The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1896-12-06
The Strange
Experience
of an
American
Woman
in Paris.

Il hope Madame will not allow her fright TO
prejudice her against it?'
II will try to forget it, and the apartment
PieaSe me- especially the smaller salon, which
would make charming boudoir
Madame la Comtesse always sat there
IL was refurnished according to her orders"
much blue?"
Fair as lily
Why did she leave?''
''She died. Madame
"Ah, yes. Suddenly?"
OF heart disease, poor lovely angel! But
Ma seq3 has doubtless heard the story?''
Partly, 81" Mrs. Noel rose SILVER
ing. VIII you give me your arm to my
carriage, Monsieur" she said to the agent
DeSplte protestations that she could not
she walked downstairs
Why should l ask her name?, she re-
P 9 10 herself with every feeble step. Il
was the truth, l am no avenger of innocent
blood. | am timid woman. l am afraid.,'
She entered the brougham while Rosine lis
DANES indisposition.
dr nMada anne! the maid exclaimed as they
n no9?e E sway this is small world is
comtesse who died in that apartment two
years ago was the wife of the Comte Rufski.
VINO, Marie writes me, is STAYING in the
mouse IN Scotland, where Mile Laura now
During long moment life seemed Slipping
from Mrs Noels hold. But she chung fast
| to it. -A"''
| Now did she know why she had been ner-
m1tted to behold that vision of a tragedy
over Whlch the grave had closed.
uOd meant ner to save her child. Nor
though her flesh shuddered and her blood
| grew cold with horror Of what had been and
terror of what might be-
| Rosine, whore keen ewes little escanad u.s
well aware that her fragile-lookinp mistress
vas capable OF endurance beyond the power of
Iar more vigorous physique. She, however,
tentured remonstrance, when, after an
nour s Tepose and cup of tea Mrs. Noel
prepared to keep an engagement at the opera
a remonstrance which was vain
MIS- Noel was rather late and very na1a
When she entered the loge Of her friends, vet
no one guessed that more allied her than
d Ia sUt.o- Why ny should they? Does not many
| an actress play best with sorrowful soul and
| Ia1hng body? And this woman PLAYED her
| role neither for fame nor for daily bread hut
| Tor that child-love which Gods law has or
| heart.
There was an outburst of mischievious
asn1useMent when she spoke of her letters
from Scotland and the reports of Laura's
Laura had made a brilliant beginning
~ wn p; you must expect to prove an end also.
E, sistible of fortune hunters!'
eWHy, Laura deserves something better"
On, my dear he is a good fellow too and
| husband" ueFoteu
! He is widower?''
Since two years. She was a Scotch beautv
ana heiress when he married her, but her
| fortune vanished in that big GLASGOW hanI
failure soon after their MARRIAGE RufsLi
/ IKE all Russians, is an incurable gambler
ana invariably hard up. Yet he bore his
!u!sappolntm heroicallys remained charm
! ing 10 his wife, and seemed quite over
"n 11sL by her sudden death"
| She died suddenly
re round her lying dead of heart disease
one evening when he returned from his cIuh
You are shivering, dear. Wrap this CLOAK
| ABOUT those pretty shoulders
E e. Noel did not sleep that night.
torr;bics never woman faced situation so
terrible or SO hopeless of human help.
-, Friends and knsfolk would think her mad
eIu she proclaim an accusation of murder
i hud on SUCH fimsy fabric as a dream.
Ana cared she call that which she had he
NEG ns5 vision, her madness would be con
sloereo more fully proven. Even Laura
ndigIt SHRINK dlsmayed from the mother who
sought to sully her imagination and shatter
her happiness with such fantastic horrors
concerning the man who whether or not he
| her fancy. f
But Laura must be saved,
me GOO who had shown the danger thus
VIGOROUSLY. would vouchsafe the means of
escape 10 nose eager mother hands that
NouIu not need what hurt they risked in
| Srasping it. ~
Mhen MIS- Noel met her daughter at the
Se du Nord there advanced down the plat
h iorm beside Laura and Laura's maid tall
handsome man, whose luminous pale ewes
smiled suavely upon Laura's tender fiutteT
oohlte Rulskl was gracefully grateful as
4 ns[s- Noel having heard of his kindness on
the journey, where by chance Laura had
encountered him, invited him tn afternoon
| tea the morrow - NON
While Mrs. Noel lay awake, through the
plan grew plain to her
surely the guilt, of which she knew that
secret must be haunted by such coward fears
revelation of knowledge whose source could
only be supernatural
Sne vas aWare of the personal danger rhe
| would risk should Rufski's courage resist The
test she intended to put upon it. She could
not doubt that he would be at loss for
methods by which to sweep from his path
an enemy who menaced him
Yet Laura should be saved
Laura whose gay chatter, in which Comte
RuISKl,s name REQUIRED often stabbed the
nlotner resolve with mightier dread than
that OF Fer own Danger.
Was the child's heart awake? And for
whom would 1t declare itself? Mother or
lover? VI
Mrs. Noel and her daughter spent the fol
lowing morning in shopping. Laura was
rapturous over the choice of her first hall
dress. Yet she insisted upon having flowers
which she had promised Rufski to wear Thev
lunched at a famous patisserie whose goods
Laura devoured with the reckless ardor of a
school girls hunger. Yet she forgot to finish
0GScaQted
Rufsk1,s skill at shooting match she had
seen in Scotland
They returned to their hotel for s'ive O'Clock
tea, and Rufski did not keep them waiting
With horror that made the cruelest in
slant Of her ordeal, Mrs. Noel beheld him lif,
Laura's pretty hand to his lips with the long
JeWeied myers she had seen press down 8
satin pillow upon
She could not speak in answer to Rufski's
graceful greeting, but she smiled.
1t Is mostly with smile that a woman
| fhQ hrav
cheer which has led men to battle, and whose
echo rings through history, lacks something Of
the heroism of such a smile.
The little group sat about the fire and drank
tea daintily Laura was gay, Rufski anus
ing, Mrs. Noel rather silent.
Just arrived as two Of them were from Scot
land, talk turned naturally to Scotch customs
Scotch characteristics, and, by a strange i'm.
pulse from Mrs. Noel, to Scotch superstitions
Rutski and Laura each repeated legends a.
whose terrors they scoffed lightly Mrs Noe
grew serious
II have an unassailable objection to tn,
credibility OF most ghost storles,' she sait
very slowly.
There was curious thrill In her low voic,
which brought Rufski's eyes to her face from
her daughters, but she was gazing at the
fire.
81 cannot believe that the Maker of the Uni
verse would permit the infraction of His law:
for the frivolous purpose of useless terrorism
that seems their usual design she continued
fBut one has come to my knowledge recently
! whose purpose is worthy of Gods mercy, il
whose truth therefore believe
Mother, how solemn you are!' Laura cried
with laughing incredulity. You don't realI,
believe a ghost story?''
.Assuredly as believe that all sin comes t,
| punishment
Rufski shrugged his shoulders slightly.
Perhaps Madame will deign to convince O
his mistake student of life, who has fancie(
that he dlscerned sinners hourishing Ike the
green bay tree of which the Bible tells u.s.
| You shall hear this story, and l think /
will convince you.
an p4rfcI hri1l