Golden Valley chronicle. (Beach, Billings County, N.D.) 1905-1916, 1910-05-06
BY F. A. MICHEL.

ell With the match, but the young lady
declares she will never marry u man
whose fingers are pcrpetually stained
with acids"
"ls she the elder or the younger SIS
ter?" asked the young man absently.
THE elder"
"Her name, believe. is H2O-I mean
Caroline"
ooh, Edouard," exclaimed the count
ess, raising her hands and her eyes,
you are incorrigible! l do wish you
would leave these chemicals for
awhile and help me-"
Edouard went to his mother, put his
arms about her neck and kissed her.
would you be satisfied, dear nam.
ma," he asked. IF give up one day
to this work:"
Zone day! Work! Mademoiselle
needs to he courted."
"Is she romantic?'
Every"
you say she is rcligious?''
"Yes; hers is one of those guileless
natures that refers every act to a high
er power before making decision"
'The dear creaturc!' sad the young
man. II dare say should love her de-
votedly. In us there are doubtless
two currents. Could l but utilize
them to Advantage
'Edouard. what are you talking
about?"
"Oh, yes. mamma; we We're talking
about marriage! Forgive me. l will
do your bidding. will go to made
moiselle"-
Caroline"
Caroline! And ask her to be your
I mean my wife,
The countess, fearing relapse, sent
at once for her sons hat and coat.
He put them on, walked to the cha
teau Of the De Caterets and sent up
a card for mademoiselle. She came
down bccomingly dressed, but recciv
cd him not very cordially. She knew
why he had come and that it was at
the instigation of his mother.
"Mademoiselle," he said, permit
me to offer you my hand and my
heart"
"Your heart, monsieur!"
"Yes, mademoiselle. am sure
shall love you dcvotcdly. Just at
present am absorbed in working out
scientific problem. But this will
not always he. Some day l may have
time to WOO
"Monsieur!''
pardon! will not speak further
on the subject now. We are all in the
hands of Il higher power, and if that
power intends that you shall lie my
wife he will give you Il sign
Il assure YOU. monsieur, that shall
require an ,lnmistakable sign to induce
me to marry a man who is so infat-
time to WOO a girl"
"Adieu. mademoiselle! l resign my
self to the will of Providence"
That night the young lady prayed
to the Virgin that if it was her will
that her worshiper should marry the
scientist she would give her sign.
The next morning Edouard called
at the chateau with Il dozen beautiful
white roses
"Mademoiselle," he said, with his
hand on his heart and pious expires.
sion Of countenance, "ast night ]
dreamed that the Virgin came to me
and said: pluck roses from your gar:
den and take them to Mile. dc Cateret
If within few hours after YOU give
them to her they turn crimson sac
will become your wife. If, on the
contrary, they are still white she will
remain maid and so into con
vent"
Having said this. he placed the roses
in her hand, bowed profoundly and
walked away. After going Il short dis.
lance he turned and saw her standing
regarding the roses with the express
sion of Il saint. The expectation that
she would be his Wife. taken together
with the impressive picture. warmed
his heart. Returning. he knelt before
her, took her hand kissed it. arose and
resumed his walk to his own chateau.
In the Chateau dc Cateret was IL pri
waite chapel. Caroline took the roses
there and placed them on the altar
She did not so to examine them till
just before the set of sun. which sanl;
in Il blood red atmosphere. AS Caro-
line stepped into the chapel she saw
what she thought to he the suns rays
shining through window on the
roses She went to them. 1t was
not the suns rays that colorel them
They were really crimson.
Hearing Il footstcp behind her. she
turned and saw Edouard. Approach
ing. he cncircled her with his arms
She raised her eyes and her face to his
and he kissed her lips.
There ut the altar they plighted thcil
troth. But change had come ovel
the young mans heart as we'll as ovel
his roses.
do you love me?" he asked visit
fully.
II do. It is the holy mothers will,
she replied.
He did not tell her that the rose!
were originally red and he had bleach
ed them white by holding them owe