Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1902-08-26

| time reached state Of mind when II
seemed impossible for me to distin.
guish between right and wrong or to
think coherently. The proof Of the
truth of De Clermont's story had ac'
centuated the bitterness in my heart
against my husband. and this was not
lessened when | remembered the in
fanny Of the enterprise which he had
undertaken and of which l was the
price had 1t once or twice In my
mind to try to prevent the crime he
contemplated by attempting to warn
the Bearnnois. but it was impossible
to do so from here. and l should have
to make the attempt from Meymac.
Then that thought gave place to De
Clermont and with the memory Of him
regrets that had not taken his offer
and by one desperate stroke freed my
self forever from De Lorgnac, even at
the cost of that good opinion Of the
world we pretend to despise and yet
value so much. even against what |
felt to be the teachings Of my con-
science. After all, was merely hold.
ing to vows that had never really
made. The priests benediction surely
could not bind me forever to hateful
life.
I had my dreams. as all young women
and young men have, Of life that !
could share with one whom ! could
trust and honor and love: one whose
joys would be my joys. whose sorrows
would be my sorrows. whose ambitions
and hopes would be my ambitions and
hopeS. and so to pass hand in hand
with him until one or both of us were
called away to fulfill the mystery OF life
by death. And De Clermont! Could
he have been the one to have so trav-
eled with me? Did love him? For
the life Of me | could not tell at that
moment. At one time | seemed drag
ged toward him. at another there was
positive repulsion, and through it all
there was an ever warning voice with
in me. like the tolling of bell hung
ONeT IL Sullhcll lOIh w Nai u iA''hi .'iNi -
Of danger, telling me: Beware! Be
ware, | felt in my heart that he did
not ring true metal. Why. could not
tell, nor can | tell now. but suppose
that God, who has limited the capacity
Of us women to reason as compared
with man, has given to us this faculty
Of intuition by which we can know.
Would that it We're followed more OF
ten; would that its warnings were ever
needed, Such were the thoughts that
chased each other through my brain as
the long hours passed. and then they
seemed to twine themselves together
into n network that left me powerlesS
to follow them and unravel The tanGle.
Oh. it was q weary ride! Overhead
hung the moon, now light. then dark
ened by fitting clouds. with few stars
showing here and there in the sky. On
all sides of us floated a dim silvery
haze that made it appear as if we were
going through dreamiand; dark shad'
ows of :rees. fantastic rocks that might
have been thrown here and there by
giants at play and u road that turned
and twisted like serpcnt's track. full
of stones and powders. on which our
horses continually stumbled, but mer-
cifully did not come down and bring us
with them There was one advantage
We derived from these powders. They
kept the horses and ourselves from
sleeping, for after stumble and jerk
both beast and rider began TO see the
folly of nodding and bravely strove to
keep awake.
At last we came to something that
looked like level ground. and L".anGe
suggested that we should increase our
pace to a canter. adding, truly enough.
that it would rouse us all W. We fol
lowed his advice. nothing loath, and
kept ut this pace with occasional halts
to rest the horses for the best part OF
the night At last. however, neither
Mousette nor myself could endure go
ing on longer, and indeed our horses
were as much If not more worn out
than we were. In short, we were SO
fatigued that had got into Il frame
of mind in which | did not care what
happened to me, one way or the other
and Mousette, poor girl, was crying
softly to herself, though she kept her
way with the greatest courage. This
being the case, called TO Lal;.nde that
we could not go on any farther. but at
his intercession we made yet another
effort, and at last we halted near
small brook purled by. do not think
| shall ever forget the kindness and at
tentin Of the honest fellow. He made
us as comfortable resting place as he
could contrive with the aid of saddle
and rugs, and then, giving us some
wine to drink. bade us sleep. while he
retired little distance, not to rest. but
to attend to the horses and keep n
watch. So utterly tired out We're we
that we must have fallen asleep at
once, and the sun was already rising
when Lalande aroused us.
"If madame does not mind he said,
ut would be well if we moved farther
up into that wood yonder and rest
there while go to village hard ut
hand and procure some food and take
news Of the state Of the road"
To this I assented readily. and after
walking for about quarter Of mile
we found a spot which exactly suited
our purpose and where both we and
the horses could be concealed for the
remainder Of the day. If 1t was so nec-
essary. without any fear Of discovery
Lalande then started off for the vii.
lage, and we waited his coming with
hungry impatience, taking, however,
the opportunity Of his absence to make
a forest toilet. 1t was some time be.
fore the equerry came back. and we
were just beginning to be alarmed at
his absence when he appeared, bearing
with him the things he went to pro-
cure, and while Mousette and | were
eating he told US what he had found
out, adding:
81 regret that madame will not be
able to travel by daylight-that croque-
mort La Coquille and his gang passed
through st. Bathilde yesterday and
are in the neighborhood. and not they
alone, but one or two others Of like
kidney. We shall have to make our
way as best we can by night"
But this was too much. Not for any
thing was | going to endure the misery
of last night over again. and ! argued