The McCook tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 1886-1936, 1894-04-27
sven that with difficulty. Every mouth


himS''
Had the heavens been opened to let fall
on the table the sun and the moon ! could
not have felt a greater shock. The end of
the world will perhaps be nothing to equal
it. repeated, with horror:
"His glass eye, Justine?"
Eyes, mademoiselle. 1t is on the wash
stand.''
Mamma grew pale, but remained calm.
Every well, Justine, you may leave the
room. We will see if it is necessary to
send it to him."
/ had only two alternatives-either to
faint away or burst into %convulsive sobs.
l chose the latter.
mamma, mamma, he has a glass eyei
Good heavens, is it possible? How horri-
blei I shall never console myself I shall
die Of griefl'
"Calm yourself, my child, calm your
self. 1t is ridiculous to put yourself in
such a state. This gentleman has deceived
us, that is all. / always thought he had
rather a queer expression"
Mamma had risen, and l was sobbing
on her breast.
"Why did he not tell me2 l, who had
avowed all my own defects-the nail, the
Wlouch oOt dhu III dlkcI-dll. every
thingi Dear me, how unhappy 1 ami And
only last evening he had said, You are the
JOY of my eyes, He should rave said, You
are the joy of my eye All, it is dreadful,
dreadful"
Come, quiet down. Don't cry like that.
/ tell you it is ridiculous. Think no more
about it. Try to calm yourself. How IN
fortunate it is that things have gone SO
fn-t n-I- xs-l4 a. Icz-~
and everything ready! Well, it is a 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 it. have never
known any one intimately who had a glass
eye and do not care to know how they man
age.
s. continues a little monologue all to
herself: lit is pleasant. All this trous-
seau, marked with a V. 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 first sight.
The references were perfect. The Jesuit
fathers, his colonel and every one. That
is so like a man-one can never count on
them. A pretty discovery indeed! I al
ways thought there was something ex-
traordinary about him. The individual
never pleased me, and I 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.
I saw again my fiance, so good, so ten
der. l heard once again all our prospects
for the future, all u plans made together,
and suddenly it seemed to me to be last
evening, and a rain of kisses was falling
on my hair. l had not told mamma about
these kisses, but l felt that I loved Raoul
with his one eye, and that nothing would
induce nae to give him up. All my cour-
age came back to me.
Mamma, I am sure he lost that eye in
some honorable, magnificent way. 1t is a
wound of which he should be proud-in
saving some one perhaps from a fire, in
sacrificing himself, it is certain-he is so
good, he has such noble sentiments. 1
quite understand he would dislike confess
ing it."
"What do you say? Are you quite era
zys Do you think | am going to allow you
to marry this man with such an infirmity?
You, beautiful as you are and only II, and
with you fortune too? No, a thousand
times no, my child. Do not forge yourself
a romance of devotion and sacrifice-it is
perfectly useless. l will never consent to
your marriage with a man with one eye.
Should he lose the other, he would be quite
blind, and how agreeable that would be-"
But, mamma, l will be his faithful dog.
I will lead him, l will take care of him and
will love him in spite of his infrmity, in
spite of everything which interferes to sep
arate usi''
was 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
constituent and stupefaction.
1T isn't possible that mademoiselle can
put herself in such a state because M. 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 because he hasn't that
thing in his face"
And Justine showed me, hanging deli
cately at the end of her fingers, Raoul's
monocle that l knew so well, with its round
glass encircled with tortoise shell, which
seemed to me for the moment like a lumi-
nous halo. My emotion forbade my speak
ing. Mamma, however, went quickly to
ward Justine.
"Is that what o call a glass eye, JUS
timer" -.
Certainly, madame. It seems to me
that's the name for it. In any case, it
doesn't suit M. Raoul, and mademoiselle
would do well to give him spectacles when
they are married. It is strange that men
OF the present day think it pretty to look
with one eye-like that. 1t must be very
difficult to keep it 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
monocle underneath her right eyebrow. I
could contain myself M longer. My tears
and sobs turned to idiotic laughter, I was
so content-so happy
It is now 25 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