Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1894-03-22


only very little, just enough to sus-
tain me, and even that with difficulty.
Every mouthful stuck in my throat.
In the midst of the breakfast Justine
opened the door.
Madame, NJ. de Valente has left his
glass eye in his room. Shall it be sent
to him."
Had the heavens been opened to let
fall On the table the sun and the moon
l could not have felt greater shock.
The end Of the world will perhaps be
nothing to equal it. l repeated. with
horror:
His glass eye, Justine?"
Yes, mademoiselle. 1t is ON the
waShStand."
Mamma grew pale, but remained
calm.
Very well, Justine, you may leave
the room. We will see if it is neceS-
Sary to send it to him."
l had only two alternativeS-either
to faint away or burst into Convulsive
SohS. l chose the latter.
Mamma, mamma, he has glass
eye! Good heavens. it is possible? How
horrible! l shall never console myself,
1 shall die OF grlef!'
calm yourself, my child. calm your
self. 1t is ridiculous to put yourself
in such state. This gentleman has
deceived us. that is all. | always
thought he had rather Il queer express
sion"
Mamma had risen, and l was sob
bling on her breast.
"Why did he not tell me? |. who
had avowcd all my own defcctS-the
nail, the wisdom tooth and the anger
all, everything! Dear me, how unhappy
| am! And only last evening he had
said, You are the JOY of my eye All,
it is dreadful, dreadfulw
Come, quiet down. Don't cry like
that l tell you it is ridiculous. Think
no more about it, Try to calm Your
self. How unfortunate it is that things
have gone so far! Only eight days be-
fore the wedding and everything ready!
We'll, it is good thing we found it
out in time"
l hardly listened. One question
burned in my throat.
HE 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. l
. knew nothing whatever about 1t. l
/ have never known any one intimately
who had glass eye and do not care
to know how they manage.
! hn II
to herself; ut Is pleasant. All this
rousseau, marked with V. We never
will find the same initial again, and
my husband will listen to no one else.
He was charmed with this gentleman
at first sight. The references We're per-
feet. The Jesuit fathers, his colonel
and every one. That is so like Il man
one can never count on them. A pretty
discovery indeed l always thought
there was something extraordinary
about him. The individual never
pleased me, and l was quite right"
l had raised my head. The vision
Of the glass eye gazing at me from
the depths of the wash basin still
troubled me profoundly. But another
vision came also to my memory.
/ saw again my tianCee. SO good, SO
tender. | heard once again all our
prospects for the future, all our plans
made together and suddenly it 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 courage came back to me-
Mamma, | am sure he lost that eye
in some honorable, magnificent way. 1t
is II wound of which he should be
proud-in saving some one perhaps
from Il fire, in sacrificing himself 1t
is ccrtain-he is so good, he has such
noble sentiments. | quite understand
he would dislike confessing It,"
What do you say? Are you quite
crazy? Do you think l am going to
allow you to marry this man with such
an infirmity? You, beautiful as you
are and only II, and with your fortune
too? No, Il thousand times no, my
child. Do not forge yourself ro-
nance of devotion and sacrifce-t is
perfectly useless. I will never consent
TO your marriage with man with
one eye. Should he lose the other. he
would be quite blind, and how agree
able that would bc!'
But, mamma ] will be his faithful
dog. l will lead him, | will take care
Of him and will love him in spite Of
his intfrmity, in spite of everything
which interferes to separate us!'
l was in an extraordinary state Of
eXaltation. My sObs began again
harder than ever and did not promise
soon to stop, when Justine re-entered
the room, her honest face showing
every expression Of establishment and
stupefaction
1T isn't possible that mademoiselle
can put herself in such n state because
NJ. de Valente has forgotten his eye
At all events he can buy another If
he needs it before this evening, and
he won't throw himself in the river