'He Is the exact Image OF his brother"
she would often say.
Marianne heard 90 much about Pierre,
read SO many Of hh letters, saw bis pic
tures ma heard his praiso 20 often and 30
loudly sung list shc began to feel an in
fcrest In hir.. although she had novor seen
him. She began 30 form In her mind
picture OF what ho should bc II his char.
ecter and appearance had been truly
dIuwn.
But in this interest she fclt for tho alb
sent Pierre vss no trace Of tho levc she
had conceived for jean. She merely pro.
tossed for Pierre, without knowing Elm,
the affection thxt she vas bourd % fcol
for everybody who bad lcvsd- or hnsvn
Jean. Sho fesfcd tfpcp fygsslf IN scnao
sense os his z0tcr, srd s,a would have
protested strongly austrf Auy suMwttru
thnt tho Character of Der election ior thfs
unknown brother pnld olrnge into love.
One evening while she was staying OF
She chateau letter came anncuuoing the
arrival Of Pierre In tho cettssry. II waa
followed two houH later by Pierre him
self.
"You will SEQ him, nne you will love
bim,n said Nine de fhcmines 20 Mari
anne
She attached TO these words no special
meaning, but vDsn he came into the room
she was overwhsln~d Are Go Thcnirca 4
bad not exaggerated whsn she said that
Pierre was the frrsss ef Jaaa.
Marianne thosg1t shst sbo saw before
Dor the old lover alive RON ts,s dead. TIE
same faco, the ammo hs4r, the sxmr frsrso
and build and cSu scAyA sssucrs she
listened for his vsSce. II vss thc voice of
khe dead man. aid IN IN scesps ana tcrn
DO gave 10 thcnn ID wxs ~ n she wcrc &C
hnlly In the presence q tho decd Jean and
} listening TO his wwus frvm the grove
) This interview resesssd IN an atosck OF
prostroticn.
On the following dsy she made hurried
preparations 70 10 swsy, ne II some danger
|, Threatened her. nut Nme. do Tbemincs
would MOI allow hen 10 depart
III you 60 awsy now. sho said, "you
3 will throw shadow over the Joy feel at
/ Che return Of my son.
So Marianne did not 20 away. In spite
~ tpy alarm fhevo .nnf, sooI ,,iaon f,, tn.