Jasper Republican, Volume 2, Number 16, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 31 December 1875 — PAULINE. [ARTICLE]

PAULINE.

. - 1 - •—‘ —r On the dreary evening of a dull November day, when £he lamps glared faintly with a misty yellow, a’ cab drew up before one of the houses in an old-fash-ioned London square, and two young ladies and their luggage Were deposited at the door. Then the door opened, «nd a flood of light streamed oiit info M night air*givin*gL cheery promise of that was not contradicted, for thfe two girls, aspending thq wide sitqmj&se, were met on the lknding byW tall, stately lady, whose stateliness gave way as soon as she saw them, and she embraced them warmly, with alternate kisses and tears. “ Aunt HathUde,” exclaimed the younger and darker of the two, “ how glad I am to see you!” -“And I also,” echoed her companion. “ How can I ever thank you enough for giving me thin great pleasure! When madame said that Mrs. Stanmore had inr vited me also, I could not believe it.” “ Call me Aunt Mathilde, if.you please, my dear,” said Mrs. Stanmore, whilst the teiars stood in her eyes and her lips quivered. The girl looked up ip surprise; she had never seen the stately lady before. “I knew your grandmother,” answered Mrs. Stanmore, abruptly; “ we were once like sisters. And now, as you have had a ong journey, and must be in need of refreshment, go and take off your wraps, and m a ke haste down to tea.” Then the giriswent away, and the stately old lady sat down by the drawing-room fire. She leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes. “So like Paul,” she murmUred. Paul’s . grandchild working atifipin a 1 boarding-school! That must not be if I can help it. Paul and Rina’s grandchild. I don’t wonder that Milly took a fancy to her. If she returns after the holidays it will be her owTL fault and not mine.” s . So mused the Udy of the house; and her went back ,to %e days when she jmd the French girl’s grandmother had been sworn allies, until love stepped in and made a quarrel, and they; never spoke again. It was the old story. Two girls in love with The same herd, ftlid he chose one, and the other was left disconsolate. Disconsolate only for a time, for Mathilde de Brenil married an Englishman, to. whom she became deeply Attached: Of Paul and his wife she lost sight. They, after a struggle with poverty, both died, and Mrs. Stanmore, had well-nigh forgotten them when, sqddeuly, the 9ame of the little French governess struck-her, and the result was that Pauline Valency was invited to London for the Christmas holidays.

FOR THE SAKE OF THE PAST. The girfs," in their comfortable bedrooms, discussed their reception And as days crept on, in the delightful twilight hour before the lamps were lighted , bit by hit of the past was unrolled, and Aunt Mathilde found herself growing younger through the history of her early life. “It was at Hochfeld,” she said, “ that your grandmother and I were at school and formed a school-girl friendship. I have often thought that I should likd’ to see the place again—the old convent-look-ing school-house, the public gardens, the soldiers and the students. All! 1 remember every stoke of the place. I believe I should have made a pilgrimage there- if I had not been too old to go so far alone.” “ Go now, Aunt Mathilde, kfid take us with you,” said suddenly, while Pauline’s eyes shone with a great light, though she said nothing. , , “ We might manage it in Pauline’s holidays,” continued Mildred; “ sheMstwo months at midsummer.” r 1 “ Pauline wiU have na more holidays,” returned Mrs. Stanmore, shortly. “ Poor Pauline!” ejaculated Mildred. “That is to say,” explained Mrs. Stanmore, “ she will have no occasion for any. I have arranged that she shall not go back to madame and that I shall have two chiL, dren instead of one to live with me.” Mildred .-sprang up and clapped her kandd; then she kissed Mrs; Stanmore vehemently, saying that “ she was the dearest, besf Aunt Mathilde that ever lived, and was repaying good for evil* for Paul had certainly bebayed vety badly.” 4 “Nonsense,” said Aunt Mathilde; f what has that to do with it?” Pauline had listened in bewilderment, and now was sobbing at Mrs. Btanmore’s feet. • “It is for Pauline to-say yes or no,” said Mrs. Stanmore, gently stroking the girl’s hair,

‘‘Yes, yes, yes!” exclaimed Mildred, f “ Aunt Mathile, if you please,” interrupted Mrs. Staammre; “and I ate not good. It is. alias it should be; and I have not so much to be angry for, kifter Kll, since my life has beep fall of aappL “ Yes, it is indeed all as itshould ,be» and in the summer we will go. te Hochadded Mildred. : HOCHFKLD.- ■ It was exactly a® Mrs. Stanmore had described it, in spite of the many years that had been added to its age. The growth it had made had not effaced its old landmarks; and Aunt Mathilde and*the girls made satisfactory expeditions and paused at different points of interest. f. The schOof-hoasc! ! waß a school-house no W wa * tur ßed into spen*ioniva& Stanmore took up her abode in a pretty suite of rooms looking upon the old garden, not altered from former days, with fountain and iun-dial in their o|d ?places. w u

~ thtf >H*Aversity, too, hats not toHngfid its position, nor the 061 chifrcli, nor the public gartentr; and many a) pointed out hs having in old days Contained good friends of Atfnf Matftfltfcf. !j 'f “Were,” s»i<Mh«J, her parasol energetically ,h» Che direction (rfu. flight of steps—“here your grandmother and I stood and watched the torchlight procession at poor Herman Rozenhain's funeral and as she spoke her parasol strack a young Lieutenant of cavalry, who.was walking leisurely along the street, full in the face. l£J'

LA thousand pardons!” said she, .... - But the poor Lieutenant tats for the Moment Minded; the blow had been sharpy and (he eye already showed symptoms of swelling. Aunt Mathilde was in dismay. What could she do f She waa profuse ia apologies and explanations. The Lieutenant accented Hie situation pleasantly ; cards were exchanged, and he promised to .call upon her the next day and report himself. And not only the next day, but very frequently, did he find his way to the old pension with the charming garden, for Lieut, von Alton was far from tibme, and had not many acquaintances at Hochfeld. • Mrs. Stanmore found him very delight, fill and very usefhl, for he was ready to accompany her and her nieces—as she called both girls—anywhere and every, where. Mildred did not hesitate to express her favorable opinion of him, and was on the best possible terms at once. Pauline was more reserved in her praises. > >■ “You will not speak wfell of him because he is the enemy of your coimtvy, M said Mildred, laughing. “You would not fall him for worlds, so you keep out of the way and leave him to me, ss I am influenced by no such revengeful disposition.”j Pauline blushed, and answered a little warmly: “ I can scarcely forgive the Prussians.” DOUBTFUL. Aunt Mathilde said nothing, but she began to have misgivings. Was the old story of herself and Nina going to be played but over again? Sometimes she thpught the Lieutenant liked one gi%l, sometimes the other, and sometimes she doubted if he cared for either.

If he brought bouquets, Mildred’s was presented witti many pfetty speeches, whilst Pauline’s was laid down hesitatingly, as if he. thought, it improbable that she would care to accept jit* Certainly Aunt Mathilde had detected him, in the midst of his gay speeches to Mildred, glancing furtively to see if Pauline had noticed his flowers. But Pauline simply thanked him, and never even touched the bouquet until he had departed ; then she* took it to her own room, aud no one ever saw it again. So it went on. Mildred And the Lieutenant were on friendlier terms than ever, and she never sepmed so happy as when he I was near; they had their lively jokes'together, and sang duets, and strolled under the lime trees ; whilst- there was a restraint between him ahd Pauline, although at times it seemed as if he were anxious to win her favor. Aunt ilathllde became more and more bewildered, and at length decided it Trioui ° “ And *hat. shall I do without my Lieutenant?” asked Mildred. “Oh, Aunt Mathilde, you cannot he so cruel as* to spoil all my pleasure! Do stay a little iongecH3m 30 838 A JBIG

A SURPRISE. I/iettt. von Alten was overwhelmed wife sorrow when he heard of Mrs. Stanmore’s determination. He had been in a dream and had imagined, as people usually do in that condition, that his dream would but this sudden announcement had effectually awakened him. !I He was standing on the balcony outside Mrs. Stanmore’s window, waiting for the return of the party, who had gone out for a walk. Presently the sitting-room door opened and some person came into the room. Not one of those he wished to see, he thought, for he had stationed himself so as to command allthe approaches to the..housei therefore, be did not mow, and the person drew a chair up to the table kid began to write. TJten he was tempted >o glaaee inside. It was Pauline. In a moment he Was at her side. Pauline started. “Mademoiselle/’ said he, “l am happy to find yon alone. It is so sudden, this going away. Oh, mademoiselle! you mus know—you must have seen. You are kind—your heart will, plead—yon will have pity!”

He was much agitated; but Pauline, whochad been nerving herself for what r “ «r£ utmost. You may depend upon me.” The Lieutenant looked as though he did not qnite comprehend, and he went on ak well as His agitation would permit. “ Mademoiselle must surely know my heartily lbve!” i “I have never tioubted it. Mildred is worthy of ft.” . - i “ Mildred I” exclaimed Lieut, yon. Alton. “It is not of lier, but of yourself, I Would speak. Is it possible you have not known?” it- j,- ’w* And as he spoke a new light fell upon Pauline, and she read aright mych that she had misinterpreted. And for a moment a greit jOy filled her heart, but it was only fora moment; the next a chill ran titfougb.her, and; she started up with a cry of distress. It was the old story over again ; 1 and should she requite her benefactress by bringing grief upon her niecW? Never! and she looked up resolutely M Went, von AUen. “ Adieu, monsieur.” she said; “ do not seek t 0 toe me' Again; if is a pity that we evor mets ’ toefshe glided away, leaving the lieutenant standing motionless with despair and confusion.

j THE &EMSnSRY Jtt HOCHFBLD. * v There is a beautiful cemetery at Hochteld wherein ,is the grave of Paul and i Nina Valency, who died within a week o each other In the yfito 18—: " Pauline had often yisitod thifi fiemetery of late, and beside the grave of her grandparents had communed with her [heart and tried to still its wild tfimult. To-day her first impulse was to hasten (hither, and, sinking down on the flowery tnrf, to pour, as it were, her grief into the eaw of those who were lying beneath. n She grieved for herself and for Mildred riso, tod wished that this second Paul had never come between them. Still, as far as she Whs concerned, Mildred should have no cause for sorrow. How thankful she was that they werer to loute Hochfeid so sootejitfidl then perhaps in time it .would all be forgotten! "**>!? At length, exhausted with her emotion and overcome by the heat of the day, she fell asleep, with her head nesting on the gr»»symound, vi ,. , ~ JVhatis the matter with everyone?” said a lively voice. Pauline started up. “ Here you are,” said Mildred, “with your eyes red and swollen, and I found the Lleetfiilant at our lodgings looking as white as a ghost and scarcely able to make his adieux properly. What is the* matter?”

“ I have been asleep,” answered Pauline, evasively. * “ What were you doing before you went to sleep ? And why have you Bent the poor Lieutenant; away when you know that he kks taken your heart with him?” “Milly!” “ Pauline, my dear, do you think that I am stupid ? Have I not seen exactly how matters stood, whilst you and Aunt Mathilde have been blind and romantic?. There is not the slightest necessity for romance and self-sacrifice. You care for Lieut, von Alton. Ido not—except as the husband of toy friend. I have no desire to marry a foreigner, but it is quite natural that you should wish to do so, in spite of his being a Prussian; mid, indeed, I think it Hie very best plan that could be devised for settling your national differences.” . Pauline spran& toJj^-feel• “ Here, Lieut, von Alton,” said Mildred, calling to a tall figure lingering in Hie distance, “ I have put everything right for you. There was just a lltHe mistake, as there always will be if people persist in paying attention to one person When they are in love with another: Fortunately, in thi6 case there has been no harm done.”— Jeon Boncmir, in tfee Quiver.