Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1895-10-24
THE LIAR.

never loved but one woman. i pass
I'd five years with her in perfect happi-
hess l can truly say that to her l owe
my success, because of my freedom from
rare and because she imbued me with
some Of her great ambition. From the
first moment we met it seemed to me
that / had always loved her Her beauty
and character answered all my dreams
That woman never left me. She died in
my house, in my arms and still loving
me- But when I think Of her it drives
me mad. If 1 attempt to describe her as
she was during the five years, in all the
glory Of her love, with her tall, svelte
figure, her clear cut features, like an
oriental Jews, her luminous, pale face,
her cheerful talk, her voice soft and
sweet as her glance; if l try to bring
again to my mind that vision of delight,
it is only to say hate herl
Her name was Clotilde In the house
in which first met her she was known
as Mime. Deloche, the widow Of cap
tain long since dead. She appeared to
have travelled extensively. In her con
versation she would sometimes say,
'When was at Tampico, or, perhaps,
"Once during raid in Valparaiso.
Aside from these remarks nothing in
her manner, in her language, suggested
a anomadic life-nothing of that disorder
and hurry incident to quick departures
or untimely arrivals. She was Paris
ian, dressed always with exquisite taste,
without a burnoose or those eccentric
serapes by which one recognizes the
wives of officers and marines who are
perpetually on the move.
When found that / loved her, my
only idea was to ask her hand in mar
riage. A friend spoke to her for me.
She replied simply that she should never
marry. Thenceforth l avoided places
where would see her. and as I was too
unhappy to work l resolved to go away.
I was making preparations for depar-
ture, when, one morning, in the midst
Of the confusion Of packing, Mime. De
loche entered my apartment
"Why do you go away" she asked.
Because you love me? / also love you,
only"-here her voice trembled a little
-"only I am married. 2 And she told
me her history.
1t was a story Of love and desertion.
Her husband was dissipated He had
beaten her. They separated at the end
Of three years. Her family, Of whom
she seemed very proud, occupied high
positions in Paris, but since her mar
riage they had disowned her. She was
a niece of the grand rabbi. Her sister,
widow of an officer of high rank, had
married for a second husband the gen
eral Of the guard at st. Germain. AS
for herself, financially ruined by her
husband, she had fortunately been high
" educated and possessed several ac-
complishments, Of which she now made
use She gave lessons i'll music in the
wealthy families of the Chausee d 'Antin
and the Faubourg St Germain.
Her story was touching, but quite
long, full Of the pretty repetitions and
interminable incidents which crowd the
talk of women. / hired pretty little
house in the Avenue de l'Imperatrice.
passed the first year listening to her,
looking at her, without thinking Of
work. 1t was she who first urged me to
enter my studio and fired me with am
bition to become a great artist. l could
not induce her to give up her pupils.
This independence touched me deeply.
/ admired the proud soul which made
me feel little humiliated before the
expressed wish to owe nothing except
to her own exertions We were thus
separated every day.
With what happiness returned home,
so impatient when she was late, so
happy when l found her there before
mel From her pupils in Paris she
brought me rare flowers. often forced
her to accept some present, but she
Iaughingly said that she was richer than
1, and the lessons must have been very
profitable, for she always dressed with
great elegance and always in black,
which she wore through coquetry on ac-
count of her complexion.
Her beauty was enhanced by heavy
velvets, shining jets, lustrous satins and
masses of silky laces. All her pupils,
daughters Of bankers and financiers,
adored and respected her, and more than
once she showed me a bracelet, bangle
or a piece of lace which one of them had
given her.
Except when at work, we were never
separated. Only ON Sunday she went to
st. Germain to see her sister, the wife
of the general, with whom. long ago,
she had made her peace. I accompanied
her to the station. She returned the
same evening, and often, when the days
were long, we would make rendezvous
and go TO row ON the water or for a
walk in the woods. She would tell me
about her visit, how pretty the children
were and how happy they all were to-
gether. 1t seemed to make her so un-
happy that redoubled my tenderness in
order to make her forget her sorrow.
What happy times of work and con-
Gdence we had / suspected nothing.
Everything she said appeared SO true,
30 natural. | could reproach her with
only one thing-sometimes in telling
lut dDDut tLC w Iva
pills belonged, she gave a quantity of
intimate details and told Of imaginary
intrigues. She saw always the romance
around her and seemed TO live in dra-
matte combinations. These dreams trou-
bled my happiness. |, who wished to
hy far from the rest of the world to live
nlone with her, often found her occupied
with indifferent things. But | could
pardon these dreams in woman young
and unhappy, whose life had been sad
romance, without hope Of happy de-
houement.
Once only | became suspicious, or,
rather. uneasy. One Sunday evening
she did not return. was in despair.
What should do? Go toSt Germain?
/ could not do that without compromis-
ing her. However, after fearful night
had Just decided to go there When