Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1907-12-19
Continued.

ming TO walk at his side, much moved.
she said, with feverish agitation.
Nothing that should wound you, Of
your dignity. On the contrary, she
was moved to tears by what she call
ed your generosity. But she has taken
a great resolution. She will enter in
TO a. religious life; she is going to be
come q Carmente. Yes, exactly; a
Carmelite! My surprise was not less
than yours, for l had always known
her to be pious, faithful, but never Il
devotee. 1t must be that her life IS
miserable with your horrible aunt
pardon the word-that she - pushed
10 mysticism. l promised to keep this
secret from ali but you. Your aunt
would be furious at losing Ter nat
uraliy and Beatrice will be unable TO
tell her until the last moment, other
wise she would fear some wicked
turn OF her mind. And now, my dear
fellow, if | were to advise you"
She ceased suddenly, seeing the
frightful pallor Of his face, stopped
walking, and touching his shoulder
softly with her petite, gloved hand:
"You are much wounded, my
friend?"
My lie is ruined" SAID Pierre
pont, with sad smile. Pardon me.
Believe me, that | shall never forget
your kInune5s. Are you sure that she
will enter the cOnyent?"
She has asked me to put her i'll
corTesuondencc with The cure dc
Saint, who is the superior Of the
Carmel
ARE you sure that is not a Dret2Xt?
That she does not love someone elao?'
who would she love? 1t is totally
improbable"
THAT is still something" Pierre
ront murmwed, that she does not
yet belong to another"
And now, my dear sir" said the
young woman, resuming her walk,
you ought to go away for some
time if it is possible"
That is what l intend dong"
But your aunt, how will you eX-
plain to her such a thing as your de-
parture in the midst of her recep-
tion?"
Chance has furnished ME with an
excuse which she will accept, | hope.
Yesterday / received a letter from
one of my friends in England, Lord
s., who invited me to pass two Of
three weeks at Batsford Park. The
nf NhQr9ptpf'
He has arranged for a hunting union
which a royal parsonage is to attend,
and he has wished to be able to num-
Der me among his guests, as he wishes
me to meet him. / intend departing
tomorrow"
THAT is best" said Nine. day
maret
They were In sight of .des I,oges, ne
stopped and took her hand.
u don't know if I shall be able to
see you before going, then adieu, and
again l thank you"
THANK me for what? Heavens!"
For your dear friendship. Adieu,
Madame"
"Adfeu"
She walked rapidly in the direction
OF des Loges, while Pierrepont took
his way to the chateau.
Under pretext of a violent head
ache, Nile. de Sardonne absented her
self that morning from appearing at
breakfast. Her absence did not es-
cape the notice of Nine. MontaurOn,
If hnr
did not pass mObserved either She
had also been informed that Nine.
d'Aymaret had. at an unusual hour in
the morning, a conference with
Beatrice. Putting these things to-
gether in her mind, she was not far
from guessing the truth. She at last
believed that a part of her apprehen-
Eions were realized, that her nephew
had made or cause to be made, to-
ward Mile de Sardonne, some de-
cisive step. What had been the result,
she could not know. The visible de
lection of her nephew signifled that
he had suffered a refusal. But it
might also signify that he had been
informed by a betrayal of confidence
on the part of Beatrice, of the menac-
ing opposition of his aunt, and he
meditated upon it.
That incertitude and the eXpecta-
ton of some distressing scene kept
Nine. e Montauron in a continual and
terrible mental agitation during the
whole day, and also when in the even
ing PierrepOnt communicated to her
the letter of Lord s., and announced
to her that with her consent he in
tended to leave upon the morrow. The
first feeling of the Baroness was that
of intense relief. Under some covert
pretext the imprcvised fugue could
hardly be explained otherwise than by
the desratr Of Il rejected lover. Thea
Beatrice kept her word, ard all dan
ger from that side seemed to be
avoided At another time the Baroness
would very probably have contested
the obligatory force of the invitation
to England. But if the departure of
her nephew, under the present cir
cumstances, disarranged some Of her
plans. and went against them in
many regards. It delivered her of such
heavy ohesession that she resigned her
self to il with good grace.
COnS2uupOtIv with the dawn of the