Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1895-04-18

care OF her aged husband, who soon be
came Grabbed and infirm, and when he
rendered up his soul to Heaven, the
poor little widow wept, not for him
but for her vanished girlish dreams.
"Well, how do you like Raoul ds
Melchede?o asked Aunt Yseult as, seat.
ed under the thick shade of q linden.
tree in her park, she wound off the silk
from the skein which Eva was holding
for her.
"He's not bad" was the reply.
"Not bad!" repeated the old lady in.
dignantly, brandishing the ball of silk
in the air, "the scion of one of our oldest
families. Not bad! l should think
notn'
81 like his friend, Monsieur Davanne
better"
"We are not talking about him, my
dear"
'He is an artist of great talent"
| "a miserable dauber! / invited him
merely as a companion for the mar
quis."
The little countess broke out in a peal
of laughter and exclaimed,
Suppose the poor fellow heard you,
| aunt"
The old lady shrugged her shoulders
to express indifference, and Eva con-
| tinued teasingly,
"You said yourself that he had a more
distinguished bearing than the Marquis
de Melchede-"
"Hush, chlld-don't be irreverent,n
interrupted her nearer sharply. III
hope you don't mean to allow yourself
tN no coinInl NV a inf Uyhn n
quis is counting you"
"You need not be alarmed, aunt. 1
shall not take either one or the other. |
shall never marry again.
"Why not, l should like to know?n
cried the aunt furiously, and Eva an
swered in quiet tone:
81 wish to devote myself entirely to
the education of my son; that is
enough for me to do, and / cannot
undertake the care of husband again."
"You are absurd, my dear"
"Why SO? You yourself have never
married, and yet, aunt, you get on very
well.u
"That is different thing. I have
always been SO much occupied with
other peoples marriages that | have
had no time to think of my own lone
liness."
"Well, try to forget mine, I beg of
you"
"The marquis adores you he will
persuade you"
"He? / think not"
1--WE shall see,-we shall see ~
The old lady, exasperated by this
opposition, made gesture of despair,
and then went into the house, while
Eva ran in search of her little boy,
who had taken advantage of the earn
estness of the conversation to slip away
unperceived.
The young Countess de Valrey re-
manned in the Chateau Grillon for two
months, and during that time she was
besieged by the solicitations of her
aunt, and the alteration, more or less
open, of the Marquis de Melchede, and
Jacques Davanne, the artist. The for
mer, though far from prepossessing,
with his angular frame and fair, insipid
title, besides being an accomplished |
man of the world, while Davanne, why |
claimed no coat-of-arms, made up for |
the deficiency BY his frank and manic
bearing and artistic talent, which was
universally acknowledged.
Eva de Valrey reflected upon the |
respective merits of her two cavaliers,
and found that she was incapable of
making choice between them.
The sultry day was drawing to a
close, and cool breeze springing up
blew softly through. the leafy arches Of
the great Park of Grillon.
The setting sun seemed to linger in
its descent, bathing the whole horizon
in it's gold and purple hues, and send
ing its rays obliquely through the foil
age to the green moss below, where
they made little spots of brightness
among the shadows. All nature seemed
to be falling into calm, majestic sum-
Der.
Jacques Davanne walked slowly,
thoughtfully through the woods, deaf
to the harsh cries of the jays which
flew away at his approach, unconscious
of everything except his sorrow. He
could think of nothing but his love for
the young countess, and he longed for
courage to throw himself at her feet. to
ask her to be his wife-he, the poor
artist While he stood bordering at
a place where several pathways met,
he heard the sound of approaching
footsteps, and, not wishing to be dis
covered in his sad revery, he shrank
back into the shrubbery. The next
minute two persons appeared, and as
he caught sight of them, Davanne
turned pale with agitation. He saw
Eva de Valrey leaning on the arm of
the marquis Their conversation was
very earnest, and the young Widows
clear tones reached his ear as she eX-
claimed,
"You say you love me entirely. Why
then should | not return your love"
The breeze carried away the rest of
the sentence as the couple passed on,
and Jacques Davanne rushed off in the
opposite direction. He was broken
hearted, desperate, for he saw that his
love was indeed hopeless his rival was
preferred before him. and there was
nothing for him to do but to GO away,
to stifie his love and his despair. Night
fell, unfolding her dark mantle span
gled with silvery stars, and still the
mourner wandered on under the spread
ing trees. In the Chateau Grillon all
were sleeping, and the only sound in
forest was the plaintive voice of the
screech-owl, which from tall oak-tree
made answer to the signs of the wan