Santa Fe daily New Mexican., 1897-11-04

boy, whom he had picked up in passing,
Tony Robec found q letter on the nantel-
shelf. When he opened the envelope, Glenn
entine's wedding ring fell out. In the
letter she said goodby to him and to his
son and asked their forgiveness.
Oh, romantic citizens of the jury, you
who always acquit the outraged husbands
who, seeing scarlet, kill their wives, say
ing it is a passional crime, how absurd
poor Tony must seem in your eyes even
despicable He felt more grief than anger,
He wept great DEAL and when Adrian
said: 'Where is mamma? Is she coming
home soon?" he passionately embraced his
son and replied II don't know"
Clementine had fled in early May, and
in the July quarter Tony sold nearly all
his furniture to pay his debts and went to
live in the Rue Delambre. 1t was ther6
that he passed his days SO quietly and
worthily with his little boy and that every
one took him for widower.
Late in September the workman received
letter from his wife, four incoherent
pages of despair, on which the ink was di-
luted with tears. Her protector, medical
student had been gone five weeks on a
vacation. He was visiting his family in
the south and had ceased to write Or give
sign of life. She was abandoned, betrayed
in her turn, she who had betrayed, and
she repented, begged, implored mercy.
This hurt poor Tony cruelty, but be reas-
sured, gentlemen Of the jury, and let the
poor man have your esteem moment. He
was proud and sent no word to the guilty
wife.
He did not hear from her again until
Christmas eve. On this day for several
years he had been in the habit Of going
with his wife to lay tiny bouquet OF
frozen violets with chilly rose among
them, on the grave of their little Felix
the frstborn, whom they had buried at
Montparnasse.
For the first time Tony had to make the
pilgrimage without her, accompanied only
by little Adrian, and in crossing the GEM
etery door under the leaden winter sky he
suffered more than ever at the memory OF
the fugitive.
"Where is sher' he thought what
has become Of her?"
surprised. On the stone there were some
poor toys-a trumpet, jack in the box
and dog on string. They seemed to
have just been laid there, for they were
new, evidently bought that day. "Ah,
something to play With" cried Adrian
joyously. And the father saw a piece OF
paper pinned to the toys, which he bent
over and picked up. 1t read:
''For little Adrian, from his brother
Felix in heaven"
Suddenly the boy pressed close to him
and cried in fright, Mammal" and there
a few steps away, kneeling by soma
expresses, he saw woman dressed in a
poor, thin gown and shawl--oh, so pale
with bruised sunken eyes and hands
clasped pleadingly.
Between you and me l do not believe
that Tony Robec ever thought Of him who
taught by word and example the pardon
of injuries Tony had no religion, but his
plebeian heart knew neither self love nof
rancor. After shudder, caused less by
anger at the wrong done him than the
sight of the miserable plight of this much
loved wife, he softly pushed the little boy
toward her.
Adrian, said he, skiss your mother. !"
She seized her child in desperate en-
brace and frantically kissed his hair with
a moan of joy Then, rising and turning
on her husband look that begged she
murmured, "How good you arev'
He came near her, and with parched
mouth said, almost harshly: "Do not
speak. Take my arm.
1t was not far from the cemetery to the
house. They walked rapidly. Tony could
feel Clementine tremble. The child walked
with them, his mind full of the toys. The
janitress of the house stood in the doorway.
Madame" said Tony, this is my
wife, who has been in the country six
months with her sick mother and who has
returned to live with me.
On climbing the stairs Tony was obliged
to support, almost carry, the poor crea'
ture, who was sobbing and half fainting
with joy and emotion.
When they reached their apartment,
Tony made his wife sit in the only arm
chair Then he opened drawer, took
from a little box Clementine's wedding
ring and placed it on her finger without
reproachful look or bitter word about
the past. Then, silently, gravely, with
surprising generosity of a simple heart,
he kissed her forehead that she might be
sure that he had forgiven her.-Francois
Coppee.