Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1905-06-14
A MYSTERIOUS VOICE.

AsA - L 80 ~ ~ ~ $3.50
Henri Doran, director Of the Symphony
orchestra Of Paris, is young man, rich,
full Of talent and much loved by the
artistic world of the French capital. The
only thing wanting for his happiness IS
wife.
For long time his celibacy has
| weighed upon him. and he has endeav-
ored four times, in vain, to enter into the
matrimonial state Each time, at the
moment when his fiancee was about to
sign the marriage contract, she has been
prevented by mysterious power
-Four years ago NJ. Doran was be-
trothed to Antoinette lie Febre, daugh
ter of we'll known banker in the Rue
de Paix. The girl had prepared her
rousseau, all the preparations for the
marriage were made and the day fixed
for the civil ceremony. which always
precedes the religious IL France.
The guests and the witnesses were as
sembled and Mile. lie Febre, after hav-
ing heard read the contract of marriage,
was about to sign, having the pen in her
hand, when she heard behind her voice,
! the voice of a woman, saying: Il pray
for YOU not to marry Henri Doran; you
The bride-elect paused and threw Il
glance behind her. asking herself if she
was the victim of a hallucination. She
her father, smiling, but with his eyes
| full of tears. There was 10 woman in
her immediate vicinity
You have not spoken, papa?" she
asked Of her father
| no f Y To
Febre she bent over the table upon which
| the contract lay. 1t was noticed that
the expression of her face had changed
and that she seemed struck with terror
She was pale and trembling when she
again took the pen to sign. The voice
again murmured in her ear: DO not
do that: it is dishonor."
She threw the pen from her, looked
around in frightened manner and fell
unconscious upon the floor.
The marriage was naturally postponed
but the girl would never consent again to
fixing q time for its celebration. She re-
fused even again to see her fiance, and
finally the engagement was broken off
at her request, she not wishing to make
known the reason for her conduct
Henri Doran was desperate. He was
for three months he gave up the direction
Of his orchestra. At the end of eighteen
months, however. he became engaged to
Nile Doubigne, a pretty girl of p years,
daughter of a distinguished musician.
There was a new marriage contract, and
after it was read Doran watched his
fiancee with anxiety. and saw, when she
began to sign her name, that she turned
pale and stopped gazing wildly upon
those about her. She again essayed to
write, but paused again, and, hiding her
face IN her hands, she began to sob.
She did not seek for consolation
neither from her father nor from he1
friends, and when her fiancee approached
her she turned away from HIM as il
very much frightened Doran went out
Of the house OF NJ Doubigne and did not
return.
After that episode the young man pro
posed marriage to. a young English girl
who was studying ia Paris, Mile. Mill
cent An9sley. She was an orphan, living
with her aunt. A short time afterward
the two engaged people, with their wit
resses, entered the office Of a notary fo1
the purpose of complying with the civil
law Mile. Angsley had scarcely seated
herself at table when she hastily arose
affrightened and trembling, saying: 4
cannot; I dare not Oh, Henri! what
does it mean?" Doran could not reassure
his fancee, who sobbed and was affected
with q violent nervous crisis, sometimes
hanging upon his neck and sometimes
repulsing him. Then she went out h,,r-
riedly, jumping into the carriage at the
door and ordering it to be driven home
Doran did net see her again.
Then, some time later, the young rlu-
sician made the acquaintance of an
American, Harriet Mann, who had come
to Paris to cultivate her voice. Before
proposing to her Doran told her about his
three attempts, without concealng the
least detail. Nile. Mann, upon hearing
the story, consented to become his wife
But, like the others, she, when the time
came to sign the marriage contract, ex.
claimed: Il am sorry, Henri, but I can
not" And she told him that when she
was about to write her name she heard
the agonizing voice of woman murmul
in her ear: DO not marry that man,
beg of you; you will repent bitterly of il
all your life
However" added the girl, Il shall &C
away for month. If at the end of that
time | do not see any reason for not
marrying you [ will sign the contract
despite all the mysterious voices of al
the dead women since the creation of the
world"
Harriet Mann made a visit to all three
Of the other women. All of them said
they heard the mysterious voice at the
moment when they were about to sign
the contract of marriage.
Henri Doran is still awaiting his wife
Translated from the French for the
Pittsburg Dispatch