The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1903-11-19
| - "a. A i
The COntrabandIst; :F$:z E$$:s 5:
-===-oR- THE
One Life'S Secret ,.sse. ,SS5s Z;


upon the table was withdrawn in mo-
ment and it trembled.
Louis, | have hurt-wounded yu; l
have been too harsh! Will you not for
give meY Rose said, gently, and IN
tone that quivered with agitati6n. she
drew near to him, and laid her hand im'
ploringly upon his arm. 'You can but
see that my promise must be kept, and 1t
panied me that you should urge me to
break it. All, it is sacred. Louis! help
me to keep it So"
There was no reply. But he turned
towards her; he held out his arms; he
gathered her to his breast and held her
there, while his lips were pressed calmly
silently, tenderly to hers. Then releasing
her, he went out from her presence. Ihe
door closed behind him. A step is heard
without--that of the marquis.
"Well, my Rose, you are waiting for
me-" he said, cheerily, as he approached
her; "and have been waiting some time.
| am afraid, too. What shall say for
myself, ehY' and he seated himself be-
side her. But, what ails you,'my childT
he added, with evident concern; you are
illW
Mono! am not i'll, sir; but ! am un-
happy" returned Rose, lifting her beau
tiful eyes, swimming with tears, to his
earnest face.
Unhappy? you are young for that,
Rose. Some girlish whim it 10, I'll war
rant me-nothing more. and you are max
ing yourself extremely miserable about
it." And he stroked her bright hair gent
ly, as he spoke these words In an enliv-
ening tone.
'It is no whim, sir" answered Rose,
sadly. 81 have been doing wrong all this
time" She could proceed no further
for her tears. =
Doing wrong, poor little mouse? and
to make confessionp smiled the good
old man. kindly. "Why, Rose, l think,
then, that must grant absolutiOn before
hand, and refuse to listen to your story.
| won't hear any tales against my little
girl"
"Ah, monsieur, you treat it lightly! You
do not know how-how-"
II don't know, l suppose you would
say, how serious an affair it isis that it,
little Rose, Ell"
"Yes, monsieur" answered the young
girl.
Exactly. Well, then, suppose l try
to guess"
"You could not guess! Monsieur, you
must read this" And she drew from her
pocket a letter, which she was about to
give him. but he put it away, smilingly,
with his hand.
"You will not allow me to guess, Rose
then l will not look at your letter. | am
harder than stone, my bird. And now.
Rose, don't interrupt me, for, as | told
you, | mean to guess; and I'll wager a
"a wedding dress shall it be, petite"
His good-natured, comical manner and
lively tone, together with certain sig
nificance which he threw into his last
words caused her first to smile, and then
to blush despite her sorrow and agita-
ton. He waited an instant, and then
went on:
"What-sience? then you consent,
Rose ?-well, a wedding dress it shall be,
then. As said, will wager a wedding
dress, lace, jewels and all"
81 shall want neither lace nor jewels,
monsieur" said Rose half sadly.
do not interrupt me, my child!
Against-let me see-against pair of
diamond buckles. You see | mean to
make you pay well, Rose-that shall
guess rightly"
Il do not understand you, monsieur, .
said the young girl, wondering, perplexed
and diverted at his manner,
"You don't? what a pity" There was
mischief in his eyes, that brought the
smile to hers, what pityw he repeat.
ed. well, at all events, | will COM
mence, and probably, by the time l shall
have finished, you will comprehend my
meaning more fully. In the first place,
then, there is certain young girl-you
see l mention no names, Rosa certain
| young girl | say who has lover. You
are listening, | presume, my child?"
II am listening, monsieur"
Good! This young girl, then, is be.
trothed. Very WE'LL that is not at all tC
be wondered at, as young girls very FIRE.
| quently fnd-themselves in this position
| She is betrothed to a poor young man--a
workman; we will say he is-a gardener
Well, these two-the girl and her lover
cannot marry yet because they are by
no means in suitable circumstances; 70,
she is quite as poor as he All, they
must be content to wait"
He paused, and regarded her with q
curious smile. She looked up, her eye:
sparkling with fresh-streaming tears.
"Ah, monsieur! you are telling m'
my"
The good marquis kissed her.
81 am telling you about two peopl,
whom once knew, my child. will pro
ceed. Our young gardener, we will say
goes away; and the girl, who meets with
some slight change of circumstances dur
| ing his absence, continues TO remember
him. But for some reason, which is
doubtless, in this case, an extremely nat
ural one, she neglects to inform certain
| friend, or friends, Of hers, that she hs,
promised to marry this young man. Fo
this neglect she presently begins to re
proach herself. Now, listen again, Rose :
and he grew quite serious III this youni
girl-if you, Rose, had been really abou
to bestow your hand upon a poor, low
born peasant, who had no desires, no as
pirations, above his condition; if you ha,
become the bride Of such a one, and for
saken us and our love and care for you
after we have all been so happy here to
gether, and cast away from you all tha
belongs TO you in your present position
had suffered that finer mind, those quicl
sensibilities, that loftier, that more ele
waited and refined nature, to mate wit
the coarse, gross, blunt composition OF
mere tiller of the soil, a rude, uncultivst
ed peasant. then, my child, confess tina
it would have been a bitter, bitter thin
to me. 1t would have been the hRrdes
blow this heart has borne for many
long year, Rose" And his voice grev
husky. and faltered, and the tears, de
spite his manhood, gathered in his eyes
II have learned to love you, my darling.
he said. with a fathers affection. ha
a little child once. Rose, and lost hel
You seem TO bring TO my mind what sh
would have been; you grow more lik
that ideal daily-hourly! You have take
her place in my heart; you are dear t
me. Rose, as she would have beenr'
He clasped her tenderly to him; an
the young girl, most deeply touched b