Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1896-06-22

! OuAO was pT0SOuU0u W LIZ A-O
looking army man. | thought I'M
mediately of the hussar of romance.
He could talk the part well too. And,
POUNDS, why shouldn't marry him?
Thirty five years Of age, but much
younger in spirit, of proved courage
and unquestioned honor-in fact how
shall | say 1.-THE pleased me very
much. Only one thing kept me from
saying Yes at once. Novels were al
ready being written at that time. |
had read some-far too maryland
they had put lot Of absurd ideas into
my head. If were TO give myself to
a man forever, must know his init
mate thoughts, his past, above all.
cone fine evening, then, between
two cups of tea, said bravely to M.
de Lionne:
Well, yes, love you. But come,
tell me frankly, looking me straight
into the eye-it is not very disagree
able to do SO, is it?-have you nothing
absolutely nothing, to reproach your
self with-if not as regards men, as
regards women?'
Nothing he replied, with an in
genuous earnestness that made me
wish to throw myself into his arms.
"Then he suddenly blushed. I had
forgotten one incident he said. i
confess that I have committed, bad
very bad, action
"Blush at first, he had now turned
pale. I almost regretted having ask
ed him. But it was too late to curb
my curiosity.
i" Tell me everything
/" I obey. Twelve years ago was
in garrison at Tt. There was
talk of war in the air at the time, and
this, added to our youth, gave US an
audacious, almost ferocious gayety.
One evening when we were all tipsy
for we got tipsy in those days which
I hope you will pardon-a sublieuten-
ant, more tipsy than the others, pro-
posed that we scale the walls of a con-
vent in the neighborhood and fright
en- the nuns and pupils in their sleep.
It was a stupid, an infamous idea!
Wine is bad counsellor; not man
there, brave and honorable though
they were, slapped the face of the
man who had made the wretched pro-
position. We rushed out of the tav-
ern, found ladders I don't know
where, scaled the wall, and ran across
the garden like looters in captured
city
% 'Oh!' I cried.
"You despise me, do you not? You
will never be my wife?'
g 4 have not said that yet. l sim
cerely hope you did not carry your
horrible project?'
/" Chance saved us. AS we reached
the convent door we heard deep
voices in the garden, swearing the
strangest oaths. There could be no
doubt that rough fellows of some sort
or peasants come TO pay
their rent-were near at hand in con-
siderable numbers. Yes, they were
countrymen, for under the trees we
could see garments that looked like
skirts-they must have been long
blouses. We began to be less cour-
ageous, remorse seized US, and we fed
to the ladders; and no one ever knew
that we had entered the convent
garden. But I have always had a
bitter recollection of that nights es-
capade.'
1.-THE dear fellow! I assured him
that thought none the worse of him
for it, and a month later, | was the
Marquise de Lionne."
When we had finished laughing
for, it must be confessed, the adven-
ture was amusing-we demanded of
the marqulse:
ssAnd did your husband never know
the truth? Did he never learn that
it was you and your schoolma tes"-
ssPerhaps he guessed it. The night
we were married, just as he was about
to take me in his arms and kiss me, l
suddenly sprang away, crying: BY
thunderp sDamme, sir! Ten thousand
devils!'
ssBut he didn't run away that time"
San Francisco Argonaut.