Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1905-04-22

we men have to pay for our handsome
wives, and pretty babies"
He kissed me and went away. own
| was vexed. 1t was aggravating not to
be allowed to put my sirtuous resoiu-
tlons into immediate execution. / sat
, alone by my fire and pitied myself. My
mother sat in her room of nights now
adays, after putting the babies to bed.
| wonder if l might not have been a
better woman if / had put my own chill
dren to bed, and tucked them in and
heard them say their prayers. | have
heard mothers say the influence of that
hour was as helpful to them as to the
children. l wonder how.
1t was past Q o'clock when the door
bell rang and the Count de Beauvais was
ushered in. My heart misgave me when
saw him enter, and | felt the same
curious shrinking and compelling force
| that | used to feel when / first met the
man. But he came straight to me and
| seized my hands. He too, had seen the
newspaper paragraph.
"Alone, by the fire-you? The ineom-
| parable rose among womeng" he muir
INJURED, his ardent gaze absorbing every
detail of my dress, my hair my face
My husband returned last night" /
said.
And You are alone here tonight?" he
repeated with world of meaning. Then
in lower tone, IF YOU were mine-you
| beautiful Jacqueminot-yo should not
| sit by the fire alone. | would hover near
you ever, as does the butterfly cling to
the rose. | would wear YOU as my
choicest gift from heaven
| Hush, hush,' | commanded, for his
flowery speech in such sharp contrast
to the plain American brusquemess of
my husband was, after all, less attrac-
tive than usual How came You here
tonight? | thought you We're in Wash.
ington."
Il was to go last night, but thoughts
of You held me, Jacqueminot. No, no.
| must speak. let me go on he reached
over and took my hand. 4 magnetic
| thrill ran through my whole frame and /
| let my hand lie passive in his This
| morning / saw your husbands arrival
| in the newspaper. Then | saw the cruel
no, the happy paragraph, coupling cur
names together Tell me, Jaequeminot,
has he seen it,
Yes. Before l did l answered. He
was very angry"
He spoke harshly to you. Jacque-
minot?"
Il must admit that he did" said.
although l paciied him afterward"
| Bette" he muttered. You must
pacify him? A beautiful creature like
! you pacify the American business mani
| 1t is too much"
l said nothing. | seemed under a
spell. | did not attempt even to draw
away my hand. We sat silent soma
moments, them
"Jacquemnot you know how every
drop of blood in my body beats for YOU.
! Leave the man who does not care for
| youths man who would make Of you
his household drudge. Come with me- =
| He spoke in low, imprisoned tones, but
impetuously, the whirwind of his muir
INJURED words carrying me beyond the
sense of outside things, We two seemed
to be on an eminence by ourselves away
from the rest of the world Only us two
Come with me to my own sunny
France. | shall cherish you forever
shall love you forever"
He had fallen on his knees at my side,
| still clinging to my hand. Answer me,
Jaeqleminot, my rose"
"No-O-no!" / murmured, striving to
draw away my hand. You must not
talk to me this way. ! have husband
He loves me, too
What do such as he know of love?"
the count replied. You are an advanced
woman, capable of liberal views. Leave
Chicago and come to beautiful, sunny
France with me. You are my soul af-
finity-my life, my love"
He bent his head and kissed my hands,
passionately.
A slight noise at the door made me
look up. There stood mp husband.