Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1887-1895, 1894-02-20

been fully informed Of this and gives
her consent. Your betrothal is to take
place this very evening, but our love
shall not perish All, monseigneur, know
you what the Count d'Arras was?-an old
worn out debauchee of GOT My mother
swooned away, but few weeks later
she was the Countess dArras"
Your mother must have been very
wretched! exclaimed the prince, moved
| at this recital.
"Oh, yes, NOR -Igneur, as much as
any poor woman can be who is united to
a man without heart. My birth came
to console her. But her lot was soon
again overcast. Tho prince sought to be
loved by her as he had been before her
marriage. Never she replied to him,
never, while l am bound to another
ExasperuteQ ut this, the prince wrote
her three words, Love Hr vengeance!
My mother fled, for the count was al
ready preparing Il horrible plot against
| her"
Il know D'Arras!"
My mother did not 20 far The alb
| hess of the Ursulincs at Montmartre was
n relative. She concealed us in her con-
vent during seven long years. There,
under tho shade of the beech trees,
grew up in quiet and peace. | had never
stepped outside of the holy retreat
when, one day, | persuaded II nun who
was going to visit some sick, people to
take me with her. What delight | ex-
perienced in travcrsing those brilliant
streets, those superb boulevards, which
make your capital the queen of the
world! However, the whirl of men and
vehicles made me somewhat nervous.
recollcct the scc&c us though l had wit
messed it but yesterday.
''Suddenly the crowd separated to let
four gentlemen on horseback pass. Never
had | soen anything as beautiful or as
richly ornamcntcd as the chargers they
rode. You, my prince, were one Of those
cavaliers. At that time only 10 years
had rolled over your head. y gust of
wind carried off your hat and bore it to
my feet. | restored it to you with a
trembling hand; but, oh, with what a
gracious smile you thanked me.
Another, cavalier among those who
rode with you advanced toward tho nun
who accompanied me, and i'll II strange
manner asked her who | was and where
lived. Alas! on the morrow my mother
received Il note continuing these threat
cning words, Love or vengeance! My
mother turned pale as death, and with
out losing any time fled with me to
Havre, whence she wrote to the abbcss
of the Ursulines. But before she re-
ceivcd Il reply Il second note reached her
1t was sealed with black and held only
the Same words, Love or vcngeance!'
What infamy! Did your mother
keep those lctters:'
You will never SEQ them, Antoi-
nctte,' said my mother to me. We
must quit France We never can DO
happy on this soil! Come, let us go to
the harbor and embark on tho first YES
sci that will receive us An honest
skipper gave us passage without asking
our names or the object of our journey,
and few weeks later we landed on Il
shore which we had never heard men,
toned. We were in Finland ut Ulea-
borg"
And the notes, the notes."
vengeance did not pursue us into this
land of eternal SHOWS Our lives were
here permitted to roll on in peace. The
aged Tuisko by his extraordinary proph-
ccies won our confidence.
And what extraordinary prediction
has he then madr:"
Il ought not perhaps TO tell you. He
predicted TO me Il glorious vista visit
such as no man has ever received upon
this earth"
And did he forctell truly-you blush!
What else is there to say
n,ll.,1 ,.,,-;ll
your happiness.
The notes! Speak, for heavens sake
tho notes."
why constantly cxclaim the notes:
My beloved mother has for four years
past been sleeping her eternal slumber in
the cemetery of Uleaborg. And l, poor
child-the good Tuisko took me, consoled
me and in the midst of these deserts of
snow has supplied the place of n father"
"Oh, good Toni, come, weep upon my
bosom. Return with mo TO France, the
land of thy mother! | will surround
thee with all the splcndors due to thy
birth; | will restore to thee the happi-
ness of which wretch has robbed thee.
But give me, | besecch You, give mo a
pledge @! love, that may believe your
words"
Take this medallion, my prince. 1t
is the only inheritance l have received
from my mother. 1t is my greatest treas
ure; it contains apiece of the true cross.
AS long as you wear it above Your heart
you need fear neither water nor fire
nor air nor balls nor the assassin's pom
lard"
Thanks, my child; this dear locket
shall not quit me for ono single moment
of my remaining life. But let me press
upon your lips one kiss, pure as the en-
brace of angels Oh, my God! those
letters"
"Why such sudden pallor, my prince?
Here are the letters you so greatly de-
sire to see. | always carry them about
ME. They inClose Il lock of my mothers