The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1896-02-20

pleasure in giving spontaneous information
regarding it,.
F See how well walk, Isn't it really
miracle? That which exhausted me was thu
care of my house, Now, / have less fatigue
and must do you the justice to say that
you keep it in beautiful order for me!"
If you think it is for you that we do il
-" retorted Nine. Joseph one day.
That evening, at table, the young woman
said to NJ. Planchon:
"Well, you see, father-n-law, the worthy
woman has outwitted you, after all, She'll
live for 10 years, you see. You Will have
paid her $4,000 francs for n house which, at
best, is only worth 5000. And, when / say
$4,000 francs, really ought to add 10000
for with interest, it will be AZ 2000."
The poor man grew pale. That he, Plan
| chon, should have been outwitted!
He only mutteTed in reply:
" Don't trust too much to appearances,n
The dinner ended sadly in disheartened
| silence.
The following morning at daybreak the
Planchons were wakened by groans. The
| husband sprang out of bed.
It's death-rattle!" he cried.
His wife stared at him.
Can it be that poor Mile. Lisbeth-?"
81 will 90 and see.n
He left the room. Presently his voice
rang out:
| "oh! my poor sister, my poor sister,"
! In fact, Nine. Letellier was dying.
AT midday she was dead.
Mile. Lisbeth offered her humble services,
which they dared not refuse; and it was she
who fetched the holy water.
All the family, however, watched her
! coming and going with n sort of dull rancor
AN unacknowledged anger.
| The day Of the funeral, Planchon said to
his wife:
" The fact is, if my poor sister had had a
sunny room she probably would not have
| departed this life so soon! Frankly, now,
death might better have taken useless per-
son, who has no one to love her"
From this day on it was an open war
They hated her, this creature whom death
had forgotten to remove, and who had rob-
bed Nine. Letellier Of her last rays of sun
light
Her most implacable enemy was Nine.
Joseph: she expressed heself about this thief
of life and sunlight with all the freedom and
ardor Of youth. She called her. by turns, the
refractory skeleton, or the fugitive from the
pomps of death.
Three years after the death Of Nine. Letel-
lier, Mile. Lisbeth was more valiant than
ever.
There is 6,400 francs that / have paid
her." said Planchon one evening.
THAT we may mould away on the north
side :" was the shIill-voiced response of
Nine. PlanchoD, who was just going up TO
bed.
Then, furious at haying'to go into her ice
house, as she called it, she gave the opposite
door quite savage kick As if in echo to
ba 1ar bad lnv
resounded at the bottom of the stairs.
1t was Joseph, who was taken i'll for the
third time within the month They gath
cred about him, and the swoon lasted only
short time; but next day when he got up
he felt shattered.
He did not regain his strength. C0nsump-
ton, which had threatened him for some
time, developed itself very distinctly. In
vain they nursed him. gave him everything
10 strengthen him. He failed from day TO
day.
In seeing her son fade away thus Caroline
could not control the feelings of rebellion
which took possession of her At the sight
of the old maid, now SO thoroughly restored
to health, she sighed:
God is not just"
He las mistaken the door," murmured
Joseph one evening.
lBti MS last.
When, on the following morning. Mile.
Lisbeth entered the death chamber, carrying
the holy water, Nine Planchon rose up con-
yuIsiveIy, crying in strident tones:
Alb, leave tvs alone with our tamily,n
NJ. Anceiin, who was standing at the door
added grayely: This is not the moment,
Mademoiselle,"
Mile Lisbeih Manduit did not show her
self again until the funeral.
The poor mother was utterly broken. The |
blow which she had received had been SO |
severe that she rapidly lost Eer strength.
If cnly she had the sunlight growied |
Planchon, as he looked despairingy toward |
the two south rooms.
This growing, however. did not keep the |
poor woman from dying, and that precisely |
on the evening Of the payment of the fifth |
installment.
Mile. Lisbeth did not offer her services
this time; but the day after the burial they
found on the tomb wreath, bearing this in
scription:
God reunites those who love each other"
Two years passed withou. incident. Mile
Lisbelh did not grow any oder. Planchon,
on the contrary, was breaking, and the
Ancelirs languished, while their daughter
dropped.
The hatred of the four survivors of the
family was given free reign. For a trifle-
nothing but the opening of door-Mme.
Joseph would cry out in the hall
THAT cd woman is plaguei"
Mile. Lisbeih would come out Of her room
and say, in cheerful voice:
Did you call me, my dear?"
mo, she was calling the cholera" NUT
tered Planchon.
The cholera did rot come; but, in its
stead, an infectious Grippe, which carried
OF W. and Nine. Anceln the same night
This time, also, at the cemetery, the day
after the obsequies, they found a wreath,
with the words: God calls His elect unto
Himself"
When Planchon again fonnd himself face
to face with his daughter-in-law both gave
a g!oan wherein there was less of grief Than
OF anger.
Ii was necessary TO put the empty room
OF the Ancelins in order. The iather-in-laW
assisted his sons wife.
Mile. Lisbeth had gone out for a walk.
They heard her, when she came in, exclaim-
ing:
" I'm in reispiraton!"
Then they were seized with the idea of
airing tie house, aud they opened all the
Take care my child This draught Of
air is dangerous" " said the kind spinster, as
she passed by Mime. Joseph.