The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1900-10-09
A SAD END TO AN
AFFAIR OF LOVE.

One Of them, however, Yves de Pei
ven de Kerdec, took no share In these
pleasantries. When he was asked to
Join in, he would shrug his shoulders
softly and murmur, "Childishnessw
He was left to do as he pleased. No
one cared. Only after awhile we dis
covered that he was accustomed to
take long solitary rides at night and in
direction that did not lead to Francei
We began to watch him more from Gu
riosity than from suspicion. / my
self, confess, was drawn toward him
by this original and mysterious mode
Of existence.
He was then a slight, blond, pale
youth, feminine Of features, all nerve
and muscle, tireless, fearless. silent
He was liked by the men, although
they were trife Jealous Of that indie
Unable superiority which marked his
breeding. Some Of the old veterans Of
swarthy skin and voice loved him in
spite of his refinement. They called
him mile. de Pelven," or "the little
mademoiselle."
With Ave years of service to his cred
1t he had still the air Of young con-
script His voice was gentle. 1 never
heard him yell or curse the men or
horses. At 10 he had received deco
ration for distinguished bravery at Re-
zonvil{e.
He had his lodgings outside Of town
In a solitary cottage, surrounded by
rosebushes and cedars ~ he and his
dogs Finaud and Tigresse, a great
Dane and little striped bulldog. His
horses were two long, slender Anglo
Arabs.
We gossiped not a little about the
lieutenant, his mode of life and his
character; we discussed his fortune
and the employment Of his time out
side Of the service for, besides his reg
ular appearance twice a day at mess,
he took part in none Of our entertain
ments He was often seen alone, gal
Looping his horses over the green mead
ows Of the Saone. He rode in some Of
the impromptu races, winning often,
but without pride, without exultation,
taking the things as part Of the trade.
He never touched cards. His horses,
his dogs, seemed his sole distraction.
At times he disappeared for a week or
80 and on returning would say, "My
father was down to see me-" 1t was
known that he had father, an old
man living in Bretagne. Yves spoke
of him only on those days.
The self isolation Of the boy was
copoowho% ~ q r,uc%oru "a NC Eooh
one explained in his own way the SIN
gular comrade, "the little mademoi-
selle" For some Pelven was the son
of Galician princess and Knight Of
Malta, which was not impossible, 1t
being the usage since the days of Lou
is XIV to accord that title to French
gentlemen having contracted a marital
alliance In Austria. In fact, Austrian
decorations had been seen in his room.
That, at least, was affirmed by some
of the indiscreet ones who had pene-
trated the great chamber where he was
wont to dig" on bis strategy during
the warm hours Of day. A singular
room 1t was-at once salon, library and
saddlery, the refuge Of thinker and
the handy shop Of soldier, but its in
terror, in spite of the weapons, was
rather feminine, and this struck the In
ferior officers who were accustomed to
visit 1t with their reports. There were
always fresh flowers in his room, and
one day, when some inQuisit1ve spirit
explored the pockets Of his "dolman,"
which he had cast off during a fencing
bout, they discovered golden locket
on which sparkled strange little dia-
mond wing. They did not succeed in
opening it.
'.He Is sentimentalist," Comman-
dant st. Perle would say, land the
proof is that when one passes his cot
fage In the evening one hears him
playing the adagio Of Beethoven's
sonata in A fiat, the sonata of monks
and priests"
One morning my husband, the cap
tain, came in very much worried. I
questioned him. No answer. He drove
away in his phaeton as soon as break
fast was over with several other off,
GERS. He returned at 8 o'clock alone,
having left the others at the club. Aft
er dinner he held conference with the
fencing master and the chief armorer;
then st. Perle, his friend, came and
called him below his window. heard
him order the landeau with the big
van-horses for o'clock in the morn
Ing. "Ah," said l to myself. "a duell
And l suppose that they will fight at
Dele" This spot lay on the other side
of the frontier, and experience had
taught me that such affairs usually
took place there.
Toward 10 o'clock the party return
ed. Another conference took place in
my husbands study. heard the
brusque voice Of st. Perle, the gentle
voice of De Pelven; bell rang; /
heard my husband call for grog, port
wine and ice; then the hours passed,
and silence reigned.
l remained awake, very curious. At
2 Roger came into my room in full uni
form and cloak. 1 did not question
him, for l knew that he would not an
swer When 1t was he that was about
to fight, he would always tell me
DTuSQuely. ILLS lldO duPpNACA NhAOS
times In our ten months of married
life. Like curious child, I peered
from behind the blinds and saw them
start off There were st. Perle, Roger,
Pelven and the surgeon. who is to
fightY l thought. ut must be Pelven.
for St Perle would not take an infe-
rior in rank for second"
Finally l went to bed, nervous and
worried Morning broke. rose late,
feeling bereft of all my friends. ! wan
dered through the house. l entered the
study, hung with skins, oriental rugs,
panoplied with weapons. On the black
board l saw some half erased SEN
fences. l opened the curtain, and
there, in the bitter atmosphere of cold
tobacco smoke, in this almost sinister
disorder of room where people have
watched overnight, tried to decipher
the half obliterated marks. The
phrases seemed rhythmed. At length
/ finished by making out these scraps
OF verse;