Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1897-06-18

| trustful. Not shadow OF any mental
trickery, neither on his part nor on mine.
We were cousins, we were brother and
sister. OF his father, left behind and
watching over his extensive vineyards,
Rene spoke with the tenderness of o
child, and little by little l came upon
the gentlenesS and sweetness of a young
girl hidden away in the character of this
Bedoun. Shall tell you exactly what
discoyered2 1t is this: In all the
glimpse OF his life, which up TO the pres
ent has been that of a true soldier de-
voted to his profession, don't SEQ any
pace for a woman. He has never been
in love, that's certain. l see it, feel
it. For ten years-he's thirty now-it's
been his custom to keep a journal. I
asked him 10 let me see it. He promised
to do so without the slightest hesitation.
Think of it, dear Blanche, a man Of
thirty, On officer being able to hand the
daily record of his life to young girl to
readl He only had his diary Of the cur
rent year with him.
Its fortunate, said he, "for you'd be
bored to death if you attempted to read
many of these books. Filled as they are
with constant recurrence of the same
subject, you'd find them insufferably
monotonous.
l was anxious to look the book
through at once. Would there be a
mention OF me? Why this curiosity on
my part? He sets down everything, SO
there must be something about his COM
ing to see us. How would he express
himself2
Under date Of June 10 found this:
Yesterday mother received letter
frk~ 4
ter must be very pretty girl if she has
fulfilled the promise she gave ten years
ago."
Farther along, under the date of his
arrival, June 27, found this:
"AdIienne is very pretty girl, and
very intellectual, too, and very kind.
That's all 70 nd, Blanche. l wish
there had been moro. had told CAST
mir of my Cousins expected arrival. I
had talked about him as If he were big
nobody. You would have laughed if you
could have seen his look of astonish-
ment, of disappointment, when the two
men came face to face. l hadn't told
him of tho transformation which had
surprised me. Why didn't tell him? 1
can't say; possibly didn't want him to
know that l had seen any change. l
didn't want to seem to have taken any
particular notice of Rene.
The profession Of arms has benefited
your cousin very much, remarked CAST
mir. He has become very handsome
fellow, and bears very little resemblance
to your description"
He has been very ill.," stammered.
That makes him the more interest
ing, he made answer slowly. ana as he
uttered these words Casimir looked
steadily into my eyes. His filled with
sadness. | had almost said tears.
yearned to throw my arms around his
neck, SO thankful was l to him for this
involuntary display of jealousy.
wanted to say to him:
Are you out Of your wits? Can you
suppose that Rene seemed to me any
more than playmate Of my childhood,
relative seen after long absence?"
But | held my peace. Something told
me that that was the best. even ap-
peared little nettled by his remark,
but in manner only. After all. l was
not engaged to Casimir; he had no
right to make such a remark. Tho
more so or the less so, as Rene himself,
after the presentation, had shown the
keenest discelnment and the greatest
delicacy.
Cousin" he had said to me, there's
no need OF seeing you and NJ de VILE
long together for any length of time
without being able to predict a mar
rage must say he impresses me as q
most thorough gentleman.
you are in errorl"
sHe is not a thorough gentleman?"
-Oh, yes; but there is no question OF
any marriage"
Why did l tell this falsehood2 What
tnpulsc led me to utter it? was under
ho obligation to make Rene my conf
dant, but 1 felt that the moment he
guessed the truth would be in honor
bound not to deny it to Casimir. l was
ashamed of myself. turned abruptly
away from Rene. hurried to my room.
/ burst into tears. can write no more
now. God help me! Would that you
were here, Blanchel