The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1894-07-04

with the management, for later, as l came
off the stage, he was standing at the wing
l should have passed to my dressing
room, but he came up to me and held out
his hand. l was annoyed, and showed it
by my manner. l wished to get rid of him
at once. and as he commenced praising my
acting and congratulating me my sue
cess, l said You may also congratulate me
on my engagement to NJ Eustace Lafont;
we are to be married within a MONTH
For a moment Cartesi looked savagely at
me. and was silent, then, recovering him
self with effort, he said
This is sudden, mademoiselle, but l
congrat ulate YOU Then he added, with a
cruel laugh 1T is so soon that there is
hardly time for any Slip and with an
'Adieu, mademoiselle,' he turned and left
me. l more of him; he did not re-
turn to his box during the last act.
After the performance Eustace walked
home with me. l did not mention the af-
fair to him. Indeed, we were so happy that
l forgot all about Cartesi.
Two nights after / was somewhat sur
prised at not seeing Eustace in the stage
door keepers lodge where he usually
waited until l came out. Thinking some
business had detained him, l set out to
walk home alore. 1t a beautifully
calm night; the brilliant moonlight made it
almost light as day. 1 had walked some
distance slowly, in the hope that Eustace
would overtake me, when a gentleman ran
up to me; he was breathless, and had evil
IDENTIFY been running for some distance.
" Pardon me, mademoselle,' he said I
am Louis Gardel, friend of NJ. Lafont
he has been taken suddenly i'll, and is lying
at my house. Will you come at once?'
Il had often heard Eustace speak of M.
Gardel and had seen them together. AS
we hurried along he told me that he had
been to the theater, but arrived soon after
| l left. When l questioned him as to the ma
| ture of Eustaces Illness he said there
danger, but we must hope for the best. I
was too much excited to press him with
questions, and we walked on in silence. 1t
seemed a long way for l was anxious; but
really We had not walked together for
more than ten minutes when my compan-
| ion paused before the door of large house.
| He opened this door with key, and
| passed into the house together. AS we en-
| tered the hall an old lady came forward to
meet us. She took me by the hand and led
me into a sittingroom. Seating herself be-
side me on a COUCH she said:
'Mademoiselle, you must prepare your
self for bad news. NJ Lafont is very dan
gerously ILL
The gravity of her manner and her evil
| dent agitation alarmed me. He is not
dead" l exclaimed; do not tell me that
mo, my child, not dead; but he has been
dangerously wounded in a duel and is in a
very critical state
Take me to him. Take me to him. 1
| cried bursting into tears
LAS Madame Gardel endeavorng to
| said:
'Mademoiselle, he is conscious now, and
has asked for you. The doctors think it
| would be better for you to see him, but you
must endeavor to be calm, as any excite
| ment may prove fatal to him.
Il went up to the room. They had laid
him the bed; the softened light of a
| shaded lamp fell his face. Oh! how
changed and i'll he looked AS I entered
the room one of the doctors, who seat
4 It,
crossed the room softly, and stood beside
the bed. The other doctor, who was hold
ing the patients left wrist, looked up at
me and whispered Do not speak, mademoi-
see.' 1 waited there, with bursting
heart, for hours it seemed. At last his
eyes opened. He recognized me, and, with
a faint SMILE murmured my name. 1t
the last word that passed his lips. AS l
bent down to him l noticed a sudden change
come over his face. One of the doctors took
me by the hand, and said, Come away,
mademoiselle.' Then 1 tainted. For days
afterwards was quite PROSTATE with grief;
they were very kind to me. Madame Gar
del nursed me as If had been her own
daughter.
"Once again 1 saw Eustace; it was on the
day of the funeral. AS 1 looked for the
last time the face of my beloved, it was
difficult to believe he was dead-there were
no traces of suffering there, the pain-drawn
expression which struck me so much when
1 came to his bedside on the fatal night
had passed away, and he seemed asleep;
but, alas! my tears and kisses did not
awaken him-he was lost to me for ever.
when all was over and 1 was calmer,
asked NJ. Gardel to tell me the circum-
stances connected with the duel l knew
Cartesi had been Eustaces adversary; they
told me that at first, when I was too i'll
and weak to hear more, but now that the
calmness of despair had settled down upon
me felt strange craving to know all.
IN. Gardel told me that on the fatal
evening Eustace and himself were at the
Literary Club. They were sitting at
table in the smoking room discussing some
new book; two gentlemen entered and seat
ed themselves at an adjoining table. One
of them was habitue of the club, we'll
known to Eustace and M. Gardel; the
other was a dark, foreign-looking gentle
man; they learned his name later-it was
Cartesi. The conversation became general,
though Eustace and NJ. Gardel were not
introduced to the stranger. Suddenly, at
the mention of Eustace's name, Cartesi
looked fixedly at him and said, in a sheer
ing, insolent tone, SO you NJ Lafont. 1
must congratulate you on your engagement
to be married to Clarice Gerard the
actress
"Eustace was evidently annoyed and said,
curtly I do not accept congra tulations
from strangers, and this is place for the
discussion of my private affairs or the men,
ton of the name of Mademoisee Gerard
"Ah,' Cartesi replied, that would be all
they are public property; the man who
marries one of them should not be too
sensitive
Monsieur said Eustace, 1T is evident
that this is a studied insult to Mademoi-
selle Gerard, and warn you to mention her
name again in my presence at your peril
.'Cartesi, who was livid with rage sprang
forward and struck Eustace on the cheek
with his glove Now said he we always
meet that kind of thing with the sword in
NV cOuntry-l am your service
And 1 at yours said Eustace when
ever you please
""Tonight them Kissed Cartesi. There
is moonlight; it will be light enough for our
purpose
"'All this continued NJ. Gardel, had
passed In few minutes-perhaps in less
time than it takes to tell. At Eustace's
request l undertook to be his second, and
Cartesis FRIEND after using every effort in
his power to bring about a reconciliation,
reluctantly consented to act for him. The
preliminaries were arranged swords were
to be the weapons. 1 knew nothing of
Cartesi's skill with the sword, did
Eustace, but nothing would have stopped
the duel.
"'Withn an hour we met in the Bots de
Boulogne. At the last moment, as the two
stood face to face in the moonlight, 1
stepped up to Cartesi and said: "Signor,
your conduct has been cruel and insulting
Whether you were under the influence of
wine I know not, but even now it is not
too late for you to apologize to- my friend.
The affair shall remain secret"
Monsieur he replied, you are natural
ly soicitous for your friend; but do not
intend to apologize.
'Eustace beckoned me to him and said
in an undertone, Il know nothing of this