Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1900-11-17


She called Louise and cross examined
jeans love, but that she did not want to
marry. For the next two months my
father and mother used oil efforts to per-
suade her to accept Jean. She continued
obdurate, but at the same time denied
that she loved my one 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 cou-
pie this farm here, and they left US.
Three years later I heard that Louise
had died of consumption, and two more
years passed before / saw Jean again.
My father and mother had died mean
while and finally l yielded to jeans reit-
Grated invitations that l should come to
his farm and hunt.
| arrived one rainy night. I was sur
prised to find the hair of my fathers ex-
orderly turned completely white. although
he was only about 40 years old. We dined
here ut this table. Outside the rain was
pouring down-pattering against the roof,
the walls. the windows and ~gurgling in a
lake into the court. In the stable my
dogs howled. as these do tonight. Sud
denly Lebrument, who had been strange
~ silent till then, n%urmured:
"M'sieu lie baron"
"VNhat is it, ,JeanY"
II have something to tell you"
"Yes? Go on, Jean"
Swell, Idon't just know how to tell it,
sio ahead; I'll understand"
You remember Louise, my wife?"
"Certainly | recall her."
well, she told me something to tell
you"
"What is it,
"It's-it's-I don't like to tell you. but
l must: promised. Well, she didn't die
of consumption. She died-she died OF
grief. 1t was this way:
As soon as She got there she began
changing and getting thin till in six
months You wouldn't nave known her.
No. you wouldn't have known her, m'sieu
lie baron. | called the doctor. He said.
lots of things-I couldn't understand
and ! bought medicines and medicines
md medicines. She would shake her.
head and say:
mo use. my poor Jean; no use. It's
nothing, nothing. e
but l could see that she was badly
off, and one day | found her weeping.
I didn't know what to do any more. Id
guy aers DDtiIltlS tlu dresses ana eur
rings, but it didn't make any difference.
Finally | saw that she was going to die.
One evening in November-it was
get the priest. ] went. As soon as we
came back she said:
".Jean. I'm going to make my confess
sion to you. ! owe it to you. Listen,
Jean. have always been true to you. al
ways. before and astcr marriage. M'sicu
lie cure. he who knows my soul, can tell
you so. Weil, listen to me, Jean. If l
die. it's hecanse-because L couldn't con-
sole myself for being away from the cha
teau. because IL liked M'sieu le Baron
Rene too well. That's what is killing me.
When l could no longer see him. | felt I
was going to die. II | had only been able
to see him once in awhile-just see him,
that's ALL should have lived. l want
you to tell him that ON day l~ater-when
| nm gone. You'll tell him? Swear it,.
Swear it, Jear, before m'sicu lie cure. 1t
will console me if | know that he'll know
some day when I'm dead. That's all.
Swear it,
Il promised. m'sieu lie baron. And I
have Kept my word
He stopped. with his eyes looking into
mine.
My God, you have no idea Of the emo
ton that seized me while listening to the
sad story from the lips of the poor fell
low, for whose Wife's denth / was really
responsible. 1t was here in this humble
Kitchen with the rnin puttering on the
roof. / could only stam1ner, Poor Jean!i
Poor jean"
That's all. m'sieu lie baron,' he MUIR
INJURED. We can't do anything, neither
you nor 1. It8is done"
And | took his hands across the table
and began to weep.
..I1o you want to see the tombg' he
said ut length.
| nodded in the affirmative, for l could
not speak, and we went out. 1t was rain
ing still. and the lantern he carried gave
us sudden glimpses of rapid, oblique
drops. He opened a gate ahead, and 1
saw some black wooden crosses in the
gloom. He stopped before u marble slab
and directed the light Of the lantern on
the following inscription:
TO Louise Hortense Marinet, wife of
Jean Francois Lebru,nent. farmer. She
was a faithful spouse-God have her
SOUL"
We were kneeling down in the mud, he
and l. with the lantern between us, aud
| watched the rain strike the white mar
bic, rebound in watery dust and run off
the four sides of the cold, impenetrable
stone! And l thought of the dead wo-
man.
Since then l come back here every year.
And-l know not why-a sense of guilt
torments me in the presence of that man
who seems continually to forgiye.-From
the French.