Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1906-01-01
DAILY SHORT STORY
A STORY OF THE CARNIVAL.

| people VINO are only happy IN sunshine
| ] am one OF the latter kind. l detesi
winter; summer is my delight. This is
| often the case with those who are
Ideal, imaginative. impressionable. TIC
escape the cold season of 1S9- L went
| to Nice and took rooms in a hotel look
ing out on the quay, decorated with
| tropical plants. and the Mediterranean
beyond. Going 10 a window to take
In the pleasant view, | noticed a name
that had been scratched ON the pane
with Il diamond.
l have said that l am of an impress
| sionable nature. but this does not ex-
| plain satisfactorily the effect this name
| Marguerite, had upon me. Besides the
| curiosity natural to any one under the
| circumstances as to who Marguerite
! might be- l felt some mysterious link
! ing of her personality with mine.
l remained in Nice for the carnival.
| When the streets We're full of merry
| makers L sailed forth to mingle with
| the fun. | walked back and forth,
| jostled by the crowd. for an hour and
| was about To return TO my hotel when
l met two girls sandwiched between
| them by receiving Il handful of con-
| fetti-bits of paper the size of snow
| fakes and somewhat resembling them
thrown i'll my face by one of the
| girls. Her eyes scintillated with mis-
| chief. few seconds was the period
| we looked ut each other; then | was
| again confronted with the crowd in
| which ! had no interest / walked the
street till the last merrymaker had
left it. hoping To see her again, but
| was doomed 10 disappointment
l went to sleep thinking of the pretty
| face of the girl who had covered ME
with confetti and the next morning
awoke To see the laughing eyes looking
into mine. and, to my surprise. they
| did not fade away with time
i spent the coming summer at Paris.
Whoever has been there in the month
of June will not be likely to forget the
gay throngs. the sparkle of sunshine,
the young leaves i'll the Champs d'Ely-
sees, the universal brightness. While
reading my paper one morning at
breakfast l came upon an article at
variance with all this Iiveliness. 1t
was an account OF the case of Mime.
Thurier. who had married an old man
for family reasons. who had been bru-
tally treated by him and a few weeks
after her marriage had been accused
by him of infidelity. 1t suited his pur-
pose To get rid of her. and he hired
people to swear to facts that were I'M
true. BY her adroitneSS she exposed
the plot and got Il counter divorce.
WAS much interested in the case. espe-
cialty in the ingenious methods by
which the lady proved her innocence
and exposed her husbands villainy.
The article stated that she WAS much
broken down by her trying experience.
A year later | was in Paris again.
One night at the opera my friend Jean
Chapporal between the acts told me
that he wished to present me to his
cousin. i was about 10 leave to keep
an engagement and suggested taking
another opportunity. Il have no right
TO say So" he said, "but she will be
disappointed This was enough. and
[ went with him to his cousins box.
mile. Martel. | have the
I heard no more There before me.
vision of loneliness in silk and lace
was the girl who had covered me with
confetti. She had noticed me sitting
in the parquet and had seen her cousin
speak to me: hence the Introduction.
The only change l noticed in her was
that her face lacked the roundneSs j
had noticed when / had first seen ii,
and there was something in it to re
mind me of a fair landscape on which
the sun is shining. but over which a
storm has recently crossed.
Il will leave you for few minutes"
said Chapporal, with Mime. Thurier.
[ mean He retired in confusion.
An expression of pain came over the |
lady's face.
do not think" she said, that / am |
sailing under false colors. Everybody |
knows that l am Nine. Thurier, though |
/ pass under my maiden name"
She was about to explain further |
when l spared her the pain of doing |
so by telling her that 1 knew her |
story.
What she said to me and 1 to her |
during those few minutes that l was |
left alone with her 1 have no remem- |
brance. 1 was wholly taken up with |
a great Joy that / had found the girl /
Of whom I had been dreaming since |
the carnival. Just before the curtain |
rose Chapporal returned. and 1 arose |
to leave.
"My cousin" said the lady, will |
show you the way to our house. Won't |
you, JeanT'
Certainly. Marguerite"
/ started.
whats the matter nowT' exclaim-
ed Chapporal. "Have 1 brundered
again?"
"Mademoisel1e," 1 said, "were you
ever at Nice before the season during
which saw you there?"
Yes; several times"
did you stay at any time at the
Hotel -?"
"I did"