Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1904-04-09

Inc pOOr girl must have been Wea-
ried out with her watchings by my bed,
for she burst into such an uncontrolla-
BILE weeping as 1 fain would hav pre-
vented. l did my rough best at com
fort, but had to let her sorrow run its
course.
"Oh, Monsieur, hin of It! l must
20 bacl, to hat dreadful wine shop, to
the gaming tables; must continue to
draw men there to be despoiled of their
augh and be gay, though my heart
break at its own debasement. There
have been many, ah, so many, l have
lured to that place, and 1t came so
near TO costing o your life-you who
were SO kind to Florine."
She had sunk TO the floor, and catch
ing my hand poured out all h bitter
ness of her heart.
Yet, Monsieur, what can Florine do?
There is no way for a weak woman to
do anything in this wretched Paris.
II l do not bring players to the house
my aunt beats me. See" she drew up
her sleeve, and exposed the welts OF
cruel cuts across the bare white flesh.
She denies me food in my garnet. So
l must work, be merry and work-and
weep all the day for the misery Of the
nights My heart went out to the girl
with all sympathy, but, every h rs
helpless as she, l only wondered what
could be done.
Monsieur, it was not Of my choos-
ing, believe me, believe me, it really
was not. My father thought his sister
so well off in this fine Paris, when she
offered to bring me up as her w
child, and sent us presents, he made me
come with her. We were so poor, 50
cruelty poor. My mother could not
come for me, and o how "a / 60
back? l dare not let her know how |
am treated. 1t would break her heart,
ana she is so old and tottering. If l
seek other employment no n will
take me, no one would give me a char
acter for service. All the world is
open TO you. You go where you please,
do what pleases you. All the world Is
shut to FloTine. And you, Monsieur,
my only friend, i hoped when o were
well again, such a rich gentleman
could find me n place among his
friends; find me some quiet place
where l might live and be of use, not
bringing evil to all / touch. What an
evil life, what a wicked life 1 lead. Oh,
Monsieur, save me from it: save me!
The horrible man you defended me
from that night pursues me every
where; my aunt is jealous because of
him. She hates me now and would
like TO drive me out upon the streets
ugh! the terror of it. But her husband
wait let her; he is kinder than she.
See, / am pretty, l bring custom. She
can not tell her husband why she hates
me. No, no. Bertrand would kill her.
And l dare not tell aim. They would
kill me-"
Her speech rambled on now, dis
connected and incoherent. Still by
catching sentences here and there the
whole pitiful story was clear to me.
My eys would always overflow at sight
nf HrAy,oN', r,fpa-i-- ,-,~ 49,.
choked up; l could speak no word to
her. OF q truth what a horrible life
it must be; what iron webs do sin and
circumstance weave around their VIC
tim. The covering girl sobbed con-
vulsively on the floor at my feet. I
laid my hand tenderly upon her head.
'Florine, l have but two friends my
self in all this Ian of France. You
have served one of these faithfully in
helping me. l will commend you to
him, n am sure he will reward you
WELL"
Monsieur, 1 seek no reward; 1
served you not for money"
She shamed me, though I persisted.
Not a reward, Florine, but surely
you can let him send you back to your
mother. Here is money; his money,
not mine; he is rich, 1 am poor. He
can pay you for valuable service, l
can only give o my undying graft
tude."
1 bent down and kissed her pale fore
head, whereat she wept afresh.
"Claude's wife will keep you here
safe until we come again. Then we
will find means to protect and provide
for you"
1 bade her rise now and calm her
self, for a hustle in the street an
nounced the noisy arrival of several
horsemen. A few moments, and Jer-
ONES voice called me from below to
make all ready.
1 called Claude's wife up and deliv-
cred the girl to her keeping, then
There were now drawn up in front Of
ths door four sturdy equerries, we'll
mounted, and leading two excellent
nags which l too to be those Jerome
had provided for our own use.
Jerome obliged me once more to
dress with exceeding care, but 1 fretted
much for my WI easy garments which
permitted a man to use his limbs with
THE freedom God had given them.
Verify there would be no regret whe
all his frippery could be cast aside,
and by my faith, 1t was much simpler
to lay 1t off than to array ones self in.
/ never did learn all the ~eccentricities
of that remarkable rig my fashionable
friend had adorned me with.
Had we better not strap on our pis-
tols?" 1 asked, not knowing what he
purposed.
mo; gentlemen do not wear them.
Beside, at SceauX one sharpens ones
wits, and let's even his good blade dull
and rust"
, We mustered six stout swords as we
clattered away from the Austrian
Arms, and / could not but note, de-
spite what Jerome had said, HI took
good care to provide trusty fellows and
swift horses.
"a lean hound for a long race" .Jer-
ONE l~aughingly remarked, noticing my
inspection of the not over-fed nag l be-
strobe.
We took that road leading past the
heights of Villejuif, which in hardly
more than an hours brisk ride brought
us to the park OF Sceaux, overlooking
the beautiful F~ontenay valley of which
L was destined to learn much. Dur
ing this ride / had leisure to speak with
de Greville of Florine, for the girls
story had aroused a real desire in my
heart to see her bettered.
There are thousands such in Paris"
he replied, struggling his shoulders UNI
,concernedly. THE few tell you truth,
the many lie to o You know not
when to believe them. II you like,
though, l will see what may be done.
AT least she may be placed in la Salt
'peterie where no present harm can
reach her, to earn a living. 1t is not a
pleasant life, and no wonder young
and pretty girls prefer the gay world
to the seclusion and labor of Salt
peterie. Yet we will try"
He treated the matter lightly, as q
thing OF common occurrence, yet was
Jerome tender-hearted. Men who live
In great cities become so hardened TO
the vice n crime about them that
they no longer feel keenly, as we pro-
vincials do, the appeal of misery.
1 might say here hal Florine was
n of the next ship-loads of girls who
were sent to the colonies. There she