The weekly times-record. (Valley City, N.D.) 1912-1922, 1921-03-10
I. An Old
Mans Bride?
By MURIEL BLAIR
%. 1921. western Newspaper Union.)

Nam Selle, nevertheless. OUTSIDE IN
night air was fragrant with the odo
of hyacinths and jOnquils, and tn
moon shone as brightly as it Away
shines in New Orleans in spring-tha
is to say, twice as brightly as any
where else #r.F I
Mam'selle had stolen out of tn
| house in which her father and mothe
| and the two uncles and the maidel
| aunt and Sister Toinette and Brothe
Robert and the four bridesmaids ant
the ushers were busily rehearsing thu
part that they were to play at Nam
selle's wedding on the morrow. Mon
sieur Thiboult was fifty-seven ant
enormously rich, and it was to be 9
fashionable affair. Mam'selle did MOI
love Monsieur ThibouIt, but her pa
rents did. 49,.
poor CASTOR ~ she murmured, lay.
ing her warm hand upon his Jelly cold
one. Tonight we must say good-by
forever"
And being only eighteen, she could
not help but feel thrill Of romance
in the sadness of the separation.
"Angel! Beloved! Adored one!"
exclaimed the young man, II cannot
let You go. Come with me now and
let us be married somewhere. You
do not love him. that old pig of a
ThibOult."
mo, poor CASTOR, love you only"
h1 1,,,iI
consider. Monsieur Thiboult will give
me much money and shall make my
parents rich; poor parents, who have
shaved so hard for me-" s#. ....
"Lisette" cried Uncle Henri from
the door. 'Where are you, little one?
Come! We are to have cakes and
wine" a
For an instant CASTOR hesitated;
then, with a despairing sigh, he
plunged through the hyacinths and dis
appeared into the darkness. Uncle
Henri came down the path.
"Psst! Cats!" he exclaimed, throw
ing clod Of earth in the direction of
the retreating CASTOR. "Why do you
roam among the flowers so late, little
niece? All. it is the inspiration of
Monsieur Thiboult! It is love for
him! Never was any marriage so
happy"
Mam'selTe Lisette cast glance Of
contempt at her uncle, but he did not
see it, because it was quite dark under
the caves of the cottage. He followed
her indoors .s...
The wedding was over and Monsieur
and Madame Thiboult were seated COM
fortably upon the porch of their home.
It was only a few steps to the cottage
next door, occupied by the BRIDES
parents, for Monsieur Thiboult had
simply taken his bride home with him.
That was his arrangement, and his
will was law. for it was the will Of
Madame gazed with
wonder into her new husbands face.
1t was indeed wonderful to think that
two hours before she had been Made
Guitard while now she was
Madame Thiboult. And suddenly the
sense of her inexperience of rife, the
tragedy Of Gaston's sorrow. and her
own little fleeting happiness which
had been accomplished at such a cost
to him overwhelmed her. She began
crying, and she looked at her husband
timidTy. as though she had done
that she ought not to have
done. A.-...,
Monsieur Thibouft had been smoking
in the darkness, but now he took
her little hands in his and spoke to
her. 49,. 49,.
do you love CASTOR very much,
Lisette?' he asked. 49,
She started and then began sobbfng
He knew then! He
knew! How wicked she had been.
Eyes, I knew for long time, my
lear" said Monsieur Thiboult. 1T
must be quite two months since you
have loved CASTOR. And before that
Il was Leon Brevet; and before that
Charles Bourget; and before that
who was it before that?" '%
Lisette was shaking with fear. He
had known all the time. then, Of these
little childish love affairs!
MY dear little Lisette." said mon
sieur, caressing her cold hands, Ills
ten to what ! am going to tell you. !
have never thought that you loved me
Ian old man like me, old enough to
be your fathers father. But love
you, just as though you might be my
own daughter, and I married you be-
cause knew that if I did not you
would some day run away with Gas
ton. or some other foolish young fellow
and live a hard life and taste the
realities Of existence. And you are not
made for hardship, my little Lisette."
He paused. "My DEAR" he. said. II
shall not live very long. The doctor
told me. that only last month. Per-
haps one year, perhaps two-not more
than three. And then, if you still love
Castor, you will 60 to him and make
him happy, and your little head will
be filled with wisdom instead of fool
ishness."
He pressed her to him and kissed
her cheeks reverently. Good light.
little daughter" said Monsieur Thi.