Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1899-08-24
PSYCHE.


Fernand Raivoeur stood in his bed
room. before the large cheval glass. or
psyche" as the thing Is called in
France, and pondcred gloomiIy over
the uselessncss of his life since his
wife, that other Psyche-hs soul, in
deed-had died and left him widow
or, all soul alone, as oldfashioned PEG
pie picturesquely say.
Poor Fernand! He had loved hla
wife so truly, 50 deyotcdly. She had
been all in all to him-his mind his
strength, his spirit-everything; and
since she died, year before, life had
not seemed worth the living
But one thing had saved him from
that utter dcsolation that tends toward
self-destruction. In happier days
when the two young married lovers
had furnished their tiny home, they
had bought, with many tremors and
much laughter at their extravaganza
the large cheyal glass before which
Fernand was standing now.
you must always have Il Psyche IL
the houst to remind you Of me, if l
should die first she had said half
seriously, half in Jest And if / do
90 before you, you must seek me there,
every night at midnight, and | will
come TO YOU
Was il overweight Imagination,
merely, or was it something superna-
tural? Each night at II, since his dear
wife had died, Fcrnand had stood be-
fore the glass, and each night he had
seen her beloved image, family and
mistily, within its depths. She had
smiled ut him. smile full of love and
comfort smile which seemed to APP
peal to him to be- patient in his trouble,
and to convey to him promise of
meeting soon in n place where there
should be no further parting; and for
the last twelve months Fernand's
whole life had ccntered round those
few short moments ut the Psyche
when lac could commune with his dear
wifc's soul
II was o'clock. He reused himself
rs the clock struck. and remembered
that his neighbors, Maitre Vertbois, the
lawyer and his daugtcr Irene, were
to dine with him that evening lie
could hear their voices in the ball be-
low at that moment and he must go
down and receive them.
"Au rcvolr-till midnight, my loved
Onew ne murmurcd as he left the room
ana went downstairs tc greet his
guests.
The dinner was a pleasant one. No
body could long withstand Maitre Vert
bos joyial flow Of anecdote, and Irene,
with her pretty wild rosebud complex.
Ion and quiet happiness which seem
eel to peryade the atmosphere, was a
girl whose presence in the house gave
Fernand a feeling Of peace and rest
fulncSS.
There is one thing, mon cher"
Maitre Nertbois said as the men stroll
eel round the little garden after dinner.
smoking. Won should soon think of
marrying again. o, yes | know as
Fernand waved the suggestion aside,
with look of sad diSpleasure upon his
pale face you are incOnsOlable. But
Fernand. my dear fellow, it is bad for
man to live alone too long and so
young a man rs you are-well, ! will
say no more If it displeases you. Let
lis 90 i'm. and ask Irene to sing to us"
And Irene sang. Her voice was
sweet and sympathetic, like her whole
being, and when the lawyer and his
pretty daughter rose to go Fenand
wondered at the rapidity with which
the evening had passed For the first
time since his wifeS death lie had not
listened for each stroke Of the clock
which should bring Linn nearer mid
night and his tryst with Psyche.
At the bottom of the garden Irene
suddenly remembered that She had left
her fchu in the drawingroom.
Il think it is on the piano-or on the
sofa. perhaps she said, rs Fernand
turned back 10 fetch it, but | may
as well 80 ana look myself" she add
ed following him into the house.
What was ii that happened next
and how did it happenY
Fcrnand never knew lie knew only
that the winsome freshness OF that
sweet young heart appealed TO his ~
il had never done before, ana that as
they both stopped to pick up the tichu
from the corner whore it had fallen