Evening star., 1919-02-23

IrHuStalrH ny lliam L. Mcihefsuh
A LONE in her sitting room Nine.
~ de Coiomer read over again
the last letter from her sodson
at the front.
Really. / must admit | have very
proper EOjson.' she murmured In
that respect fortune has favored me"
Al the same time a cloud gathered
ON the young woman's face. For an
other thought had come into her mind
An, if things had only been arranged
50 We'll in the case of the husband
whom fortune brought me
\ matter of chance! Yet in that
union, which now dated back FIVE
years, nothing, or almost nothing.
had been left to chance
Nvonne had long knoWn Roland de
Colomer
The parents Of the two young per
soiS were Intimate. Their estates
adJoined, each other. The same tastes,
rhe same point of view. The same
social rank, equal incomes, He.
stronG. Intelligent and brave; she,
pretty. gentle and refined. Never.
perhaps. mad a marriage seemed more
suitable. Never had its promises OF
happiness appeared more real
But. contrary 20 all expectations.
the match proved a failure after u
few months of married HE. Nvoffne
discovered that her husband had the
soul OF Il gambler. The CLUB absorbed
him, Ana to this vice others We're
added. When he did not pass hIs
evenings at the green table NJ. de
tolomer passed them IN the fashion
able cabarets. drinking champagne
to the sound of gypsy music and
looking AZ couples dancing the tango.
Az this time his wife was left Al
home alone and disconsolate.
At FIRST she thought iF her duL> to
conceal her dissppo4ntmeut from her
family.
my husband will reform in time"
she thought
But Roland didn't reform.
This impossible situation couldn't
last Through the Intervention OF her
parents a divorce was decided upon,
Only the war stiil delayed the
handing down of a decree.
But the legal bond which united
her to Roland was only n form. A
complete moral separation already
existed. When on the day after mo-
bilization NJ de Colomer joined his
regiment his wife had been living
alone for two years. considering her
husband TO be nGshius any more to
her. lie had gone away not only
without seeing her to say good bye,
but even without .r'''nSto he. :.
Like most women eager to be OF
service ii those tragic hours, YNonue
devoted nearly all her time to war
work---to military hospitals, dispen-
saries or shelters for the widows and
children OF the soldiers, to making
clothing or to visiting the sick. Also
in order to associate herself with the
benefcent task of giving moral sup
port to the soldiers at the front, she
determined to take godson.
One day an intimate friend, Nine
Primel, said to her:
Since YOU are looking for a godson,
I have one to recommend 10 you---a
brave fellow, they tell me. of the
name of Guigaud. He is II workman,
I believe, without family, aud
would like To have eodmothe Does
this Guigaud suit You?
"C;utgaud suits me-" Yvonne an
swsred.
''rhen take down his address -'26th
Artillery. Sd Battery. Postal Sector
Ie'
Tvonue TOOK down the address at
once The same evening she wrote to
Guigaud 10 assure him OF her inter
est, to give him good advice aud en-
courn ge him IL abstain from alcohol.
She also promised to send him from
time TO time little packages contain
ing ( tohaccp, chocolate, conserves and
other pecessaries ar luyuries
she figured in advance the sort OF
answer Guip-aud would make. with its