The Southern herald., 1897-10-29
" " " ~ %" ~ 'H e' ~ - - a. ~ - taf ~ 81 20 "
II Cragsdy -.
BY CeIspbrns.
BY CHAS. FOLEY,

ME HAPPENED to come out Of the
w club together, and SO | walked
along the boulevard with NJ. MarouX,
a man with a kindly face but marked
with an infinite melancholy.
"Will you wait minute for me?'
said |, as we reached the post Office.
81 wish to go in and telephone
lie started at the last word, and | saw
his grip tighten on his cane. When |
returned, he still seemed nervous, and
to break an uncomfortable silence /
made some commonplace remark about
what a marvellous invention the tele-
phone was and what inestimable service
the progress of science is doing us
every day.
"Do you think SOP replied Mr..
Maroux, in tone Of bitter irony, 1T
seems to me, on the contrary, that sci
ence, far from aiding us, only empha-
sizes our human weakness and cruelty
multipies the means that can cause us
suffering. But you will understand me
better if give you an example of what
/ mean from my own experience;
was spending my autumn vacation
with Louise, my wife, and Marcel, my
little son, at my country place at Mo-
rande, which | had just bought. 1t
was in the country, about three leagues
out of Marseilles. Nanette our old
servant was both housekeeper and
cook, Blaise, who was devoted to me,
delighted at being once more near the
city where his worthy old mother lived,
fulfilled the functions of gardener and
had his quarters in a detached out
house.
With my gun on my arm and my two
dogs at my heels, | used to wander
about all day with my wife and baby
in that delightful solitude. To make
amends for our isolation, had tclc-
phone line put up to connect with the
central office at Marseiles and by it
every evening as ] sat in my bed
chamber, could learn what had been
done during the day at my factory in
Paris.
Our peaceful life was interrupted by
notice from my superintendent; by
making personal application | could
probably obtain an important govern
ment order. The weather was so fine
and Marcel seemed so well that Louise
decided to wait for me at Morande. But
on the evening of my departure for
Paris, the rain fell in torrents. When
the hired vehicle arrived before my
door, at sight of the immense black
ness of the fields and woods | felt a
sudden gripping at my heart.
"You will be away only two nights
Louise reassurcd me. "Nanette will
sleep near my room; Blaise has your
gun, and from the house where he sleeps
he could hear us call; and the dogs are
an excellent guard. What could hap
pen to us?'
kissed Louise and Marcel, and start.
ed on my journey. On the train Ipassed
q most uneasy night, and had no soon
er reached Paris than jumped ont of
the carriage and hastened to a tele-
phone office. Communication being es-
tablished, l heard, nasal and mufiled,
but still very sweet to me, the voice Of
my wife.
"Hello!" l called. How did you pass
the night, Louise? We're you very
frightened?"
"Yes, a little-Nanette especially. We
did not get. to sleep until almost day
break, because Nanette thought she
heard steps in the garden. The dogs,
which we had forgotten to unite, had
been barking long time. At last we
opened the window and called Blaisc.
He took the gun, loosed the dogs, and
made a tour of the house, but he did
not find anything suspicious. Baby,
who did not suspect anything, the fine
little fellow, has walked up and is call
ing ME. Good-by. If you have a mo-
ment before dinner, call me up again.
Only half reassured, ! plunged into
the business in hand, and was not able
to 20 to the telephone again until after
eight o'clock. ! had to call lang time.
"Hello, hello" l called. "Why don't
YOU answer, Louise? What is the mat
terP"
"somethiug we did not expect this
afternoon. The shutters had been ias-
tened, the dogs united, and Nanette
had put up bed for Blaise in the hail.
in order to save US the terrors OF last
night, when a boy from the village
brought note for Blaise, His mother
has suddenly been taken very III, aud
che wanted him 10 e0me 10 hsg lHlmt'