The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-07-19

love Of art that her husband had i'm
agined she possessed. Nor was she read
er. 1t was only occasionally that she
would open book, and then but TO glance
at IL here ard there. Sometimes Emile
would read aloud TO her. when she would
invariable fall asleep. She grew silent
and dull. Her husband feared she was
unwell.
This monotonous life will kill me-" she
answered him one day, when he question:
ed her. Il did not marry you to be buried
alive in four walls like a nun"
my beloved, what can / do for your
he said. He was startled at her sudden
outburst.
Can you not see that 1 am dying for
want Of a little pleasure? l cannot live
with only you to talk to from morning
till night. l want society," want 10 move
in the world. l am tired Of you-you-
you-always you-for the last six months.
You do not interest me in the least now
MY wife, my own Adrienne, what is
the meaning of this discomfort he said,
with perplexed look upon his face. is
my love and the goods Of this world, by
which l have surrounded you, not sufh-
cient to secure your happiness?"
She laughed. You have but poor
| idea. monsieur, Of what constitutes hap
| plness What you have given to me is a
mere nothing-simply nothing. / desire
/ much more. want the pleasures OF the
world. am young beautiful. with abund-
ance Of vitality; it is impossible for me
| to continue to lead this slow, uncivil life.
l was born for the world"
You have not been accustomed to
| life OF gaiety, Adrienne" he said. gently,
| though his set face and unsteady voice
betrayed what ne felt. why have you
such a craving for it now?'
Allow me to inform you, Monsieur,
| that l married you TO gain 1t. l knew
| you were rich and / expected that you
/ would give me all that wealth could buy"
| "Adrienne, have given you more than
| the wealth OF the universe could purchase;
/ have given you my love, my heart, my
| soul, my being"
Again she laughed, and with her dain-
/ tily slippered foot kicked away a pretty
| her. You place TOO high a value on
! yourself, Monsieur. Marriage kills love.
| Did you not know that? Friendship some
times takes its place; but even that SEN
timent between you and me will not exist
If you refuse to give me what 1 ask.
| am dying of ennui."
Il have no acquaintances in Paris, Ad-
| rienne. You cannot go into society"
THE Ginestes will introduce me-" she
said. and then l will form a circle for
| myself l must have a handsome apart
| ment in a fashionable quarter, a carriage
and pair of English horses, and a larger
| allowance of money. You can remain in
this hermitage, If you so please, and de-
vote yourself to art or to anything else
! you like. l will not attempt to tear you
| away from what you love so fondly."
He stood mute, gazing at the beautiful
! woman he had thought as near perfec-
ton as human nature could be- He felt
| as though he had been in a delightful
dream, and this was the rude awaken
ing:
imagined I would live for years and years
| in this seclusion' she continued with
her hooking laugh. when will you at
| tendto what l want, Emile? The Giuestes
will be up from Garavaques immediate
~"
"Give me time to consider your request"
he answered. you are abrupt" His
| voice was hollow and his features drawn.
] ink 10 cd FrOT haF~ 4
| went into his studio. There he threw him
self into a chair and buried his face in
his hands. The scales had dropped from
| his eyes, and he saw the woman he call
ed wife in her true light. All the love
and devotion he had lavished upon her
had been of no value to her. His anguish
! and disappointment were bitter He took
| 1t as a chastisement from heaven; for he
| felt that the sins he had committed for
| her were beyond pardon. He still loved
her, for his love was too deep ever to
| be effaced, but he was not so weak as to
| permit her to have separate establish
ment from him. She might be introduced
by Nine. Gineste, and entertain at Mon
| Reeve, and he would give her carriage,
too-more than that she was not to ex-
! pect. When she heard his decision, she
! exhibited her evil temper to the eX-
IRENE. He was gentle but firm. She was
mis- wife, and must dwell with him.
When Monsieur and Madame Gineste
came to town for the season, Madame
Labalme succeeded in getting into a very
bounded admiration, and her head was al
most turned by the attention and fiattery
u she received on every side. Emile's pun
ishment was not yet complete. One year
more, and Adrienne Labalme suddenly
disappeared from her husband, her home
and from Paris.
1t was the month of September, and
Asiatic cholera, which had been raging
in Paris since May, was at its height.
Distress, tears, lamentations, and despair
were seen and heard in every dwelling.
The Reaper Death had visited the four
quarters of the capital, and moved down
rich and poor alike. Every day and every
hour corpses were borne to the great open
pits, to be huddled together by hundreds.
All trade was at a stand. The terrible
bellman with his dead cart, the priests
and the ouvriers were the only workers
in the beautiful and once gay city.
Through the whole horrible scourge, Pere
| Labalme distinguished himself by his un-
ceasing labor in the cause of religion and
| charity. Five years before this woefu
season. he had heard of his wifes death
in America whittier she had fled with heH
! lover on leaving him; and he, even Cath
Ollie a heart, had returned to his old faith
and the priesthood, at the same time max
ing over to the church of Rome the re-
mains of the large fortune he had inner
tied from his parents.
In the ministration of spiritual and bod
| lily comfort to the sick and the dying he
| displayed a noble zeal, encountering dan
! ger Tar beyonu duty Wluhout thought Of
| self
1t was night. Darkness was upon the
! earth. Pere Labalme walked the narrow,
| dirty streets of the poor quarter of Belle
/ Vile. From an alley, unlighted and reek-
ing with pestilence and decay, issued the
I agonized shr,eks of a woman.
Death, DEATH death is upon meH'
No living thing was near her Doors
| stood open, but the inmates of the dwell
] ings were dead.
Pere Labalme FASTENED to the stricken
| woman, and turned his lantern upon her
| face. Though the features of this wretch
| ed Magdalen were shrunken and anxious,
| her skin blue and her eyes dull and SUI
| fused and fixed at the bottom of their
| sockets, he knew her. He was struck with
horror, and the blood curdled in his