Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1906-01-04
A STORY OF
THE CARNIVAL,
.[Original.l

There are people who love gloom and
people who are only happy in sunshine.
I am one of the latter kind. detest
winter; summer is my delight. This is
often the case with those who are
ideal, imaginative, impressionable. To
escape the cold season of 1S9- went
to Nice and took rooms in hotel look.
ing out on the quay. decorated with
tropical plants, and the Mediterranean
beyond. Going to window to take
In the pleasant view, l noticed a name
that had been scratched on the pana
with a diamond.
have said that 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, | felt some mysterious link
ing Of her personality with mine.
remained in Nice for the carnival
When the streets We're full of merry.
makers | 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
two men. My attention was called to
them by receiving handful of con.
fetti-bits of paper the size Of snow.
fakes and somewhat resembling them
thrown in my face by one of the
girls. Her eyes scintillated with mis-.
chief. A few seconds was the period
we looked at each other; then 1 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 to 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.
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 in the Champs DIZZY
sees, the universal brightness. While
reading my paper one morning at
breakfast l came upon an article at
variance with all this liveliness. 1t
was an account Of the case Of Nine.
Thurier, who had married an old man
Tor family reasons, who had been bru-
tally treated by him and few weeks
after her marriage had been accused
by him of inidelity. 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 counter divorce. I
was much interested in the case, espe-
cially 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 l 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. l was about to leave to keep
an engagement and suggested taking
another opportunity. 81 have no right
to say So" he said, "but she will be
disappointed" This was enough, and
I went with him to his Cousins box.
Mile. Martel, have the
l heard no more. There before me, a
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 1 noticed in her was
that her face lacked the roundness I
had noticed when l had first seen it,
and there was something in it to re-
mind me Of fair landscape on which
the sun is shining, but over which a
storm has recently crossed.
II will leave you for few minutes"
said Chapporal, with Nine. Thurier.
I mean He retired In confusion.
An expression Of pain came over the
lady's face.
do not Think she said, that l am
sailing under false colors Everybody
knows that l am Nine Thurier, though
j puSS uIlueI LILY ludlueu udue.
She was about to explain further
when I spared her the pain of doing
so by telling her that l knew her
story
What she said to me and I to her
during those few minutes that l was
left alone with her l have no remem-
brance l was wholly taken up with
a great joy that / had found the girl
of whom l had been dreaming since
the carnival Just before the curtain
rose Chapporai returned, and l arose
to leave.
"My cousin said the lady, will
show you the way to our house. Won't
you, Jean?'
Certainly, Marguerite"
/ started.
whats the matter now?" exclaim-
ed Chapporal. "Have l Numbered
again?'
"Mademoiselle," / said, were you
ever at Nice before the season during
which I saw you there?"
Eyes; several tines