The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1896-11-18
A SOLDIERS ROMANCE

A SOLDIERS ROMANCE
Every evening after maneuvers Maui
rice Tournier, young lieutenant i'll the
reserves, was only too glad to get back
to the house where he had been quar-
tered. From the first day that he had
been quartered in this house his be-
havior toward its occupants had been
marked by great courtesy and consider
alton. If he happened to meet either of
the two ladies in the hall or on the
stairs, he would always stand aside re-
speetfully to allow her to pass, but
when the elder lady, won over by his
Difference. invited him to dine with
them he had always accepted the invi-
tation gladly. As rule the elf er lady
would be lying on the sofa. NN.ile the
younger one would be- reading aloud.
From the dictatorial tones and sudden
oaprices of the former and from the re-
signed obedience of the latter the young
officer had soon guessed that it was a
case of wealthy aunt and q poor niece.
Louise de Lery, had been left an orphan
and totally unprovided for. Mime. Pri-
mean, her greataunt and the only rela-
tive she had in the world, had therefore
adopted her. Without being of "a really
unkind disposition. Mime. Primeau,
who was great invalid, had gradually
worked on and profted by her nioce's
gratitude until at length the poor girl
had become quite slave. Her aunt
would not suffer any one else to do any
thing for her. She could not bear to
hear other footsteps in the room or to
henr any other voice but that of Louise,
and for the last five years she had thus
thoughtlessly and quite unconsciously
been crushing all the spirit and all tho
gayety out of the young girls life.
Louise de Lery WAS now 20, and,
though she had lost the freshness of her
girlhood, the young officer thought her
very beautiful. Her eyes were Of deep,
unchanging blue. She had an aquillne
nose, arohed lips and waving, chestnut
colored hair, with just touch of tho
gold in it that one sees in autamn leaves,
Little by little had the ciGolly lady
been won over by the gay good humor
and never failing courtesy OF the young
officer, and SO he had seen great deal
of his hostess and her niece during his
month 8 sojourn with them.
He had delighted in Louise's CONVEX
sation and society and had soon discoy-
cred that this girl. who had lived thus
obseurely in the shade, possessed mind
which was only waiting for Il touch of
sunshine to burst into the most perfect
beauty, and there was something ro-
mantle i'll the idea that in this old, gray
looking dwelling, half buried i'll n little
old world town, he had thus come across
by chance the pale, captive princess of
his dreams.
During the last week of his stay it
seemed as though Nine. Primeau had
scented danger, for suddenly. and appar-
emily without any cause. her manner
toward the young man had changed.
She was always cold and sarcastic when
she spoke to him, and she did not invite
him to dinner with herself and niece.
The time was getting desperately short
only three days more - and then,
through his own foolish proorastination,
he would forever have lost the oppor-
tunity he now had Of speaking and per-
haps of winning as his wife the only
woman he would ever love.
In the evening, when tho two ladies
happened TO be sitting out in the gar
den, Lieutenant Fourier ON his arrival
took his chair, and in optic Of the ag-
gressive expression which he read in
Nine. Primeau's eyes planted it near to
hers and began to talk boldly about his
departure, about Paris, and then about
his own position and means. Then sud
denly and without any leading up to it
he announced the fact that he was weary
of his solitary life, and that he wanted
to marry and settle down. Louise, bend
ing over her embroidery, listened to all
the young man was saying, just as she
might have listened to one of the love
stories such as her aunt adored and
which she was always having to read
aloud.
"But your position and your income
##* If what you mention is all you
have to depend upon, you surely cannot
think of marrying yet awhile For your
self alone y y of course il is enough,
but il you had wife and eli ldren, why
s%* it would mean misery y y y mis-
cry *#+ And then, without giving
him time to argue the point. she rose,
and, on the pretext that she WAS getting
chilly, she took Louise arm, and the
two ladies entered the house together.
Lieutenant Tournier did not see the
young girl the next day, nor even the
next. Mmo. Primeau, whose heart was
affected, had one Of her bad attacks.
She staid in bed for the next few days,
and the young girl waited Oh her hand
and foot, taking her meals even IN the
sickroom, little dreaming, In her per
feet unconsciousnoss, that there was Ill
the whole world any single human be-
ing who felt any interest i'll her and
who was longing to see her.
Maurice Tournicr was in despair. His
departure was now so near and Louise
was invisible.
He gave message 10 the servant for
her mistress, saying thGt lac was leaving
and would like to say 'Gocdby. Mime.
Primeau sent cold, polite message
back, regretting that she WAS too i'll to
see any one, and not even mentioning
her niece.
Maurice did not give NJ, though.
even after that The detachment was
to leave the town ut day break i'll order
to spare the men the long march i'll the
heat of tho midday sun. The young
lieutenant gave out that he would take
his things away from the house that
night and sleep at the hotel in order
not to disturb the ladies i'll the early
morning. He made great deal OF noise
while packing, slamIning the doors,
dragging his trunk and his sword along
with o clatter-in fact, letting the in
valid know that he was really going OIL
the premises.
Two hours later, when it was just
| getting dusk, lie returned 10y narrow
street to the other side of the garden,
climbed the wall and then dropped
down among the rosebushes His hope
| was that when Mime. primeau thought