Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1921-05-06
An Old
Mans Bride?
By MURIEL BLAIR
(@. 1g2l. western Nswspaper union.l

r~eservedly. But then he was only
twenty-one-four years older thar
Mam'selle. nevertheless. Outside the
night air was fragrant with the odor
of hyacinths and jonquils, and tine
moon shone as brightly as 1t always
shines in New Orleans in spring-that
is to say, twice as brightly as any
where else.
Mam'selle had stolen out of the
house in which her father and mother
and the two uncles and the maiden
aunt and Sister 'Toinette and Brother
Robert and the four bridesmaids and
the ushers were busily rehearsing the
part that they were to play at Nam
selle's wedding on the morrow. Mon
sieur Thiboult was ifty-seven and
enormously rich, and 1t vas to be a
fashionable affair. Mam'selle did not
love Monsieur Thiboult, but her pa
rents did.
"Poor CASTOR 7" she murmured, lay
ing her warm hand upon his icily cold
me-. Tonight we must say goOd-Dy
forever"
And, being only eighteen, she could
not help but feel a thrill Of romance
in the sadness Of the separation.
"AngelI Beloved! Adored onel"
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."
"No, poor CASTOR, I love you only"
answered the little bride-to-be. But
consider, Monsieur Thiboult will give
me much money and 1 shall make my
parents rich poor parents, who have
shaved so hard for me-"
"Lisette!' cried Uncle Henri from
the door. "Where are you, little one?
Comet We are to have cakes and
wine."
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.
"Psstl Cats" he exclaimed, throw
ing a clod of earth in the direction OF
the ~retreating CASTOR. "Why do you
roam among the flowers so late, little
niece? All, 1t is the inspiration OF
Monsieur Thiboultl 1t is love for
him! Never was any marriage so
happy"
Mam'selle Lisette cast a glance of
contempt at her uncle, but he did not
see II, because 1t was quite dark under
the caves of the cottage. He followed
her indoors.
The wedding was v 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 a
semimillionaire. Madame gazed with
wonder into her new husbands face.
1t was indeed wonderful to think that
two hours before she had been Made
moiselle Guitard while now she was
Madame Thiboult. And suddenly the
sense Of her inexperience Of life, the
tragedy of Gaston's sorrow, and her
own little fieeting happiness which
had been accomplished at such a cost
to him overwhelmed her. She began
crying, and she looked at her husband
timidly, as though she had done
something that she ought not to have
done.
Monsieur Thiboult had been smoking
in the darkness, but now he took
her little hands in his and spoke to
her.
"Do you love CASTOR very much,
LisetteT' he asked.
She started and then began sobbing
convulsively. He knew then! He
knew! How wicked she had been.
"Yes, I knew for a long time, my
DEAR" said Monsieur Thiboult. at
must be quite two months since you
have loved CASTOR. And before that
it was Leon Brevet; and before that
Charles Bourget; and before that
who was 1t 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, sis
ten to what / am going to tell you. I
have never thought that you loved me
An old man like me, old enough to
be your fathers father. But I love
you, just as though you might be my
daughter, and I married you be-
aus ] 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, !
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. Won will On to him and mako