Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1896-06-18
WOODBURY., n j, THURSDAY, JUNE Is, 1896

romance. He could talk the part well
too. And, POUNDS, why shouldn't I
marry him? Thirty five years Of age,
but much younger in spirit, of proved
courage and unqucstioned hOnor-in
fact, how shall | say it-he pleased me
very much OILY one thing kept me
from saying Yes 1t once. Novels were
already being written at that time
had read some--far too maryland they
had put lot Of absurd ideas into my
head. If were 70 give myself to a man
forever, | must know bis intimate
Thoughts, his past, above all.
zone fine evening, then, between two
cups Of tea, said bravely to M. de
Lionne:
Well. yes, | love you. But come,
tell me frankly locking me straight i'll
the cye--it il not very disagreeable to
do 50, is it?-have you nothing, abso-
lutely nothing, to rcproach yourself
with-if not rs regards men, as regards
women?'
Nothing, he replied, with an in
genuous calnesmess that made me wish
to throw myself into lis arms.
'Then he suddenly blushed i had
forgotten one incident, he said I con
fess that l have committed, or almost
committed, a bad, IA very bad, action
'Blushing at first, he had now turned
pale. | almost regretted having asked
him. But it was too late to curb my
curiosity.
Tell me everything
" L obey. Twelve years ago l was in
garrison at T. There was talk Of
war in the air at the time, and this,
added to our youth. gave Us an auda-
cious, almost fcrocious, gayety. One
evening when we were all tipsy-for we
got tipsy i'll those days, which l hope
you will pardon-a sublieutenant. more
tipsy than the others, proposed that we
scale the walls Of a convent i'll the neigh
borhood and friGhten the nuns and pu-
pills in their sleep. 1t was stupid, an
infamous idea! Wine is bad counselor:
not a man there, brave and honorable
though they We're, slapped the face Of
the man who had made the wretched
proposition. We rushed out Of the tav-
eru, found ladders | don't know where,
scaled the wall, and ran across the gar
den like looters i'll captured city
'Ohr / cried
+" You despise me, do you not? You
will never be my wife2'
I have not said that Yet. J sin
cerely hope you did not carry out your
horrible prcject?'
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-gardeners
or peasants come to pay their rent
We're near at hand in considerable num-
bers. Yes. they We're countrymen, for
under the trees we could see garments
that looked like skirts-they must have
been long blouses We began to be less
courageous, remorse seized US, and we
fed to the ladders; and no one ever
knew that we had entered the convent
garden. But / have always had bitter
recollection Of that nights escapade
''The dear fellow l assured him that
L thought none the worse OF hlm Tor 1t,
and, month later, 1 was the Marquise
de Lionne. F"
When we had finished laughing-for.
it must be confessed, the adventure was
amusing-we demanded Of the mar
quise:
"And did your husband never know
the truth? DID he never learn that it
was you and your schoolmates'
Perhaps he guessed it. The night
we We're marEed, just as he was about
to take me i'll his arms and kiss me, I
suddenly sprang away, crying: Damme
sir! Ten thousand devilsl By thunderr
But he didn't run away that time y
From the French in San Francisco
Arpppaut