The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1911-06-23
q1B WIDOW |
LERI)lI(jE |
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L EssE sxsaxi.l.
CHAPTER xxx.

my friend, tell me everything exactly;
mere, you know, we must have not
only the truth. but the whole truth
II must tell yo,l," he began. "tha1
1t will be thirty-fve years on St
Johns Day. since | fell in love with
Claudine. She was pretty, neat, fas,
clnatlng girl, with voice sweetel
than honey. She was the most beau.
tlful girl in our part of the country
straight as a mast, supple as vii.
low, graceful and strong as a racing
boat. Here eye sparkled like old eli.
der; her hair was black, her teeth al;
White as pearls, and her breath was
DIS fresh as the sea breeze. The mis-
fortune was, that she hadn't a sou
while we were in easy circumstances
Her mother. who was a widow of ]
can't say bow many husbands was
saving your presence, a bad woman
and my father was the worthiest man
alive. When I spoke to the old fellow
of marrying Claudine, he svore fierce.
~, and eight days after, he sent me
to Oporto on schooner belonging tt
one OF our neighbors, just to give me
change OF air. l came back at tie
end of six months, thinner than a
thole. but more in love than ever
Recolleclions of Claudine scorched me
IKE fire. l could scarcely eat OF
drink; but l felt that she loved me
little in return, for | was fine
young fellow, and more than one girl
mad set her cap at me. Then my
rather, seeing that he could do moth
ing, that l was wasting away, and
was on the road to join my mother
in the cemetery, decided TO let me
complete my folly. So one evening.
after we had returned from fishing,
and got up from supper without
tasting it, he said to me, Marry the
hag's daughter, and let's have no more
OF this l married. For two years,
in spite OF few little quarrels, everv-
theing went on nicely. Claudine man.
aged me like oh Id. Her great lau t
was her love for finery. All that /
earned and my business was ve:y
prosperous, she ut on her bac...
Every week there was something
new, drtsses, jew us, bon Vets, the
DEVILS baubles, which the dealers in
vent for the perdition of the female
sex. The neighbors chartered, but I
thought it was all right At the bao-
tistn of our son. who was called JAG
ques after my father, to please her,
I sqnandered all had eeonomized
during my youth, more t.lan three
hundred pistoles, with which had
intended purchasing a meadow that
lay in the midst Of our property. l
was well enough pleased, untn ore
morning / saw one Of the Count de
Comnost10 1orvaDso sDtsrlAs ~
house; the counts chateau 10 on :
about q mile from where lived on
the other side of the town. 1t was a
fellow named German, whom I didn't
like at all. asked my wife what the
fellow wanted; she replied that he
had come to ask her to take a child
to nurse. I would not hear Of it, for
our means We're insufficient to allow
Clandine to keep all her milk for our
own child. But she gave me the very
best of reasons. She said she regretted
her past f1irtations and her extrav.-
gance. She wished to earn a little
money, being ashamed of doing moth
ing while l was killing myself with
work. She wanted to save, to econ
omize. so that our child should not
be obliged, in his turn, to go to sea.
She was to get very good price, that
we could save up to go toward the
three hundred pistoles. That con-
founded meadow. to which she al
luded, decided me-"
did she not tell you Of the COM
mission with which she was charged?"
asked the magistrate.
Not then. but you will see. Eight
days after. the postman brought q
letter for her to 90 to Paris to fetch the
child. It arrived in the evening.
Very we'll said she. I will start to-
morrow by the diligence l didn't
say q word then; but next morning,
when she was about to take her seat
In the diligence. declared that was
going with her. At Paris, she was to
call for the little one at a Madame
Gerdy's. We arranged that she should
20 alone, while waited for her at
our inn. After she had gone, / grew
uneasy. | went out soon after, and
prowled about near Madame Gerdy's
house, making inquiries of the SER
wants and others: soon discovered
that she was the Count de Commarin's
mistress.
"Claudine, sir, was more obstinate
thanoa mule. After three days of yio-
lent discussion, she obtained from me
q reluctant consent, between two kiss
ea Then she told me that we were
not going to return home by the dill
gence. The lady, who feared the fa-
tigue Of the journey for her child, had
arranged that we should travel back
BY short stages. In her carriage. and
drawn Il her horseA For che WAS