The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1912-12-13
ave you seen. Armand o. sns

nave you seen Armand ~" sne
asked.
Yes, I knew he was better, and I
came here hoping to find him.
! mo, he is still away. l could not
go to him because I have only just
recovered from an attack of influenza.
Can I do anything for you?"
| Yes, you can render me a small
service. l want to send letter to
some one, but not in my own writing.
want to sign it only. Will you al:
low me to dictate it to you?"
Certainly"
She sat at her husbands desk,
| dipped her pen in the INK and waited.
The woman you love-" I began. lis
attempting"
Madame looked up her lips parted,
ner whole face turned an ashy gray.
lis attempting your life. Be
warned"
| could go no further.
With fear expressed in every line
or her face. she rushed at me, seized
both my arms in convulsive grasp,
and, throwing herself on the sofa,
her face buried in the cushions, broke
Into peals Of uncomfortable laughter.
1t was fearful.
After while she grew calmer
Madame" said, will YOU"
At the sound of my voice she
Jumped up and stood in front of me.
moi" she screamed in a paroxysm
OF excitement. don't speak, don't ut
ter word. Only listen Yes, you
know wrote that letter. You guessed
the whole truth. can read it in
your face. You have come to avenge
Armand. But you shall listen to me.
You shall know what l suffered, and
have you ever heard Of woman kill
ing man because she loved him?
Don't look at me surprised. I am not
| mad. l am quite sane. Had l been
| bereft of reason I should have suffer
ed less
Il love Armand as no woman ever
before loved a man. He is kind, gen.
erous, and l would give my life for
him any hour of the day. I loved him
from the moment first saw him. and,
when We married, I wanted him to
know all he was to me. But curse
seemed to rest on me. My stony
features and my harsh voice repealed
him; and when tried to tell him how
l worshipped him, and that was pin
ing for his affection, my tongue
| seemed paralyzed Finally gave up.
And then I knew he was lost to me;
and I had to see him spend half his
days In the company of that fiighty
doll, his cousin. l resolved to kill
| myself, but I knew that he would
| marry that woman; and I swore that
| sooner than that he should die!"
! I longed to have this painful inter-
view over, and said:
She paused a moment, and in
gentler voice continued:
M Goron, 1 have told you what
few women tell men. I do not ask for
pity. I desire none. Have you come
to arrest me-"
| And the look of the frightened AMI
NAL once more came ever her face.
| Madame, I. have Eot come to ar
rest you. because Armand made me
promise that II the crime should be
brought home to you, you shc;nld net
be harmed, so far as the law is con-
cerned. In order to save my friends
life I am making the sacrifice of ny
duty; but I must insis: on you: obey
ing my injunctions."
She bowed her head, and it vas de-
cided that before the end of the week
she should leave France. She at once
proposed to go to the cholera-stricken
district in Tonquin, where she could
be useful, and 7 promised to see her
safely on board the next outgoing
steamer. She also signed declara-
ton to the effect that she was leaving
| her husband and her home. which
| would enable Armand to obtain a d.
vorce without any trouble: As l rose
| to 60, she stopped me.
ALLOW me to make last request
| Don't tell Armand anything about no.,
confession to you. He need not knoE7
what have suffered. Will you prom
Use It me-"
| "1Spromise it,
II thank you. Good-by, NJ. Goron;
shall not forget your Kindness
| In less than a week she left for
Tonquin, where she toiled night and
| day in the hospital. She died SIX
months after her arrival, from over
| exertion.
| Armand. believe, married Mar
celine ! say Il believe" because that
lady wrote me an indignant letter,
wherein she said she would never for
give my suspicious OF her. And she
must have made Armand share her in
dignation, for I have neither seen him
nor heard from him since.