The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1912-04-06
CHAPTER |.
SYMPATHY AND SELFISHNESS.


in a sheltered corner of the lawn
The woman who had come to visit he
had deliberately turned away her hear
with murmured word about the sun
shine and the field of buttercups. BE
hind them was the little santarium. ,
gray stone villa built in the style of
| chateau, ovcrgrown with creepers, an,
with terraced lawns stretching down t,
| the sunny corner to which the girl hat
been carried earlier in the day.
There We're flowers everywhere-be
of hyacinths and borders of purple am
yellow crocuses. A lilac tree was burst
| ing into blossom, the breeze was sof
and full of life. Below the yellow
starred field of which the woman hat
! spoken, flowed the Seine, and in the dis
! lance one could see the outskirts o.
! Paris.
'"The doctor says | am better" tn,
| girl whispered paintively. "This morn
ing he was quite cheerful. I suppose h,
knows, but it is strange that I Should
| feel SO weak--weaker even day by day
And my cough-it tears me to pieces
all the time
The doctor must know, dear Lucie,
she declared. Our own feelings so Otter
mean nothing at all"
"Yes," she agreed, ''the doctor knows
he must know, see it in his manner
every time he comes to visit me. In hi,
heart" she added, dropping her voice
'he must know that am going to die
Her eyes seemed to have stiffened IN
their sockets. to have become diated
Her lips trembled, but her eyes remained
steadfast
so madame" she sobbed, lis it not
cruel that one should die like this?
am so young. | have seen so little Of
life. 1t is not just, madame-it is not
just"
eve will not talk of death, dear" she
said. doctors are 30 wonderful nova
DAYS. There are so few diseases which
they cannot cure. They seem to snatch
one back even from the grave. Besides
YOU are so young. One does not die at
10. Tell me about this man-Eugene
YOU called him. He has never once been
to see you-not even when you We're in
the hospitals"
The girl began to tremble.
Not once" she murmnred.
"You are sure that he had your let
ters? He knows that you are out here
and alone 2"
"Yes, he knows!"
The woman by her side rose up, Lucic
caught at her skirt.
MADAME, you are not going YETI" she
pleaded "Am / SO selfish? Yet you
have not stayed with me so long az
Yesterday, and ] am so lonely
The woman's face hardened a little.
II am going to find that man she
replied. al have his address. wan9
to bring him to you."
The girls hold upon her skirt tight
ened.
s'Sit down" she begged. "Do noa
leave me. Indeed it is useless. He
knows. He does not choose to come.
Men are like that 0. madame! | have
learned my lesson. / know now that
love is a vain thing. Men do not often
really feel it. They come to us when we
please them but afterward that does not
count. | suppose we were meant to be
sacrificed. | have given up thinking of
Eugene. He is afraid, perhaps, OF the
infection. | think that | would sooner
90 out Of life as | lie here, cold and
unloyed, than have him come to me
unwillingly."
Nine. Christopher had another
name. but there were few occasions on
which she cared to use twas driven
back to Paris in accordance with her
murmured word of instruction, at a pace
which took little heed of police regula
tions or even of safety. Through the
peaceful lanes, across the hills into the
suburbs and into the city itself she
passed, at a speed which was scarcely
slackened even when she turned into the
boulevard. which was her destination.
CHANGING at the slip of paper which she
held in her hand, she pulled the check
string before tall block of buildings,
She hurried inside. assembled two flights
OF stairs and rang the bell OF a door
Immediately opposite her.
A moment later she was ushered into
a sitting room-a mans apartment, nm
tidy. reeking of cigarette smoke and
stale air. There were photographs and
souvenirs of women everywhere. The
windows were fast closed and the cur
tains half drawn. The man who stood
upon the hearthrug was OF medium
height. dark, with close-cropped hair and
a black, dropping mustache. His first
GLANCE at his visitor, as the door opened,
was one of impertinent curiosity.
MADAME = he inquired.
'You are Monsieur Estermen!
He bowed. He was very much I'M
and he endeayored to assume al
manner.
"That is my name. Pray be seated.
She waved away the chair he offered.
INV automobile is in the Street be-
low she said. Il wish You to come
with me at once to see poor girl who
is dying
Are YOU serious, madameW
81 am very serious, indeed, she re-
Piled The girls name is Lucie Renault.'
For the moment he seemed perpleXed.
Then his eyebrows were slowly raised.
"Lucie Renault' he repeated. what
DO You know about herr"
"Onlv that she is poor child who has
suffered at your hands and who IS dying !
At a private hospital" Nine. Christopher
answered. "Slrp has been taken there !
out of charity. She has no friends; she
IS diving alone. Come with me. | will T,
take YOU to her. You shall save her at /
east from that terror.
II was the aim of the man with whom |
she spoke to be considered modern. a
perfect and invincible selfishness had en-
ibled him to reach the topmost heights |
If callousness, and to remain there with
,ut affectation.
IF the little girl is dying he said. Il
I'm sorry. for she was pretty and COM
,anionable, although have lost sight OF