Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1897-08-05

stock of furniture, paid his debts and came
to live in the Rue Delambre, where he was
unknown There he lived so quietly so
discreetly, that they took him for widow
en- Toward the end of September Tony
received letter from his wife-four inco-
herent and desperate pages blotted with
tears. Her lover, a medical student, had
gone on IA vacation to his family in the
provinces, and for five weeks he had not
written or given any sign of life.
She was abandoned deceived in her
turn, the traitoress, and she rt.pentet and
implored, begged for grace Poor Tony
was heartbroken, but reassure yourselves,
ferocious jurymen, with the souls of
the Moor of Venice, and, if you please,
give little of your respect to the unfortu
nate man. He proudly refused an answer
to his guilty wife.
There had been no more news Of Glenn
entine until Christmas. On that day for
several years he had been in the habit of
going with his wife to lay modest bou-
quet-some frozen violets and dropping
rose between-on the grave Of their tiny
Felix, their first born, who had died away
from them, but whom they had lain in
Mont Parnasse, to be near in death.
For the first time Tony must make this
pilgrimage alone with Adrian, and as he
entered the cemetery gates, under gloomy
winter sky, he felt more sorrow than ever
before at the absence of his faithless wife.
"Where is she now" he thought. what
has become of her9'
But when he reached the grave of Felix,
which he found with difficulty, he started
in surprise. There lay on the small stone
three or four playthings, such as poor chill
dren possess-a horn, a punchinello, toy
dog. They had just been placed there, for
they were new; had evidently recently been
purchased. "Ah, the playthings'" cried
Adrian as he spied the offering. But the
father, seeing piece of paper pinned to
them, leaned over, took it and read these
words in writing he remembered too
well: "For Adrian, from his brother Felix,
who is now with the infant Jesus"
Suddenly he felt his sons arms about
his neck and heard him cry in frightened
voice, Mammal And there, few feet
away, kneeling under group of cypress,
he saw woman dressed in the garb of
poverty, oh, so pale, with streaming eyes,
who held out her arms toward him in sup
plication.
Between ourselves, gentlemen of the
most sanguinary jury, do not believe
Tony Robec thought just then of him who
was born on that Christmas day, and who
taught by precept and example the forgive
ness of injury. The poor workingman had
very little religion. But his plebeian heart
ignored both self love and hate With q
shudder, caused less by the thought of the
old injury than by pity at seeing the wom-
an he had once loved in such n miserable
plight, he pushed her little son so gently
toward her. "Adrian," said he, go and
kiss your mother She clasped her son
in desperate embrace and kissed his curly
head in passion of tenderness.
Then she rose and turned besecehing
glance on her husband. How good you
are!'' she murmured But he already
stood at her side and replied, with parched
1 lips, almost harshly, do not speak, and
give me your arm" 1t was not far from
the cemetery to the Rue Delambre. They
hurried home Tony felt Clementine' s
| arm tremble in his own. The child walked
beside them absently admiring his play
things.
The concierge of the house where Tony
lived met them at the door. Madame, "
he said, "this is my wife, who has been in
the country for six months with her sick
mother, and who now will live with me
here" And they mounted the staircase
while he almost carried the poor woman,
overcome with emotion and joy. When
| they reached their homely chamber, Tony
| seated his wife in the only chair the room
afforded, and put her son in her arms,
then, opening drawer in the bureau, he
toolx ont n LITTLE manor hoy and tnkino
from it Clementine's wedding ring he put
it on her finger, and then, without word
of reproach, without bitter remark over
the past, silently, gravely, with the largo
generosity of a simple heart he kissed her
forehead, and she knew she was forgiven.
Francois Coppee.