Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1907-06-13
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voice trembled for moment, but he
went on firmly: From the beginning
of my sisters engagement with DAN
vile, made it my duty not to- conceal
my own feelings; my conscience and
my affection for Rose counseled me to
be candid to the last, even though my
candOr should distress or offend 9TH
ers. When we first made the acquaint-
ance of Madame Danville, and when l
first discovered that her sons atten-
tons to Rose were not unfavOrably re-
ceived, l felt astonished, and though
it cost me hard effort, did not con-
ceal that establishment from my sis
ter"
Lomaque, who had hitherto been all
attention, started here, and threw up
his hands in amazement. "Astonish-
ed, did I hear you say? Astonished,
Monsieur Trudaine, that the attentions
of young gentleman possessed of all
the graces and accomplishments of a
highly-bred Frenchman should be ia
vorably received by a young lady! AS
tonished that such a dancer, such
singer, such talker, such notorious
ly fascinating ladies' man as Monsieur
Danville should, by dint of respectful
assiduity, succeed in making some i'm
preston on the heart of Mademoiselle
Rose! Oh! Monsieur Trudaine, vener-
ated Monsieur Trudaine, this is almost
too much to credit" LOmaque's eyes
grew weaker than ever, and winked in
cessantly, as he uttered this apostro-
phe At the end he threw up his hands
again, and blinked inquiringly all
round him, in mute appeal to universal
nature.
when, in the course of time, mat
tiers were farther advanced" contin-
ued Trudaine, without paying any at
tention to the interruption; when
the offer of marriage was made, and
when knew that Rose had in her own
heart accepted it, objected, and did
not conceal my objections"
Heavens interrupted Lomaque
again, clasping his hands this time with
a look of bewilderment; what objec-
tons? what possible objections to a
man, young and well-bred, with an i'm
mense fortune and an uncompromised
character? l have heard of these OBJ
jections. I know they have made bad
blood; and ask myself again and
again, what can they be-"
God knows have often tried to dis
miss them from my mind, as fanciful
and absurd" said Trudaine, "and l have
always failed. 1t is impossible, in your
presence, that l can describe in detail
what my own impressions have been,
from the first, of the master whom you
serve. Let it be enough if confde to
you that l cannot, even now, persuade
myself of the sincerity of his attach
ment to my sister, and that | feel-in
spite of myself, in spite of my earnest
desire to put the most implicit conf
dence in Roses chOice-a distrust of his
character and temper, which now, on
the eve of the marriage, amounts to
positive terror. Long secret suffering,
doubt, and suspense wiring this confess
sion from me, Monsieur Lomaque, al
most unawares, in defiance of caution,
of society. You have lived for years
under the same roof with this man; you
have seen him in his most unguarded
and private moments. | tempt you to
betray no confidence only ask you
if you can make me happy by telling
me that 1 have been doing your mas
ter grievous injustice by my opinion
of him? | ask you to take my hand and
tell me if you can, in all honor, that my
sister is not risking the happiness of
riage to DanviIle Tomorrow
He held out his hand while he spoke
By some strange chance, Lomaque hap
pened just at that moment to be look
ing away towards those beauties of ma
ture which he admired so greatly.
Really, Monsieur Trudaine, really
such an appeal from you, at such
time, amazes me-" Having got so far,
he stopped and said no more.
= when we first sat down together
here, l had no thought of making this
appeal, no idea of talking to you as
have talked" pursued the other. MY
almost unawares-you must make al
lowances for them and for me. 1 can
not expect others, Monsieur Lomaque,
to appreciate and understand my feel
ings for Rose. We two have lived alone
in the world together; father, mother,
kindred, they all died years since and
left us. I am so much older than my
sister, that have learnt to feel toward
her more as a father than as brother.
All my life, all my dearest hopes, all
my highest expectations have centered
in her | was past the period of my
boyhood when my mother put my lit
tie child sisters hand in mine, and said
to me on her death bed, Louis, be all
to her that 1 have been, for she has no
one left to look to but you Since
then the loves and ambitions of other
men have not been my loves or my
ambitions. Sister ROse-as we all used
to call her in those past days, as 1 love
to call her still-Sister Rose has been
the one aim, the one happiness, the one
precious trust, the one treasured re-
ward of all my life have lived in this
Door house, in this dull retirement, as
in a Paradise, because Sister Rose, my
innocent, happy, bright-faced Eve, has
lived here with me. Even if the hus-
band of her choice had been the hus-
band of mine, the necessity of parting
with her would have been the hardest,
the bitterest of trials AS it is, think
ing what I think, dreading what
dread, judge what my feelings must be
on the eve of her marriage; and know
whu and with what object I made the