Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1894-02-07
H|SCLASS EYE

olel shall never console myseiri snail
die of grief"
"Calm yourself, my child, calm your
self. Ii Is ridiculous to put yourself in
such a state This gentleman has deceived
us, that is AN. always thought he had
rather "A queer expression"
Mamma had hsen. and was sobbing
on her breast
"Why did he not tell met I, who had
avowed all my own defects-the nail, the
wisdom tooth and the anger-sll. every
thingl Dear me, how unhappy l ami Aud
only last evening he had said, You are the
Joy Of my eyes. He should have said, You
are the JOY Of my eye All, It is dreadful
drsadfulV'
"Come, quiet down. Don't cry like that
tell you II Is ridiculous. Think no more
about It, Try to calm yourself How un-
fortunate 1t u that things have gone so
farl Only eight days before the wedding
and everything ready! Well, it is a good
thing we found IL out In time"
hardly listened. One question burned
In my throat.
ale has another eye to change with,
mamma, and this one which he has used
is probably put In water to cool"
Mamma was horribly worried knew
known any one intimately who had glass
eye and do not care to know how they man
age.
She continues a little monologue all to
herself: at Is pleasant. All this trous-
sesu, marked with ". We never will
find the same initial again, and my hus-
band will listen TO no one else. He was
charmed with this gentleman at nrst sight.
The references were perfect. The Jesuit
fathers, his colonel and every one That
II so like man-one can never count on
them. A pretty discovery indeedl ! al
ways thought there was something ex-
traordinary about him. The individual
never pleased me, and was quite right" {"
/ had raised my head. The vision OF the
glass eye gazing at me from the depths Of
the wash basin still troubled me profound
ly. But another vision came also to my
memory.
/ saw again my fiance, so good, 30 ten
der. heard once again all our prospects
for the future, all our plans made together
and suddenly IL seemed TO me to be last
evening, and a rain of kisses was falling
on my hair. / had not told mamma about
these kisses, but felt that loved Raoul
with his one eye, and that nothing would
induce me to give him up. All my cour-
age came back 10 me.
"Mamma, am sure he lost that eye In
some honorable, magnificent way. IL is a
wound of which he should be proud-in
saving some one perhaps from fire, in
sacrificing himself, II Is certain-he Is so
good, he has such noble sentiments.
quite understand he would dislike confess
ing it,"
"What do you sayi Are you quite era
zyi Do you think l am going to allow you
to marry this man with such an infirmityf
You, beautiful as you are and only IL, and
with your fortune toof No, a thousand
times no, my child. Do not forge yourself
. romance of devotion and saorifce-it Is
perfectly useless. will never consent to
your marriage with a man with one eye.
Should he lose the other, he would be quite
blind, and how sgreea BILE that would bel'
"But, mamma, / will be his faithful dog
will lead him, will take care of him and
will love him in spite Of his infrmity, In
spite Of everything which interferes to sep
arate usr'
Twas IN an extraordinary state of exal-
tation. My sobs began again harder than
ever and did not promise soon to stop,
when Justine re-entered the room, her hon
est face showing every expression of as
"It isn't possible that mademoisslle can
put herself In such state because M. de
Valente has forgotten his eye. At all
events, he can buy another IL he needs it
before this evening, and he won't throw
himself in the river because he hasn't that
thing in his face"
And Justine showed me, hanging deli
cately at the end Of her fingers, Raoul'
monocle that knew so well, with its round
glass encirolsd with tortoise shell, which
seamed to me for the moment IKE q lumi-
nous halo. My emotion forbade my speak
Ing. Mamma, however, went quickly to
ward Justine.
''Is that what you call glass eye, Jus
timer"
Certainly, madame. 1t seems to me
that's the name for 1t. In any case, 1t
doesn't suit M. Raoul, and mademoiselle
would do we'll to give him spectacles when
they are married. II is strange that men
OF the present day think 1t pretty to look
with one eye-like that. 1t must be very
difficult to keep IL In place. Ishould never
know how" And Justine, with a com
ical grimace, stretching her mouth and
turning up her nose, tried to introduce the
monoole underneath her right eyebrow.
could contain myself no longer. Ny tears
and sobs turned to idiotic laughter, was
so content-so happy
IL is now % years since all that happen
ed.
Raoul has been an excellent husband
quite as uncomfortable as that order of indi-
viduals always Is. He has worn spectacles
now for a long time, and when he wishes
to see anything looks with his two eyes
The monocle is buried In a bureau drawer
keep IL as relic of tears and laughter
and shall will 1t to my grandchildren II
God gives me any. My daughters are en-
gagged, and have already told them that
the alleys Of the park ars cold and damp
In the evening. Each one has his turn in
this world. Life passes, and very soon
there will be nothing left of our household
but my fsnce's glass eye.-Translated
From the French For Short Stories.