Year: 1872

read some sentimental poetry or the last new
novel.


Such was their ife-monotonOus, if hap
piness can be called monotonous, and hap
piness cannot, after all, be monOtonOus, for
the moment the mOnotony is felt, something
is evidently wanting discomfort is dawn
ing. and happiness exists no longer. One
ripple had alone distributed the smooth,
hmpid stream Of their existence, but that
had quickly passed away.


Adolphe Simon had younger brother,
the exact opposite of himself extravagant,
imprudent, reckless s-Ae was always getting
into scrapes. The last he had got into, find
ing that his brothers weak point was his
pretty sister-in-law, he had induced her to
get AdOlphe's signature toa bill Of exchange
drawn on a Spanish banker at Bordeaux.
Simon the younger had been able to negoti
ate this bill, his brothers signature being
50 good, and having received the money in
Paris he wrote a beautiful letter Of thanks
to his brother and his wife, declaring that
they had saved him from ruin, "a spend
thrift is always ruined and always saved to
spend and be ruined and saved again when
the next crisis comes, bidding them be Ger
tain he was going to make a fortune in
Spanish railroads and return to France
millionaire. In postscript he bid them not
have the least anxiety with regard to the
bill Of exchange Of course he should pay
that even before il was due.


The happy couple had obeyed him to the
letter. They had never even thought once
Of the bill Of exchang Simon believing
his signature had been a mere form, and
Laure imagining that as the money was had,
why, of course all was at an end, or some
thing of the kind but it was no use Of her
thinking, she knew nothing about such
matters at all Now what could possibly
be found to disturb this serenely beautiful
life to bring into this gentle household
anxiety, estrangement falsshood and mise
ry to make the roses be neglected, to keep
the birds and fishes without food A very
common thing-a thing that Is heard every
day without emotion, a ring at the bell
attached to Monsieur Simon's neat | I le
manresque, no it was renaissance-gate.


Laure, who had Just bid goodbye to her
husband, and was lingering " tn silly fond
ness for the whistle Of the train viii, bore
him away. turned from her god fishes and
opened the gate herself-Opened it to a pa
per which, if the style had been little
modified, the hard, obsolete words taken
away, would have read thus, as in the midst
Of its fgurative language it meant


- l am the law, if you don't satisfy me |
will take away your cottage, your flowers,
your fish, your pigeons, and even your lib
erty will separate you from all you
love, and | will bring your name to dis
grace !"


Laure didn't at first understand all this,
but the politeness of the laws emissary
soon revealed to her that this was the bill
Of exchange protested and returned to her
husband for payment.


Laure's first thought was one Of Joy that
her husband was away to say nothing Of
the money, it would have broke the heart
Of Monsieur Simon to find out that his
brother was a rogue. Next she knew that
though they had sufficient, they had not one
single franc to spare, and she felt that such
blow as this falling on her husband would
be to one so methodical, regular and pru-
dent, almost o death-blOw. She thought
only of her dear, good husband, and with
out another idea in her head than this,
she turned calmly to the emissary of the
law.


Sir" said she, Monsieur Simon is
] from home, he will return too late to-day,
Uul bo-lnoIApN lC III otOChO W NAhiSs
Does that mean he will bring the
funds p


"Of course"


With all the costs as here specified p
with the costs.


! We'll, mind you are exact, for they will
enter Judgment against you by twelve
o'clock so it's your own look out.
| The emissary Of the law made note on
the bill of exchange, and 50, without further
ceremony, departed.


Now" said Laure, as she closed the
gate and slowly wended her way back to the
house, "now what's to be done-where is
the money to be found T.


PreOccupied with this thought, Nine.
Simon proceeded straight to her own room
and sat down wearied and perplexed, in
front Of her dressing table. There, instinc-
lively, while she was thinking, she raised
her eyes to q woman's confidential friend,
her looking glass. And faithful friend
hers proved, and good counsellor, for, as
she glanced at her own image, always a
pretty picture, her eyes were especially at
4 tracted towards the diamond ear rings
clinging close up to the little tiny pink ear,
that looked so small beneath the rouleaux
of heavy auburn hair. These ear rings
were the only diamonds she possessed (;
they had been given her by her uncle on
the first anniversary of her marriage, and
were, she had heard, Of considerable value.
There was but one stone in each, set a
jsur, but the stone was large and Of the first
water.


Yes" said Laure, "t these may be suf-
ficient, so, much encouraged, she dressed
to go to Paris telling the servant that she
should not be home till evening, she de-
parted by the next train. There was train
every quarter Of an hour, so she was not
kept long waiting. On her way she medi-
tated how she was to proceed. All at once
she remembered that they knew diamond
merchant, an Italian, and she determined
to cophde in him.


Nj. Leopardi was at home : he was an old
man, solitary and uncared for ; it was like
breeze Of spring coming to him for any
thing so young and bright As Laure to
visit him. He received her very gracious
ly.


She told her story, and then, you
know" said she, my husbands nervous
temperament, his peculiar principles he
really has not the money to pay this, and
the anxiety as well az the grief at bls
brothers conduct would make him wretch-
ed and i'll. Now, can you help me


Buy lending you the money


/" No, by buying these diamonds Of me.


Here Laure presented her ear rings.


by your ear rings Yes, they are fine
diamonds; yes, will give you three thous-
and francs tor them but what right have