The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-08-11
Copyrighted by the Foreign Story syndi-
cate Co., Burlington, VT.

They were talking ono evening at the
club about the question so often discussed
by the mOralists as to whether father or
husband has the right, either by Will or a
last, supreme wish, to influence the love
Of his children Or his wife.
They had all agreed that the legacy
of woman's heart is one Of the most
imprudent things that man can bequeath
however pure and generous may be his
intentions. Just then, NJ. Descombes,
lawyer in the suburbs or Paris, said
thoughtfully:
I'm the course Of my career, I have
witnessed more than one example Of such
imprudence. and I always endeavor. where
can, to dissuade my clients from doing so
Those who will not listen often cause a
great deal of unhappiness. The saddest
case in which l ever took part was this:
'Aat the time was a clerk In a law
yer's office. I was invited to go q good
deal among the society Of our little city,
still very provincial, although so near
Paris. I liked to dance and I could play
waltz or quadrille If musicians were
lacking, and knew how to make myself
generally useful To be brief, was just
entering upon my twenty-fifth year, and
with an allowance Of two hundred francs
from my indulgent family and my modest
ambition Of some day replacing M. Goblin
in his leather chair I was perfectly
happy.
"A penniless young clerk is deeply in
terested in marriageable young ladies, that
Is an accepted axiom. There were many
such in our society. There were those
that were rich, those that were clever and
those that were pretty. did not need to
dance many cot1llions In order to find
put that these three attributes were raj
~ to be found within the same person, be
she blonde or brunette. But was a rea-
sonable lad. I was polite with them all,
atho I took care not to flutter too near
the fire Of the pretty ones eyes. I chose
little lady, not pretty, perhaps. but very
Iweet, and when married her, five years
alter, she brought me, as her dot, NJ. Cob
ms leather arm chair, and for seventeen
Gears we were happy"
M. Descombes paused for moment
Ind paid tribute with sigh to the MEM
prizes he had just evoked. After pause.
he went on:
MY most intimate friend. FIuvelin, was
not so wise as I. Poor himself, he fell
violently in love with the poorest of our
partners in the dance, Mile. Regime dc
! PiHiere, daughter of a retired captain Of
the infantry. Captain de Pilliere was a
widower, and his daughter, managing the
modest resources Of his pension, kept
house with an admirable economy. Re-
CINE was charming brunette, and HIVE
lin. a handsome fellow himself, displeased
her so little that she had refused for him
q rich match the young Coubert, son Of
a well-known merchant in the city =
much to her fathers disgust, be it under
stood.
you see now, the heart Of this little
provincial drama. When he was 65, M.
de PilIiere suffered an attack Of apoplexy,
which left him paralyzed in his right side,
though still possessing all his mental fac
ulties. Regime took care Of him with
passionate devotion, but seven months
later second attack proved fatal to the
old soldier.
HE left his daughter without aything
to fall back upon, and his will, found
among his papers, expressed the anxiety
that he felt for his dear child's future.
He recommended her to one of his friends,
a high functionary on the generals staff.
He concluded with these words:
If my dear daughter wishes me to
rest quietly in my grave, entreat her
to revoke her first decision and marry M.
Francois Coubert, who loves her sincerely
Regime was heroic. She told Huvelin
that henceforth he had nothing to hope