Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1897-09-03
CONSOLED.


tons Of happiness.
Marianne sank down in u state of ex
haustion on sofa in the drawing
room. Her strength was gone. So many
overwhelming emotions had completely
Frustrated her, and she tainted away. The
careful attention Of loving hands brought
her back to consciousness. Then she swore
to God to bury her 20 years in the sorrows
of voluntary widowhood and in the sol
emn duties of eternal fidelity to the mem
ory of the past. The resolution that Mile.
de Couryoy had formed and had commu
nicated to her family did not take long to
make itself known generally to the world.
Among people who did not know her
we'll she found only unbelieyers. Her ia
ther and mother alone believed in her reso-
luton, for they knew her firm will and
the energy and singleness of her soul
They were convinced that as the widow Of
Jean de Themines she would wear her
widow weeds forever, so much convinced
indeed that they made no effort to combat
her resolution.
During the year that followed the death
of her betrothed Marianne received two
proposals of marriage. She refused them.
A third who arrived upon the scene re-
ceived the same treatment. Her sisters
married, and their marriage furnished an
opportunity to test somewhat the strength
and depth of the young Widows resolu-
ton, but she remained unchanged.
81 am widow she said, "and a
widow I mean to remain Every six
months she spent few weeks with Jean $
mother, who lived since his death in re-
tirement in the Chateau of Themines.
When she returned to her parents after
these periodical absences, she showed the
same disposition to remain single, and by
degrees the conviction at which the world
had laughed was accepted as serious and
final.
1t was believed that Mile. dc Courvoy
would never marry again.
Nine. de Themines had second son,
Pierre dc Themines. He was younger
than Jean and was now at the age at
which his brother had met death in the
hunting field.
Marianne did not know him. At the
time when she was betrothed to Jean he
was away in Asia on voyage of explora-
ton, and although after his brothers.
death he had signifled his intention of
coming home for two years he had been
detained by the delays of II long and diff
cult journey His mother was still wait
ing for his return.
She awaited his arrival with impatience
that was the more keen because she had
not been able to console herself for the
death of her eldest son or to fill the void
Al..,41 L.. .s,c L.
partially alleviated when she was able to
talk of Pierre, her second son, in whom
all her hopes were now conferred She
hoped that soon after his return home he
would marry and by his marriage bring
back to her hearth and home some of the
joy and light that jeans death had over
Swallowed.
Marianne was almost the only person to
whom the old lady had conflded this hope.
She was the person to whom, in preference
to all others, she spoke of the absent one.
She would praise his excellent qualities of
heart, his personal appearance and his
character.
'He is the exact image Of his brother"
she would often say.
Marianne heard SO much about Pierre,
read so many of his letters, saw his pic.
lures ana heaio ms praise SO olten ana SO
ioudly sung thaG she began 10 Ieei an IN
Teresa ID hlm' although sne naa never seen
him' ohe began 20 form ID her mind
picture OF what ne should De II MS CHAR
aoter and appearance had been truly
drawn.
But in this interest she felt for the alb
sen6 Flerie was no trace OIL 1ne love she
nad conceived TOT jean. ohe merely pro-
1essed ior Plerre, without knowing MIN,
the anectlon tha1 sne was pouha 10 1eel
!or everybody VINO hau ioVeo OF known
jean. she looked upon herselr IN some
sense as MS slster' ana she "ouio nave
protested strongly against any suggestion
that the character Of her af1eotlon ror tfas
unknown brother could change into love.
one evening while she was staying at
the chateau letter came announcing the
arrival OF Pierre IN the country. Ii was
Followed TWO hours later py flerre him.
self.
You Will see him, and you will love
him." said Mme de Themines to Mari
anne
She attached to these words no special
meaning, but when he came into the room
she was overwhelmed. Nine de Themines
had not exaggerated when she said that
Pierre was the image OF Jean.
Marianne thought that she saw before
her the old lover alive from the dead-the
same face, the same hair, the same frame
and build and the same manners. She
listened for his voice. 1t was the voice OF