Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1913-02-12

l have seen some
handsome women, but never one to
approach her A lovely, graceful fig
ure, her golden hair like an aureole
round the shapely head.
Pray take a seat" ! said. What
can do for your
She sat, or rather dropped, down
into the proffered armchair, trembling
from head to foot, convulsed by sobs.
] pretended TO look over some papers
10 give her time TO recover. Then,
after two or three Intellectual attempts
to speak, she said:
Il am Madame R; my name,
think, is net unknown to you
| nodded, for had often seen it
among those Of our brilliant society
women.
"But"-and then she again burst
into tears-'I ala lost. lost, What
shall do unless you help me?"
Calm yourself / said, holding a
glass of water to her lips, the tumbler
clicking against her small white teeth.
She rocked herself to and fro, and
then. after violent effort, unfolded
her tale-the old, old tale of a wom-
ans folly and mans wickedness. In
a low voice she began:
Il viii not trouble you with the
story of my wretched youth, in lone
ay country house. my father always
away in Paris on some business or
other, and myself given over to the
care of cross, hard, bigoted maiden
aunt, supposed to replace my mother,
whom / have never known. When
was nineteen | married M. R.
hardly knew him, but 1 longed to get
away from the maddening, dull life in
that melancholy country house, with
no other company than that of my
old aunt, and few old ladies of the
same stamp"
She clenched her little fists, and
fixing her eyes on me with a frighten-
ed stare:
Monsieur Goron," she cried, you
come across terrible misery and trou-
hle, but none of the wretched beings
whom it is your duty to arrest can be
any worse than those who deliber-
ately wrecked woman's life. The
scoundred, the scoundrel--"
She had risen from her chair.
My marriage" she continued. was
a farce, 4 grotesque farce. My ia
Their had neglected me; horses, wom-
en-, the baccarat engrossed him. Two
days after my wedding ] realized
what marriage would mean to mel My
husband. as you know, is distinguish
cd antiquarian"
She paused a moment, with her
hand to her throat, and then resumed:
81 rank after the old coins and
musty manuscripts on which he
wastes his money and time. Again l
was left to myself, but | was free;
and, with money at my command,
plunged into the so-called pleasures of
society If only God had given me a
child, darling could have loved, all
this misery would have been spared
me. But that, too, had been denied
me- Courted and fattered, had plen-
~ of opportunities to console myself
like many ladies of my acquaintance
but / had the strength to resist l
have letter my mother wrote to me
nineteen years ago. when she knew
she was dying, wherein she exhorts
me. when / grow up, to think of her
and act rightly. ! have always this
letter with me. 1t is a talisman.
But
She stopped and looked away.
Il can guess" / said soothinglg
~only tell me what brings you here.
and what | can do for you"
She shuddered, as IL in recollection
of something nauseous.
Yes, you can guess met him at
Trouyille last summer, and was fas-
cinated by his looks and his manner.
I forgot all; my mothers letter, my
good resolutions, all, all, all! l
only thought of him. l loved and
thought / was loved For the first
time in my wretched existence knew
what happiness meant And then"
But only inarticulate sounds came
hom her.
Monsieur Goron," she cried, that
man Is a monster, fiend. l found out
his treachery and told him l would
never look at him again. But he holds
me In his grasp. wrote him four let |
tiers, and what letters! and Inder
the threat of delivering them to my
husband, he has already had three |
thousand pounds from me. He wants |
another four hundred, by tomorrow
night / have no more money at my |
bank. and have parted with all my
Jewels What am ] to do, what am |
TO do? If you do not help me in my |
trouble and rid me Of that man
shall be disgraced, and must kill my
self. And l want to live, to expiate, /
10 repent, and earn my mothers for
giveneas. I want to live, Monsieur |
Goron, viii not die! In the name of
your mother. save mel" She stopped !
She was quite exhausted
The poor woman's case was, unfor-
tunately. not an exceptional one. Black |
mailers-of both sexes-carry out
their nefarious trade in every class of.
society. Success, in fact, emboldens
them: for 1t is rarely that the VIC
Tins. unlees driven to despair, like
Madame R., have the courage to
come forward.
my deer madame, ! said, Il see no
cause for alarm That man is a COM
naoa blackmailer. and, before this eve
ping he"
NO. no. she shrieked 4 know
what you mean. You must not arrest
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