Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1904-07-05
CHAPTER yu

ed to reach Eugenie's heart before it
fell on her ears, a wailing sound that
rang through the thin walls above-it
came from her cousins room There was
a thin linz Of light beneath his door: the
rays slanted a cleaning bar along the
balusters Of the crazy staircase.
He is unhappy" she said, as she
went up little farther.
A second moan brought her to the
laLsiing above. The door stod ajar; she
thrust it open. Charles was sleeping in
the rickety old armchair. his head droop-
ed over to one side, his hand hung down
and nearly touched the floor. His breath
came in quick, sharp jerks that startled
Eugene. She entered hastily.
He must be very tired" she said to
herself, as she saw a dozen sealed letters
lying on the table She read the adj
dresses-MM. FAIRY, Breilman Co.,
carriage builders; M. Buisson, tailor; and
so forth.
OF course he has been settling his
affairs, so that he may leave France as
coon as possible" she thought.
e Her eyes fell upon two unsealed let
tiers. One of them "MNdear An
nette =" she felt dazed. and could
see nothing more for a moment Her
heart beat fast, her feet seemed glued to
the floor.
His dear Annette! He loves, he is
beloved! Ther there is no more
hope! What does lie say to
herr These thoughts flashed through
her heart and brain. She read the words
everywhere; on the table, on the very
floor, in letters of fire. Must / give him
up already? No, / viii not read the let
ter. l ought not to stay. And
yet, even if did read it?'
Size looked at Charles, gently took his
head in her hands, and propped it
against the back of the chair. He sub
mitted like child. Like a mother, Eu-
genie raised the dropping hand, and,
like mother, laid a soft kiss on his
hair. Dear Annettew A mocking voice
shrieked the words in her ear.
know that perhaps | may be doing
wrong, but l will read the letter." she
said.
Eugene turned her eyes away; her
high sense of honor reproached her. For
the first time in her life there was a
struggle between good and evil in her
soul. Hitherto she had never done any
thing for which she needed to bush.
Love and curiosity silenced her scruples.
Her heart swelled higher with every
phrase as she read; her quickened pulses
seemed to send a sharp, tingling glow
through her veins and to heighten the
vivid emotions of her first love.
My Dear Misunderstanding should
have power to separate us save this over
whelming calamity that has befallen me,
a calamity that no human foresight could
have predicted. My father has died by
his own hand; his fortune and mine are
both irretrievably lost. ! am left an
orphan at an age when, with the kind of
education have received ] am almost a
child. and nevertheless, | must nov en-
deavor TO show myself a man. and to rise
from the dark depths into which | have
been hurled. If am to leave France as
an honest man, | have not a hundred
francs that | can call my own with which
to tempt fate in the Indies or in America
Yes, my poor Anna, am going in quest
ofw fortune TO the most deadly foreign
chimes. So l shall not return to Paris.
Your love-the tenderest, the most de-
voted love that ever ennobled the heart
of man-would not seek to draw me
back. Alas my darling, l have not
money enough to take me to you, that
might give and receive one last kiss.
kiss that should put strength into me for
the task that lies before me. L have
thought seriously over my position.
have grown much older in the last TWEEN
ty- four hours. Dear Anna, even II, to
keep me beside you, you were TO give up
all the luxuries that you enjoy, your box
at the opera, and your toilet, we should
not have nearly sufficient for the neces-
sary expenses Of the extravagant life
that l am accustomed to. and besides, l
could not think of allowing you TO make
such sacrifices for me. To-day, therefore,
we part forever.
"Then this is to take leave OF her!
What happiness!''
Eucenie started and trenlbled for joy.
Charles stirred in his chair, and Eu-
genie felt a chill of dread. Luckily how
ever. he did not wake. She went on read
ing.
Eugene laid down the letter that
seemed TO her so full of love, and gave
herself up to the pleasure of watching
her sleeping cousin; the dreams and
homes of youth seemed to hover over his
face. and then and there she vowed to
herself that she would love him always.
She glanced over the other letter; there
conld be no harm in reading It, she
tboucht she should onlY receive fresh
proofs of the noble qualities with which,
yomanlike. she had invested the man
whom she had idealized.
..Mv Dear Alphonse." so it began. by
the time this letter is in your hands l
shall have no friends left. l am commits
sioning YOU TO settle some matters or
business. have nothing, and have made
No my mind to go out TO the Indies. 4
have Just written to all the people 10
whom any money Is owing, ana the IN
closed list is as accurate as | can make
il from memory. l think the sale OF my
hooks. furniture. carriages. horses and
so forth ought 20 bring in sufficient to
nav INV debts. only mean TO keep back
few trinkets of little value. which will
ro some way toward a trading venture.
You might send my guns and anything
Of that sort TO me here. And you must
take sBriton:' no one would ever give me
anvfbipg like as much as the splendid
animal is worth: would rather give him
70 Won. YOU must regard him the
mourning ring which dying man leaves
In his will 10 his executor. FAIRY. Breil-
man & Co. have been building a very
comfortable travelling carriage for me,
hut they have not sent it home yet, get
them 10 keep it IL you can, and X they
decline 10 have il left on their hands,
make the best arrangement you can for
me. and do all you can to save my honor
in the position in which | am placed.
Dear cousin murmured Eugene let
ting the sheet fall. and. seizing one OF
the lighted csadles. she FASTENED on tip
toe 70 her own room.
Once there. il was not without keen
feeling OF pleasure that she opened one
of the drawers in an old oak chest. IRON
this drawer she took 8 large red velvet
money bag. with gold tassels. and the re-
mains of a golden fringe about il, bit
of faded splendor that had belonged 10
her grandmother. In the pride Of her
heart she felt its weight, and joyously
set 30 work TO reckon up the value OF her
little hoard. sorting ent the different
roins. Imprimis. twenty Portuguese moi