New-York tribune., 1921-07-10

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A BIG bouquet of white lilacs and tea
~ roses was waiting for Odette in the
She had become engaged the evening before.
She twenty years old and had COM
plete faith in her happiness
The marriage had been decided on very sud-
denly. Her mind was still in whrl. She
didn't doubt that she had inspired tender SEN
timents in the heart of the well-mannered and
dignifed young man with whom she had
danced so often at parties whenever they met.
He had sought her hand, and since they be-
longed to the same world since their fortunes
were about equal and their ages well matched,
no obstacle to the union appeared.
Now she breathed in the odor of these liacs
and roses. Was it not the odor Of the happi-
ness which they going to pluck? Rene
de Martignac pleased her very much.
She had been inclined to love him. But she
found it most agreeable that in the pretty
duel of love it was he who had been touched
first.
Nine. de Gyrieu entered the room.
"Well, Odette,' she said, "are you happy?
Your fiance has chosen the most beautiful
flowers to offer YOU This bouquet is worthy
Of princess!"
eyes, mamma, very happy. | am living
in a dream I can't believe that all this is
actually true"
"You must get used to the idea of becoming
the Baroness de Martignac," Nine de Gyreu
answered with smile.
Suddenly her expression changed.
"You ought to go to-day and tell your father
that you are engaged. Of course, he has had
some hints how things were progressing and
has put no obstacle in the way of your free
choice
Odette flushed She saw her father, whom
she loved as much as she loved her mother,
only at rare intervals. He lived on the other
side of Paris. servant accompanied her in
carriage to the door of his hotel. She went
up to his apartment and spent half an hour
with him. This had been going on for years
ever since Odette had taken her first COM
munion. He had left home one night after
stormy scene, the cause Of which she had never
understood. He hadn't come back, and in the
house which he had deserted no one ever spoke
of him.
"IYl CO." she said, "but oughtn't take Rene
to call on him."
"You can do that later" Nine de Gyrieu
said dryly.
They separated The fresh bouquet was left
alone in the discreetly shaded salon.
In her own chamber upstairs Odette began to
reflect. A painful thought had intruded itself
on her happiness. She was no longer ab-
~Lor wit, f,f,,r ,iYI +,,rY, ,oI m
the past How many times in the course of a
brilliant and frivolous life had she seen her
mother prey to attacks of melancholy! How
many times also had her father seemed to her
grave and constrained, as if oppressed by a
secret preoccupation Did they regret their
separation, or did they suffer merely from
moral solitude? She had never sought to know
.he occasion of the rupture She would have
thought it odious and impious to side with one
against the other. She had taken refuge in
her ignorance as in invioable asylum.
To-day, nevertheless, she ventured to
wrestle with this dreaded problem. On her
writing table was photograph of her father
and mother, taken, no doubt, soon after their
marriage. They were young and smiling and
Seemed very happy. The nmbus of love rest
ed on the foreheads. Yes they must have
loved each other. They had experienced that
pride, that intoxication, that funess of life
which were presently to be hers. They had
walked toward happiness with light and GER
tain steps. Suddenly all was broken off Then
came the great silence, the irreparable sepa-
ration
So this was the fruition of their gladly
given wedding pledges! Odette shook her
head She could see nothing about her but
obscurity and uncertainty The future--her
own future-made her afraid She found in
the disunion of her parents fatal presage.
She trembled lest she should some day be
ovcrtaken by similar misfortune. On the
double portrait, which she had often pressed