The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-10-14
Louise,

some days ride in the train. ne arrived
| at the little village of Aivimare. rus
| tic cart, TO which was attached a ianky.
awkward, scary colt Was awaiting US.
| The baron shook hands With the driver,
| a big, white-haired peasant. Every
| thing well with you. LeDrument? he
asked.
Same as ever, r1'sieu Pbaron; same
| as ever
He was pure Norman, tai and broad,
| OF that race OF adventures that uSei to
found kingdoms on all ocean shores.
| About 80 years old. he was some ten
| years younger than the man who was
| driving. The latter was one of tn Sc
/ thin peasants, all skin and bone, who
ride through the green, monotonous
plain, we entered yard planted with
| apple trees and stopped at the door of
which stood waiting an old woman ger
want and young lad, who took tbs
horse. We went into the kitchen-a high
| ceihnged spacious, SIN ke-blac&ened
room. A fire was blazing in the hearth.
and the fame glowed in reflection from
| the COPPER pans and porce ain dishes
hanging to the wall Then we dined-a
| good country dinner simple and plenti-
/ full, slow and tranquil. Throughout the
repast l noticed that peculiar friend
| ship between the baron and the peasant
| farmer which had struck me from the
| first.
IF you win permit me. m'sieu Pbaron."
| said Lebrument, finally, I'm going 70
bed. I'm not used to staying up late.
The baron gave him his hand. Good
night. my friend" he said.
| When the man was gone I could not
| help asking:
He is very faithful to you. this man.
is he not?''
More than that" answered the baron.
| I'VE are bound by a tragedy. a very sad
and simple tragedy. I will tell you about
it."
| My father was once colonel in the cav
airy. This man, Lebrument was his or
derly. When my father retired he kept
! Lebrument, who was then 10, as his
! valet. AT that time l was 30 years old
and we lived in our castle of VaIrenne."
| My mother had a maid named Louise
She was beautiful girl-a blonde, slight,
vivacious, charming-and 1 would ks5
her sometimes as 1 passed he1-nothing
more. Well, the ex-trooper, my fathers
valet, fell In love with this girl, madly,
desperately in love. He became absent
| minded; he would forget everything
about his duties. My father was saying
all the time:
Come. Jean, what's the matter? Are
you ilI?''
One morning as my father was shaw
ing, his valet suddenly said in tinnid
manner:
What I needs. faint medicines; it's"
WHAT"
"T's-lts-narriagep
My father, stupehed, looked at him.
You say? What is it you need?"
Its marriage"
Marriage! You are then in love, you
feol?"
That's 1t, m'sieu i-baron"
And my father began to laugh SO
| heartily that my mother, who was in
the next room, cried:
What's the matter, Gontran?'
Come here and I'll tell you." shouted
my father.
And as soon as she had come he told
her, with tears Of mirth in his eyes, that
his valet was Iovesick
Ny mother, instead of laughing, took
right away sympathetic interest in the
affair.
Who is it that you love, Lebrument?p
she asked.
It's Louise, Madame"
We'll, we'll try and arrange matters"
said my mother.
She called Louise and oross-examined
her. Louise answered that she knew of
Jeans love- but that she did not want
father and mother used all efforts to PER
suade her to accept Jean. She continued
obdurate, but at the same time denied
that she loved anyone else. Finally, one
day, added my voice to the family per
SuaSion, and on the~ next morning she
came to my mother and told her that
she would marry. My father bought the
couple this farm here and they left us.
Three years later l heard that Louise
- sAl 81
years passed before / saw Jean again.
MY father and mother had died mean
while and finally yielded to Jeans re-
iterated invitations that l should come
to his farm and hunt.
1 arrived one rainy night. I was sur
pTised to find the hair Of my fathers
orderly turned completely white, al
though he was only about IS years old.
We dined here, at this table Sud denly
Lebrument, who had been strangely 81
lent till then. murmured:
'M'sieu l-beren."
What is It, Jean7"
"It's-its-I don't like to tell you-but
1 must, promised. Well, she didn't d e OF
consumption; she died-she died of grief.
1t was this way.
"As soon as she got here she began
changing and getting thin till, In SIX
months, you wouldn't have known her.
no, you wouldn't have known here,
m sieu rbsron. She looks"..llke me be-
fore l married, only IL was different, all
different I called the doctor. He said
lots Of things-I couldn't understand
and I bought medicines and medicines
and medicines; she would shake her head
and say:
" No use, my poor Jean; no use. It's
nothing, nothing
But I could see that she was badly
of, and one day found her weeping. I
didn't know what to do any more; Ia
buy her bonnet. and dresses and ear
rings, but it didn't make any difference.
Finally, l saw that she was going to
Gle.
"One evening In Eovember-it was
showing outside-she asked me 10 go
and get the priest. I went. AS soon as
we came back she said:
jean, I'm going % make nay con-
fession 10 you. I owe 1t 10 you. Listen.
Jean, I have always been true 10 you,
always. Before and after marriage
msieu reure, ne who knows my soul
can tell yeu 40. We'll, listen TO me. Jeaa:
IL I die, it's becsu.e-because I couldn't
console myself for being sway from the
chateau, because IL liked Nsieu
TBaron Rene too we'll That's what f.
killing me. When 1 could no longer ses
him. felt I was going 10 Gle. II I hal
only seen able 70 see aim once in 3 while
just Sc him. that's ALL should have
lived. L vsnt you 70 tell him that
some day, later, when I am gone. You'll
tell hinn-svear II. swear Il. Jean. fore
msieu rcurs. II will console ne II
know that he'll know some day when
I'm dead That's all, swea- II"
y PROMISED. N .4eu rbarcn. Ard I
have kert my word"
He stopped, with his eyes locking in
TO n.izs
That's all, r'rieu rbsron." re nur-
Injured We ear't do anything. neither
you ner I. II IS done"
Ard ! took his hsrd across the table