HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Brussels Post, 1885-1-23, Page 2:G
. umasw.
wad a lnobloun
Mr. Norman rang the bell.
"Lot us have dome mora champagne,"
11e said, with a slmddes. "\Vhat a
horribto Story to toll. 1 hope to lloaven
T. shall nover Lear duah another,"
jTRE EARL'S ATONEMENT.
BY BERTHA M. CLAY.,
]author of '0 'Iiro'ryn o1) Nose World,"
"Al iint[nted B.Ifu," uta.
than in an English one, An Englishman,
wishing to inerd0r his wife, kicks her to
death ; a Freoellmau shuts Iter up svit11
a pan of charcoal."
And the two gentlemen argued for
some time as to which method displayed
the greatest sigu of civilization.
"',Vo have not chosen a very cheerful
subject," laughed Mrs. Colonel Hudson,
1 ring-
ing"Speaking of murders, all Paris as ;,
ing with the most terrible story that has
ever been told."
"What is it ?" asked Mrs. Norman.
"Some of the most awful tragedies havo
taken place in Paris, and if this bo the
worst, it must be very bad,"
'•It is very bad," said Mrs. Colonel
Hudson ; "so bad that it could not bo
worse. In our country many a man and
woman have been harked for less. This
is the most horrible thing I have ever
heard.,'
"I hardly like to say 'Tell it to us,' "
said. Mrs. Normae; "but you have ex-
cited my curiosity."
"And mine," added has husband.
"It seems too terrible oven to mention
in this happy home atmosphere," saki
Mrs. Colonel Hudson:
Se es outward appearaucos went,
noth-. • .' :'1 bo more luxl.rious or more
eheerail ...an this brilliant room ; the
table itself was a picture—the most
costly glass and antique silver, the finest
damask, tho loveliest flowers, and the
richest fruits—a picture to bear in one's
mind.
• Mrs. Norman wore a picture::gno dress
of back and gold, with wonderful rubies
shining on her white neck. Mrs. Colonel
Hudson worn a snperb dinner dress of
blue velvet and pearls; Agatha a simple
but exquisite black lace, with a pome-
granate blossom in her hair. The gen-
tlemen of the party were distinguished
looking. Altogether it seemed neither
tho tithe, tho place, nor the society for
such a story as she had to tell.
"I do not care for horrors," said the
American lady, " but this story, ring-
ing
inding all over Paris, combines so many
elements, and shows how black a fiend
a woman may beconlu. Of course it
contains love and jealousy?"
Agatha saw, or fancied she saw, a
keen gleam of interest in Mrs. Norman's
face.
"Love and jealousy are the founda-
tions of all tragedies," she said, and her
husband interrupted quickly.
"They aro the cense of a great deal
of nonsense," but no one took up the
challenge.
"I havo forgotten all the names," said
tho American lady. "There is the
lover and the lady. He seems to have
been a steady, kind-hearted man, and
he was engaged to marry this woman,
For some reason or other, this lady be-
came ,jealous, and the object of hex
jealously was a beautiful young actress,
at one of the theatres Here in Paris."
Agatha was not mistaken this time.
over tho plain faoo of Mrs. Norman
• ran.e a strange expression, a ahauge of
a ,,.n', .a uarvoits contraction of the lips,
.":o colo w:.o rtunarke.,l it, and 1.;a• A , ('ri•
cult lady w, lit un with liar 1011)1.
'' •L: LIG teal cause 1..1• (1110
jealousy. The man was truo and faith-
ful to her, brit she 110001ed ever it until
situ ala.0 have gone mail. One even i itg
they went together to tho thatre in
question. \Vbothur the woman saw
anything which provoked her auger or
not, no ono !mows. Coming throngh
. ane of the long, dark passages that led.
to the street, thero was a sodden and
most horrible cry; she man throw up
his arms and fell, the woman cried
loudly for help, and in a few minutes a
large crowd had assembled. Thoy
tltollglit the man wa, slot, but his cries
of pain soon revealed the fact that a
small bottle of vitriol had boon thrown
in his face. He lay writhing in agonies
too great for words. Those who saw
slim said it would ho It thousand times
more merciful to kill him than to try to
restore him ; but the law does not allow
that. They picked him up, burned,
scarrad—tho most horrible sight that
could bo imagined. Both eyes wore
quite destroyed, and every one - hoped,
in mercy, that 110 might dio, Ho was
carried to the hospital, where ho linger-
ed i1) terrible torture.
"Then all Paris was touched to hear
that tho woman whom ho was ongagod
to marry had -gone to the hospital to
ask from the authorities tho ono great
favor that she might nurse him. They
wero delighted, and tho patient, too.
Sho tools up her station by the bedside,
the most devoted of nurses. Strange to
say, he had made some littlo progress
beforo she came, but after she took
charge of him ho seemed to grow worse.
When the other nurses dressed his
wounds with the cooling lotion it re-
lieved theta ; it was noti0od that whon.
over his,lione.'a drossod thorn his screams
and shrieks were eo foarful that ovon
strong men could not endure to hear
them. A suspicion came to ono of the
doctors that it could not bo all right,
and he watched her,"
Dors. Norman's shining oyes wore
fixed on tho speaker's faoo with a ton.
sion of anxietypainful to witness.
"'The finalo is so horrible," oontinuod
tho American lady, "that I hardly liko
to tell it, Tho doctor watched hos and
found that whenever sho drossod his
wounds, instead of dipping tho rags into
the sweet, cooling lotion, silo dipped
thorn into the fresh vitriol, which she
had conooaled in the room, and had
then stood by gloating over his anguish."
There was a little cry of horror from
all presont, except from Mrs. Norman,
and to a student of cllaraoter her face
�z tttisslLs iD6sl'1
vrser• w=ese--r_ns+isnremansmnmminVM moor . ra.,r:r"
]cuowu all along that • I was a w'e'althy
!heiress—anti that 11e slid not lova 1)10, f
cannot toll you what I saffcred—ib fd
threo years since --but every moeu nt of
the tiolo is branded 00 my heart as with
a but iron. 'Thou, when 1 found 1 c•uuhi
boar my life no louder, 1 wont to hill(. I
know that I could not live without his
love, I went to hill!, 1 told him I knew
wily LIB married toe. 1 know the w'h0lc
story—that ho had nover levo( 010 al
all. I appealed to flim ; I told him that
1 knew 1 90119 not so fair as other women,
but that if my face was plain 117 heart
was full of d0vobed levo for him. 1
asked bite to try to lova 1110, I promised
]lira that I would be ovorything most
kin,!, devoted, and loving. 1 asked hint
to begin a new life ; 14111110 men would
have boon toneh(al. lio laughed. At
first 1 thought I must Rimy him ,t
hero
mast be something of tho tigress about
me ; but actor a bole his laughter commit,
anti ho said he woold do as I wished.
"We worn happy --ab least 1 was, for
some months. llo was kind to 1110,
attelltitc, took me out, at times spent
lot evening with 0110 at h0mo, called ole
by loving names, spoke kindly to 100—
there were times, oven, when I thought
Ito loved ole. I was happy. I 'worshiped
him so utterly that ono kind word from
him, one look, made me Ilio lightest -
hearted woman in England. 1 forgavo
hila that lin had not married um for
love whon 1 found alt that hoW0,14 likely
to love area Ah 1 that brief, ewont
dt'ean11 they said that I should have a
little child, and -I fancied that would
mako him love nuc more
"What Shenk1 you do to a Person who
eam0 betivc'•u you and a husband you
loved. so well?—who came with a 1100(1•
tiful faoo mil glittering hair and wilod
his he it•t front you?—what should you
do, Miss Brooke?"
:\ gatha looked iuoxpressibly 51(001cod.
"I did not know such things were,"
she said. "It is like a 1)090 world to mo."
".It wag a now world to ole," silo 0011•
timuod. ".Just as 111Ls growing 80 happy
—just as I thought Heaven was going to
bless 110 with a little child, 1 heard this
story—no matter !low I know it—it
was truo—that a fair -faced woman,
whoa( loo worshiped madly, had
coma between my .husband and me.
I hoard that ho was load over her
beauty—that ho followed her like a
shadow—that he laughed Oontemptu-
onsly at mo. Do you wonder that I
wont mad, absolutely and really marl—
only for a fow weeks, though, and when
my souses came Hack to me my little
child was buried. I found myself lookod
upon as a person inclined to be very
queer and occoutric, and my husband
half -admired, half -laughed at all over
Paris for his devotion to tho most beau.
tiful woman in it. Do you wonder that
I hide my poor plain face and stain it
with tears ? I laugh at my soli and hate
myself when I think !low I have triocl lit)
win hila back from her. I havo tried
to make myself beautiful, and he has
laughed at me for my pains. I live my
life yet—I know that when ho is away
from home he is with her—that 11e
lavishes my money on her. They say
also that she in her turn is false to ]film
—11090 what should you do to hor?"
"Nothing," replied Agatha. "There
is nothing you could do which would not
lower yourself—those wrongs aro bolter
borne in silonco. It is a strange thing
that the world never takes tho wife's
side."
"Unless she happens to bo boauty,"
sneered the hapless lady.
"I have told you my story," Mrs,
Norman said, "but nover a word has
crossed my lips to any creature before.
I know that you will koop it socrot as I
have done, and I have told you boca000
I am desperate—I ani afraid of mysolf.
Do yon know what it is to bo afraid of
yourself?"
"Yes," replied dgatha, slowly. "I
know it."
"I hope that having told yon, and
being able t0 bring my troubles to you,
will soften the bittoruese of my lot.
The moment I saw your face my hoarb
warmed to you ; but when I saw how
beautiful you were, I could not help
wondering whether my husband—who
worships beauty—had anything to do
with your coming here. I ]snow now
how false aid untrue such an idea was."
"I am glad. that 1 am of 50113,0 use and
comfort to you," said Agatha. "Ali,
me 1 what a clifferont world this:is from
tho one 1 lived in." Iior heart and
thoughts went bank to the protty
village, where the snow-white blossomy:
hung. "I knew so many husbands awl
wives there," she said, "but thoro w'r.
never a (parrot, nover any such ho'riblI
traacltery as this. If the husband ripen
a lit!lo of his wages, or tool( 0 glass tau
much, there 10000 reproaches a 11,1 rood.
mitlet:vas. If tlto husband. cameo 110nm
and al not find dinner or 1.r t ready,
th0ro wero mom reproaches; but sucli
horrors as those nover outer0cl people's
minds. Aly Hoavon 1 give Ino kenos(
poverty, with its hunger, its thirst, and
its cold, rather than such riches as
1110se,"
"Tho world grows worse," said Mrs,
Normau, "Den prey upon mem, and
wolnon—wall, much of 1b is their fault.
This one of whom I have spoken to you
—what do yon think she dosorvos for
coming between my husband and mo—
what do you think ? If oho had stolen
my purso,lho law would havo 11mmishocl
hor; If she had stolen my diamonds
sho would go to prison for it; if elle
forged my nano, to penal servitude ; if
sho lcillocl me, sho would bo hung. Yet
what aro my money, my name, my
diamonds, my life compared to lay
love) She has stolen my lovo from me
--what does she deserve?"
CIIAP'Tllt NLIP,.
PAL)P AND rano LOYD.
"I cannot think," bald Mrs, Colonel
IIudson, "what made m10 toll that story.
It does happen sometimes that a car.
tain horror seizes ou0—this did m0,"
"It is not pleasant, certainly," said
Mrs. Norman. " 11) my opiufun, she
throw vi"::cal at the wrung pawn, If
ho had nosed to love her bocanse a
fairer face had come between them,
rho beaut • of that
wh
did she not mar tho y
face?" A silent shudder went through
the guests ; the woman's face was s0
earnest, the light in her epos so clear.
"Sho would have punished him doubly
had sho taken the beauty from her
rival's face," sho continued; " ho would
have suffered for his own sake and
hors."
"Phyllis(" cried her husband, " you
do not know what you aro talkiug
about."
Ile spoke augrily, and looked annoy-
ed. Agatha fejt embarrassed ; there
was a souse of rostraint over all of them;
Dirs. Norman's face was flashed, and a
strange gleam shone in her oy os,
" Can auything," she said, " be bad
enough for the woman who Oom0e 111
between lovers—vory often between
husband and wife; and, because she
has au extra rose -tint or a bountiful
month, blight two lives ? Stich a w•o•
nam ought to be shot!"
" I am afraid," said Colonel Ilodson,
"that if they worn all shot tho world
would bo a desert. Women love con-
quest, and many of them caro 'Tory
little how they make it."
Agatha's attention was fixe(! upon
Mrs. Norman's faoo; its changes of
color and of expression astonished her.
Then Mr. Norman tried to chauge the
conversation and succeeded; but Mrs.
Norman remained strangely quiet.
The day afterward -a warm, bright,
sunshiny afternoon—while they were
driving through the Bois de Boulogne,
1lrs, Norman turned suddenly to Agatha.
"What do you think," she asked, "of
Mrs. Ralston's story 2"
"I thought it most horrible," alto =-
plied, "anal thought also it was not the
host possiblo taste to tell such a story at
dinnertime."
"Do you think the woman very much
to blame 2" asked :\Irs. Norman.
"I think her worse than a fiend," she
replied.
"She must have suffered very ntuoh
to havo grown into such afiend. I sup-
pose she loved him very much, and per.
haps bad been through tortures of jeal.
ousy."
"That is not loco," said Agatha. ".1
cannot think bow people can give so
beautiful a name to so foul a passion.
Tho difference between true and false
love is this—false love knows jealousy
and late, and vengeance and murder ;
true love seeks only the highest good of
tbo object beloved. I would not think
of it, if I were you ; it seems to have
takeu hold of your mind."
"It is ghastly," saki Mrs. Norman.
She spoke of something also, but
many times doting the day she referred
to it, and it seemed to be always present
with her.
A fow days afterward in the Slade
Choy road tho story of a very romantic
elopement and marriage.
"flow long will that love last 2" asked
Mrs. Norman, with a sneer.
"1 orover, I hope," replied Agatha.
"You may hope, but you do not be-
liove," said the restless woman.
And Agatha thought of her own love,
which was to last forever and ever.
"I should think," continued Mrs. Nor-
man, musingly, "that no w'0m0.11 over
loved any ono as I did my husband. I
thought ]rim as handsome as n. Greel
god—a king among mon I wotshipei
him, and I thought ho loved mc. Dc
not turn away, Agatha; there aro timet
when my heart is 00 Jiro, and unless 1
can give utterance to my thoughts 1
shall die, Despite m•plant face I was
rather a romantic girl; I wanted to be
loved for mysolf, yet my fortune was so
great I was always afraid of being
sought for it. I may toll you now," sho
continued, "that my husband, though
well-born and belonging to a good old
family—tho Normans, of Iilrtou—bad
110 fortune; an inoomo of two or three
hundred a year, and that nob regularly
paid, was all ho had. Ho 00410 wooing
mo ; and whon I remember my passion-
ate adoration of hint, I wonder that I
do not go mad. Iie did nob seem to
know that I had any money -110 never
cautioned it; but said how dearly he
loved 111e; low pl0as011110 should bo to
work for mo ; and I—well, I did hollow:
that, at last, 000)0 ono loved m0 for my-
solf. I bolioved it implicitly whon ha
praised 111y poor, plain faoo ; I belioved
him, and was happy, and, in toy blind
worship, I married him, without any
marriaga settloment, happy in the
thought of his surprise and joy whon 11e
found that ho had married a great heir.
0148. 1 intuit toll you thatmy forams
was oxcoptioually great. My father
was not w1nat the world calls 0 gentle.
luau ; lie belonged to a profitable brandh
of the machinery business, and ho
brought a patent out which mado him
one of tho richest mon in Lisle. All
that ho had in the world—houses, lands,
money, and overythiug olso—he loft to
mo, and I, by my own deod, placed the
whole of nay fortune in tho hands of my
husband.''
Agatha thought of rho diamonds ;
how 0rn01 if they had boon bought for
another person with her m0110y 1
"I was happ ," continued Mrs, Nor.
man, "for a fow weeks, and 111011 1
know that my husband had married Ino
ontirely for my money—that ho lin i
CIIA.PTIR XLV.
DVT FOR 00101(I WOULD 110710 MIEN A HAPPY
VIPS.
"Whatever it may bo, she shall havo
lt, in this life or, the Imxt," replied
Agatha,
,rerea"n;
F'ttt' Sale.
5Ai11A11? 29, 1B811.
..axu,crearnearzse.r.as+cuarmssrraa+roc_'.r•:e,u'mser
,y run .:11 11.( Is lr lt,t.
1'gl• 1 1l)' L1
rlluIl 11NPT1L'bJU1\1511 VIII. , 1:1.1. 011' t1 tS! 111 1'1':1) (1'y'1. ) 1' KiiT,1.
A 0xahauge for tarn properly fork Lot'
1, Brussels, 1uttla!uiug 20 acres of laud en
9011111)11)8)1' Is n good brink dwelling 111(1 Straight Irnnl.9)11,lrlt;;.1 1)111)IIgnhu.
208)08 barn, Per particulars apply to
u•rsn'
10, JOHN (i1:t11WA 11, llrnssels, .411y to
t
A. HUNTER,
1)1s•. /'our( 4'1, 111, In smash!,
iti
MILS. A. COMES MARCHING. 110. IF, :AGAIN.
From Brussels, hark ! What joyful ring,
Hurrah ! Hurrah 1
"Pis Alexander home again,
Hurrah 1 Hun ah 1
With Exhibition bats that crowned
Toronto belles the world rcnown'd,
W'e'll all sing gay
When 0)090110(1 by Alexander.
Sing Gr, y and Morris 11ulits goy,
Ilurrall ! Hurrah 1
Clot Alexander's 21111incry,
Hurrah ! Hurrah!
Shall match pair hair and viF0{ c fsir
share, 0)' pit:nu• (11111 110W)r(1110e,
Were all crowuc1 Ealy
At Alt: xamit 1's Shire.
Plumillgs, Flowerets, Tinsels, Oriental (.'('r11,; in Satin, -Velvets,
Plushos, &c. All in New Shadings, such as Gehl( 1 «I, \illll,cll'y,
Onyx -Myrtle, Orangelirowu, fawn BEd, tfc. Al,.a Ncw Chap( aux
Shapes. Magnetism itself so far as sold rapture is 0(110111111 and are
the very Latest Attractions of the Sermon at Tcrc'ntu I?xhihilirn.
LEAVE ORDER EARLY
And I will not fail as in the pant to (11ch11ni the T, nth and ;give to
the Mothers the winsome looks of long ago.
MRS, ALEXANDER,.
blob\1\1��
iq ti'1
i1�1 ` 1I1'INiTo ri $ aP uji ' -1i '
IiaiiooGa3i8an,�,enu'e
^Axa—
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'PECIACLES ))7
DR. PHELAN, Kingston
DR 0IAI1INr7,' HILL Ottawa
DR. RAND, Chief Sup), Edo., N.B.
DR. J. w. MACDONALD,
V, P. Med, Assn., Can. I
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DR. 13. C. HERBERT, RT, F.R.C.S.wriles— where Lenses are require
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Toronto
DR. C. E. MARTIN, Toronto
DR. SULLIVAN,
1000, Assn„ Canada
CHIEF JUSTICE MACDONALD ILS.
SENATOR ARCHIBALD
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A. O. BLAIR, Esq., Premier N. B.
G. A. DEADI:, .A , Agent
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