The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1904-03-04


"a ward restaurant and after
IA the supper, dance. EARLY
M M in the evening Marius
Lournier approached the
radiant young bridc and extended his
hand.
"Good-by my Child he said. "Are
you going SO soon. father? Please
stay little longer" Cecile coaxed,
looking at him affcctionately.
NO, you cannot persuade me. /
feel-rather tired"
And he added with a dismal smile:
Il am not so young as l used to
be-"
He made his adieux to the bridal pair
and walked slowly home to his cot
tage ut Montague.
Marius Lournier was fifty years old,
and possessed of a modest fortune
and a philosophical disposition. He
had long been a widower, and his eX-
perience of matrimony had not been
pleasant enough to tempt him to re-
peat it.
One drizzling November night. as he
entered his garden, his attention was
attracted by the vaguely outlined fig
ure of woman who at that instant
sank rather than sat down upon the
public bench hard by. He peered
through the darkness at the shadowy
form and, seeing that it did not move
mechanically reopened the gate and
walked toward i; LIZ. ssli:s:z
q He found ] girl of perhaps twenty,
poorly clad, but with an appearance
Of distinction She seemed utterly ex-
hausted and her face was bathed in
tears. He questioned her gently, but
her replies were vague and unsatis-
factory.
"But You cannot stay here in the
rain" said Marius.
In spite of her resistance-which was
but feeble, poor thing!-Marius raised
her from the bench and drew her
toward the house. When at last she
was seated before a CHEEKY fire she
consented to tell her sad story.
Her name was Cecile Martel, and
she was the daughter of an army cap
tain who had died in the service. With
her mother she had come to Paris in
the hope of obtaining tobacco shop
license which had been promised to
the widow long ago.
Their last articles of furniture. their
few trinkets, had been sacrificed to OBJ
tain funds for the journey.
Soon after their arrival the mother
had died very suddenly, leaving Cecile
alone and almost penniless in the great
city in which she did not know q
human soul.
BY dint of great economy the girl
had contrived to live for few weeks
on the little money remaining in her
purse; but that morning her landlady
had informed her with great polite
ness that she must either pay her ar
rears of rent or go elsewhere.
She had wandered through the streets
all day. without eating or resting. and
at night had turned her steps instinct
lively toward the cemetery at Mont
rogue where her mother lay at rest.
This pitiful tale, told in almost in
audible tones, and interrupted by fits
of shiverinG and weeping, affected
Marius very deeply.
He hastily got together the elements
of q rudimentary banquet, but Cecile,
IN spite Of her desire to show her APP
probation of this unhoped for succor.
could not eat a mouthful. Though the |
room was warm, she shivered more |
and more. until at last, overcome by |
fatigue she closed her eyes and fell |
asleep.
This will never do" thought Marius.
"She will get pneumonia OF something
in her damp clothes"
'If only there were woman in the |
house! Then we could put the poor
child TO bed"
He wrapped big cloak about her and
fel! to studying her face. 1t was not |
strikingly pretty, but it was a pleasing
face and a good face. Its greatest
beauty was now veiled-the large vel
vety black eyes, tender and passionate. /
Suddenly she moaned, and then Marius
saw that her face was scarlet and her |
breathing labored.
"Ah Just what / feared: he ex-
claimed and ran TO fetch q physician.
The doctor pronounced the case very
S5rious and sent a nurse to take care
OF the girl during the night. In tue !