Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1913-04-18
Copyrighted.
By JOSEPH O'BRIEN

-NoIhihS, ilothiIlSo. yoN,
jacques she was like a block of ice"
Brachard shifted incredulously.
1T is the TRUTH Grace hurried on.
"When she first came mas soon as
she saw who was there-she was
amazed, and when she raised her veil
her face was livid. Her eyes burned
like fire. and her lips quivered. She
looked like a sleep walker"
''Well, the orgy began. What then?'
Brachard demanded impatiently.
He was like man undergoing a
surgical operation without an anaes-
thetic-stoical in his suffering and
anxious to get the worst over Grace
was growing momentarily more APP
prehensiye of the effect of her story.
Il don't remember every word,' she
protested. There were some wild
scenes. and some one turned off the
multi and curses and screams. Some
one fell and dragged down several 9th
ers and all rolled on the floor.
when the lights were turned on
again it was a wild scene of wretched
abandon. In the midst of it Anne
Marie arose, perfectly white. and walk
ed toward the door. Ruches caught
hold of her dress, but she Wrenched
herself free and darted out.
Jerome rushed out after her, and
the noise suddenly ceased. There was
absolute silence He came back alone.
She had jumped into the first cab she
saw, and Jerome had to let her go"
There was a tense silence following
Grace's graphic story of the midnight
supper in the Cafe de Paris. Brachard
continued to walk up and down the
room, his hands clinched behind him.
Grace watched him with growing pity
as she saw the deep lines of suffering
in his face She arose and went over
to him.
"What else? Is there more?" he de-
manded.
THE rest doesn't matter, She was
gone" she said sOOthingly.
Had she ever been to those devilish
orgies before" he asked.
NO. never"
"Yes, once. You remember that
once he cried. looking at her search
ingly
jacques. l swear it was the first
time" she protested solemnly.
He saw that she was telling the
truth. but still he was not satisfied
But she was going with him after
ward-yes:'
"WhO can tell:"
Il can tell. She was" he declared
furiously.
II am sorry. Jacques, but You made
me tell YOU" Grace urged contritely.
And YOU can love such Il thing as
that, Rrachard said with whitening
contempt.
81 suppose it is Madness Grace said.
with lowered eyes. Il know we'll
enough what he is and what he does
and everything but | can't help it"
81 thought your affair was broken
off,
1T ended a year ago. but I still love
him." Grace said. II want him to
marry me-
"What:" Brachard cried incredu-
lousy,
Il have wanted him to do so for
long time" Grace said. "Our mar
rage was decided upon; we were to
have been married. but unluckily Je-
rome met YOU"
what had that to do with it:'
Brachard asked.
You were determined to win him
over" she explained. you lent him
money: YOU save him advice. He
speculated and made 4 lot of money.
One day | received a curt letter from
him breaking off our engagement.
II had lost the man I was going to
marry and also Uebtor-yes, for had
often lent him money. He owed me
large sum: he returned it without n
word Of thanks.
II was not surprised. He was at the
end of his string when | first met him.
and he was marrying me for money.
I knew that perfectly WE'LL he is so
self centered. so vile. so calculating.
If he were not so stupid he would be
a terrible person. AS it is. he is vul-
gar fellow. if YOU will. but love him.
Her choking utterance interfered
with her story When she recovered
she continued.
He has never loved me. The truth
is. he is incapable of loving. I've not
been lucky. Jacques; my husband was
q drunkArd who hated women. Now
there must be some spell that holds me
to him.
She broke into a bitter laugh that
ended in Il hysterical sob.
"Oh. it's horrible. horrible. Jacques.
Since Jerome left me I've sunk lower
than-lower than you can possibly
think. | couldn't tell you. | wish |
could. You are the only one who would
understand. and | need some one! You
can't have any idea.
II began to go to those awful mid
night suppers with the fast crowd
ONLY because he would be there. And
then. when he paid me no attention. |
wanted to show him that others would.