Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1900-06-25

married very wealthy heiress. She
was mad; but as all his income was
derived from her, he kept the matter
as secret as possible, and sent her
with nurses and attendants to the
Chateau Fleuris, where she fingered
all the years of her life, victim to the
terrible malady. How often those
walls had re-echoed to shrieks and
cries, frightening even the birds from
their nests!
Once every week cart was driven
from the chateau to ST. Remy by
surly-looking mana Belgian evil
IDENTIFY, from his accent. He made his
purchases without more comments
than the occasion demanded; and if
any one presumed to question him as
to the number of the household-if it
were madame or monsieur whom they
had the honor of serving-his reply
was a gloomy suggestion that the in
quirer should mind his own affairs.
Persons drew their own conclusions.
Articles of every kind were purchased
books, papers, cigars, wines, old
cognac. There must certainly be
gentleman living ct the chateau, and
a lady too; there was no mistake
about that Gradually, however, all
curiosity ceased, for the simple reason
that it never was gratified, and the
Chateau Fleuris remained as great a
mystery as ever. But, after a time,
one of the inhabitants of the old house
issued from her seclusion.
She was a tall, dark stately woman,
with strange beauty of her own. A
story of passion was written on her
face The dark eyes burned with al
most lurid light, grand but distorted,
darkened soul, looked out Of them with
proud, panied defiance.
She went frequently to st. Remy; no
one knew whether she was wife or
widow She never spoke Of husband
or children; but she wore a wedding
ring, and called herself Madame st.
Ange. People watched her with some
thing like awe. It was so strong that
she never spoke to any one. The
children, when they met her, ran away
frightened and crying; no little one
ever went to her with outstretched
arms; even the very dogs refused to
make friends with her.
She always wore black, loose, grace
fully-hanging garments that fell in
statuesque folds about her; she walked
With a proud, stately grace that was
peculiar to herself In passing through
the streets of ST. Remy she never
looked either to the right or to the
left; she swept on as though there
were nothing to interest her on earth.
Those who noticed her were startled
at the tragic sorrow expressed on
every feature of her face. Once, as
she was passing down the Due DIES
pange, a pretty little girl fell down q
few yards in advance of her, and hurt
herself badly The child's cries were
i pitecus, yet Nine. st. Ange did not so
up to her, as any kind-hearted woman
would have done, and raise her from
the ground; she had no words of
sweet womanly compassion for her,
but stepped aside so that even her
dress should not touch the little one.
With a cry on her lips, the mother
came rushing out of her house, and
sew madame passing by with raised
head, as though she neither saw nor
heard the child.
'fWho are you?" she cried, chat you
treat my pretty child as though she
She had placed herself so completely
before the naughty lady that she
could not take another step forward.
"Your child is nothing to me; let me
pass, madame said haughtily; and the
mother almost forgot the injured little
one in her anger.
E'Who ere your she repeated, in a
shrill, angry voice, "Who have a wo-
mans shape and not a woman's
hearth"
The dark face, lowered slightly now,
flashed defiance at her.
"a woman's heart!" she replied,
with bitterest scorn. "a woman's
heart should always be made of stone!
Mine is, thank Heaven!"
The fierce words and fierce look 90
completely startled the woman that
she stepped aside and picked UP her
injured child without saying another
word; but ell day long she could not
forget what madame had said-''A
woman's heart should always be made
of stone! Mine is, thank Heaven!"
"Pain!" laughed Nine st. Ange to
herself. 'She calls that pain-a
broken limb, a wounded arm, few
bruises! All, Heaven, what do they
know Of pain! I would endure the
most terrible physical suffering if it
would but raise me from my living
DEATH"
After that people hated her; they
had heard the story of how she had
passed the injured child without even
deigning to look at it.
One morning some books of poetry
lay upon the reading tables, and she
took upon one. AS rule, she never