THE NORTH PLATTE SEMIAVEEKLY TRIBUNE.
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CHAPTER I.
The Prophecy.
Half a dozen high, littlo Trench
voices floated shrilly out Into the gar
den, on n sunshiny morning or 1820
from the great entry of an old farm
house In the valley under the Jura
mountninB. The grandmother, sitting
white-capped In thp center of tho hub
bub, hoard one more willingly than tho
others, for not only was Francois her
beat loved, but also tho Btory ho asked
for wns tho story sho lilted to tell. x
Smiling, tho grandmother began:
"You mUBt know, my children, that it
was on a day in tho month of May, In
Uie year 1813, that ho came. You,
Lucie, and you, Pierre, und Mario
wore not born, only Francois and
Tomns. Francois wne tho older not
qulto throe years old. The mother had
gone to care for your Aunt Lucln, who
waB 111, and I kept tho house for your
father. It was tho year of tho great
conscription, when tho emperor took
all tho men to light, not only the
Btrong ones, but tho boys, and tho old
and Infirm, If they might but drng
thomsolves nt tho tall of a regiment.
So tho fow men wlio wore not under
tho flag were sorely needed by their
families, for It was necessary, if tho
women and children wore not to
ntarvo, that omo should stay to work
in tho fields. Your father was of tho
fow who had escaped In our vlllago of
Vlcquoa.
"Ono morning a man appeared In
tho vlllago and Bald that Napoleon
would pass tills way within a fow
hours.
"Outside I heard tho neighbors call
ing tho samo two words 'Napoleon
comee' one called it to another. If
tho trumpet of tho nngel sounded tho
end of tho world, they could not have
had more fear. Then your father
klRfiod me, and kneolod and hold you,
Francois, and Tomaa. In his' arras, and
I saw tears, but ho wns bravo but
yes". 'Courage, littlo mother, ho said,
for mo and for tho babies. Courage.'
"And at that your father, who waB
my littlo lau once, you know, my dears,
had gono, and 1 stood with an ache
whore my heart should havo been, and
for a moment I waB stupid and could
not think.
"As I Btood so, like a blow there was
n rush of galloping homes In a shower
of nolBo down tho streot, and ray
linart stoppod, for the horses drew up
nt this house. So that I waa still In
tho mlddlo of tho floor when tho door
opened.
"It opened, that door thoro, and
against the light I saw mon crowding
in tho ontry, Thoy wore uniforms of
bright colors, and swords hung at their
Bides, awl on their hoads woro hate
with trimmings of gold. '.Then I saw
- Napoleon. With a stop toward mo
ho apoko to a kind voice, half smiling.
" 'Madutno,' ho said, 'will you lot ub
use this room and UiIb tablo for an
hour7 You shall not bo dlsturbod In
)our work.'
"I mado my courtesy to these great
gentlemen as I had been taught, and I
found myaolf saying quite easily to his
majosty tho emporor, as oaslly as If I
talked to Monalour lo Curo, to whom
1 waB accustomod, that ho was wol.
come; that I would servo him glally
if ho wished to command mo. And
then I left thorn. I wont Into tho
liltchcn and began to got dinner, but
1 was ho dazed that I could not seem
to mako tho boup as usual. When,
suddenly, I heard a child cry, and with
no thought then but of my babies, I
flow to the door of tho gront room and
Btood looking, for I could not pasa tho
ucntlnol,
"Among the omcors In their uni
forms thoro lay on tho floor llttlu Fran
cols in his night-dress, and all tho of
fleers looked at him and laughed. Tho
child, nloeplng in tho farther room,
had wnkod at tho volcea and had
climbed down from his crib and tod
dlod out to sco. Tho glitter of tho uni
forms must havo pleased him, and as
thoy all bent over tho papers on tho
tablo ho hnd pulled at tho sword of
ono whom I afterward know to bo tho
groat Marshal Nuy. Ho woro a dark
coat all heavy with gold laco, my chll
dron, and whlto pnntnloonB and high
shining black boots, and across his
breoat a, scarlot ribbon. Ho sat noxt
tho emperor. Tho marshal, turning
sharply &t the tug. knocked tho littlo
ono over. It was then Francois cried
out.
"Napoleon himself who spoke na 1
peered uudcr tho sentinel's arm. Ho
Bhook his linger ut his offleor. '
"'Marshal, Marshal,' ho cried, 'aro
you not too quick to overthrow so
young a soldier, bo full of lovo for
armB?'
"Tho omporor seemed to Joko, for
lie laughed n little, yet thero wns a
sound in his voice as If sonio part waa
serious, Ho turned Bhnrply to tho
mayor 'What la tho child's name?'
"Tho mayor was our friend nnd
know the babies. 'Francois Beaupre,
Biro,' ho answered tremblingly,
"Tho emperor gave a Bhort nod.
Mako him kneol,' ho said. 'Marshal,
your sword.'
"It woo still for a moment, nnd all
tho offlcorB Btood up silent, nnd thon
the emperor took tho marshal's sword
und struck tho baby's shoulder a light
blow with tho Hat of 1L
c-ilARYMYOH) SniPMAN ANDREWS
ILLUSTRATIONS ELLSWORTH YOUN6--
"'IUho Chovnllor Francois lleaupre,'
ho said clearly, and In tho pauso ho
added, with a look in lilH eyes as If
ono gazed forward: 'Somo day, per
haps, a marshal of Franco under an
other Bonaparte.' "
CHAPTER II.
The Stranger.
On an afternoon In July In the year
of 1820, Francois, being ton years old
and a dreamer, camo alono through
tho gato and sat down with his short
legs dangling over an ancient wall,
fifteen feet sheer down. He sat there,
qulto comfortablo and secure, and
kicked his IiooIb, and thought of his
brilliant future, nnd alno of tho story
of tho groat dog and tho treasure. The
tradition ran that ages back, In tho
tlmo of Caesar, fifty years after Christ,
a Roman governor In this Gnlllc prov
ince had built a. formidable caetlp on
this hill outsldo tho village. Tho castle
nnu groat granaries to hold the grain
which tho governor tortured from tho
pensants and sent to Rome to Bell. So
ho grow rich by oppression, and tho
gold wrung from tho pcoplo ho piled In
cellars deep In his castle. When It
came to bo a great amount ho sent far
to tho north and got a hugo dog, and
this dog ho trained to a terrlblo fierce
ness, so that anyono coming near In
tho long underground corridors whero
he guarded the troaauro waB suro to
bo torn In pieces, except always tho
governor.
For years things went on In this
way, tho governor grinding tho peas
ants, and the giant dog guarding him
and his treasure, till at last thoro camo
a thunderbolt tho govornor was sent
for to come to Homo to glvo an ac
count of tho rlchoB which he had kept
from tho emperor. Ho had to go, but
ho loft tho dog In chargo, and tho night
nfter ho was gono tho peasantry gath
ered and sot Are to tho chateau and
burned It to tho ground, and tho dog
nnd tho treasuro woro burled In It,
and there they nre to this day. The
pcoplo of Vieques bellovo that If n
man will go to die that treasuro nml
will stay till midnight, that at twelve
exactly n colossal dog will rise from
the ruined stonoa and como, breathing
flames; In his mouth will bo tho key
of tho treasure-vault, and back of him.
win sianu t,tio ghost of tho Roman gov
ernor wrapped In white, his face cov
ored. And If tho man will bo bold
enough to take tho koy from the flam
lng mouth, thon dog and govornor will
vanish in a clap of thunder, and in
front of tho daring ono will rlso tho
door of tho troasUro-vault, and ho may
turn tho koy und go In and help him
solf. Frnncols considered, and, fooling no
fear In his eoul, decided that ho wan
tho man destined to take tho koy out
of tho dog's mouth and got tho treas
uro, which ho would at onco transfer
intact to his mother. Ho hnd no need
for treasuro; thoro woro thlngB more
Important. It wns for him to become
a mnrshal of Franco. Napoleon had
said so; It miiBt bo bo; but ho should
like, on tho way to this goal, to face
tho dog and tako tho key and glvo his
mother tho treasuro.
In tho gaiety of the thought, and
fooling both nmbltlous nil but accom
plished by this decision, ho lifted him
self on tho palms of his hands and
kicked out lightly over tho abyss. Ab
"Rise, Chevalier Francois Oeauprcl"
ho kicked thero woh a sudiluu strong
grip on hla shoulder, he was Jerked
backward and rollod on tho grass.
"Am you tiled of life at this ngo
then?" a strident voice domnnded, and
Francois lay on his back and regarded,
wondering, nt onwo, tho bronzed lined
face of a big man standing over him.
Francois smiled; then laughed with
iiBsurnnco of tho othor'a friendliness
up Into tko strnngo man's face. He
got to ins leel anil stood
"No, ni'Blour," ho Bald politely "1
was only plonsed at thinking what I
am going to be onio day."
"Ahl Is it permitted to ask what
inntsnltlconco it In Hint you are to be?"
"Certainly It Is permitted, m'sluur,"
FrnncolB answered in his couragoouu.
courtooua way. "I ahull ono day bo a
'marshal of Franco undor another
Bonaparte.' "
Tho Btrnngor wntohod him, aston
lshed, and then ho laid hla huiid ou tho
slim shoulder In its homespun blouse,
and his gravo volco was gentle. "My
child, bo careful how you say words
llko those; you may get your father
into trouble. It Is a good belief to
keol in one's heart, and you and I may
yet Bhout 'Vive l'Kmporcur' for a Na
poleon again. Yes, who knows? Rut
I must go on. Good day, my friend,
tho marshal."
t
CHAPTER III.
Without Fear.
Tho glider was at work gilding tho
great ball on top of tho church steeple,
livery twenty years this had to be
done, and It was an event In tho vil
lage. Moreover, It was dangcroua, and,
llko all dangers, fascinating.
Tho boys of Vieques stood In groups
In tho street with tholr heads bent
back, watching the tiny figure of a
mnn that cropt up an invisible ladder
far in the air, lashed to the sldo of the
steeple. Up and up It went, llko a fly,
crawling on tho fiechc. nnd thoro was
a sinking feeling In each boy's stom
ach which was dellchtful. to think lmw
at any moment that creeping black
spot which was tho gilder might fall
down, down, and bo dashed to pieces.
Achlllo Dufour suggested, "Even
Francois would not dare climb that
ladder to tho ball. Dare you?"
Tho great brown eyes of Francois
turned about tho group; tho boys wait
ed eagerly for his answer. It was al
ways this ono who led Into tho dan
gerous places; always this ono who
went a bit further whpiytlio othors'
courago failed.
"I dare," said Francois. Then the
dark heads camo together In an un
easy mass, and thero was whispering.
At the dinner-hour that day several
mothers of tho village remarked that
their small lads woro restless, not in
tent as usual on tho black bread and
tho soup of chopped vegetables and
tho green beans all anxious to flnlsh
and get away. Only the mother of
Francois, however, roasoned from this
that iniBchlef was brewing. When tho
slim, wiry, little flguro slipped from
the table and out through tho open
door, sho tobo and followed and stood
In tho great entry watching him race
ncross tho field toward tho church. Hff
veered but onco In his straight path
to turn to tho Prllnoteaux cottneo.
whero tho gilder lodged while In Vie
ques.
"How soon will ono bo at work up
there again?" ho asked through tho
window of Augusto Phllpoteaux sit
ting at his dinner, nnd tho mnn an
swered good-naturodly:
"It may bo In half an hour, my boy,
Not sooner." And Frnncols raced on.
By this time n boy here nnd a boy
thero hnd stolen .from tholr dinner
tables and were gathering In groups
down the street, but tho elders paid
no attention. Francois disappeared In
to tho church; tho boys began to grow
breathless.
"It will take somo minutes for tho
stairs," ono snid, and they wnlted.
Two minutes, throe, perhaps live;
somothlng roso out of tho trap-door
loading to tho platform from which tho
steeple sprang a figure, looking very
small so far up abovo them. Instantly
It attached itsolf, llko a crawling fly,
to the sldo of tho steeple; it moyod up
ward. Henri Dufour, below In the
street, jumped aa a hand gripped hla
arm. Ho looked up frightened at La
Claire.
"Is that my Francois?" sho demand
ed Btnrnly, but tho boy did not need to
answer.
With that, by degrees people camo
from tho cottages as at somo mysteri
ous warning nnd stood silent, afraid to
breatho, watching tho littlo flguro
creeping up, up the dizzy nnrrowing
peak of tho church Htooplo. A rldor
gnlloped down tho road; aoolng tho
groupB, ho pulled lu his bay horao and
his oyes followod tho upward glance
of the whole vlllngo.
"Who 1b It?" ho Hung at tho nearest
knot of peasants; his volco wae abrupt
and commanding
Tho men pulled off tholr caps, and
ono answered respectfully: "It Is lit
tlo Francois Boaupro, my solgnour; It
la n child who has no fear; ho Is al
most at tho top, but wo dread It when
ho desconds."
"Mon illeul" tho mnn on horseback
growled, "ir Ho looks down he Is lost;
tho lutl la a born hero or a born lunn
tlc." The crawling spot up thoro allowed
dark in tho sunlight against tho new
gliding or tho ball. It stoppod; the
blot wns tlxeil for a second; another
second. From the crowd tobo gasps,
and excited broken sentences.
"He hus the vortlgo! Ho is lost!"
Tho dark blot clung against tho glid
ing. Then suddonly It moved, bognu
to make u slow way downward, and a
long sigh, like u rlpplo on water, ran
through tho ranks of pcoplo. No ono
spoke; all tho oyes watched tho littlo
flguro slip down, down tho unseen lad
der In tho air. At last It was at tho
bottom; It dlsappoarod into tho trap
door, livery ono begnn'to talk volubly
at once; a woman cried for Joy, then a
child spoke In a high voice,
"See," sho said Bhrllly, "the mother
of Francois goes to moot him!"
Lo Clnlro waa far down tho streot,
gliding toward teat church door
which was under the steeple. As she
reached It tho littlo lad camo out, hla
face Hushed, his eyes shining with ex
citement and triumph. Sho took his
hand allontly, hardly looking nt him,
nnd turned so, qulotly, without a word
of either Joy or roproof, her face Im
passive. She had got her boy again
from tho dead, It seemed to Clalro,
and thoso first moments woro beyond
words or embraces. To touch his warm
hand was enough. Tho man on tho
bay horso, trotting slowly along, saw
the meeting. r
"It Is a woman out of tho common,
that one," ho spoko aloud. "Sho rules
hersolf and tho boy." And tho boy
looked up as ho camo and smiled and
tugged at his cap with the hand which
his mother did not hold.
"Good morning, m'slour," he said
with friendliness, and tho rider stared.
"Sacro bleu!" ho flung back In his
strong suddon voice. 'Jit Is my friend,
tho marshal. Was it you, then, glued
up thoro? Yet another fashion to play
with death, eh? Nom d'un chlon! You
havo a star of good luck you are
saved for something great, it must
be."
"M'sleur the Marshal," ho flung at
Francois. "Como and Heo mo In the
chateau."
Thero was a clatter of galloping
hoofs; tho bay mare and her rider
were far down the street.
"Who Is It, my mother the fierce
gentleman?" Francois asked.
"You aro fortunato today, Fran
cois," Clalro answered him. "The good
God has saved your life from a very
great foolishness, and also I think you
have mado a friend. It Is tho new
seigneur."
CHAPTER IV.
Coming to His Own.
Six years ago, boforo Waterloo, Na
poleon had given tho now chateau of
Vieques and Its lands to general the
Baron Gaspard Gourgaud, whom ho
had boforo then fashioned Into a very
good pattern of a soldier out of mate
rial left over from tho old aristocracy.
Vieques lay In the Valley Dolesmontes
"of the mountains" a lcaguo from
tho littlo city Doleamontes, whose six
thousand Inhabitants constituted it tho
chief city of this valley of tho Jura.
Over Vieques hung the mountain
called Lo Rose, behind Lo Rose loomed
that greater mountain called Le Rul
mcu; back of Lo Ralmeu rolled the
Jura range.
Tho Baron-General Gourgaud, taking
possossion of tho chateau in this
month of July, thought it lucky he had
not seen this domnin of his before,
else tho vision would havo turned his
heart from his duty. After a full career
almost In boyhood for the Cross of
the Legion of Honor had como to him
at twenty-four after service in the
Spanish and Austrian campaigns and
diplomatic missions ; after saving tho
emperor's Hfo at Moscow; after Water
loo, Napoleon hnd chosen him as one
of three officers to go with htm to St.
Helena. The chateau and estate of
Vieques had boon given to him by the
omporor aftor that bravo and lucky
moment at Moscow when, tho first
man to enter tho Kremlin, ho had
snatchod tho match from a mass of
gunpowder which would a moment
later havo blown up both officers and
omperor.
Ton years before ho had married;
four years aftor that his wifo had died,
and tho daughter she left was now a
girl of soven, a fairy type of girl.
"You aro perfect in every way but
ono, Allxe," ho Bnid, as he Bwung hor
high to kiss hor. "You aro "
"I know," tho littlo girl Interrupted,
comrade-like. "I know tho fault I have.
I am not a boy. But I do not wish to
bo a boy, father. I would then grow
to bo n great fierce person with n mus
tache llko you. Imagine mo, father,
with a mustache" and the two laughed
togother.
"Father, father!" Alixo dashed into
tho library.
"Thero Is a queer, little, village boy
but a good boy, father. Ho has
brought you a bunch of lettuce such
white fat lottuco! Will you seo him?
Ho la a very good boy."
"Allxe, you aro lm payable," the gen
oral groaned. "1 am your plaything!
Yes, send for all tho village that will
help mo with my writing."
Allxe, ignoring sarcasm, had flown.
In a mlnuto sho waa back and led by
tho hand Francois.
"Ah!" tho general greeted him stern
ly. "My friend, the marshal! You
havo already begun tho nttnek on my
chnutenu, it seems?"
"No, my solgnour," tho boy an
swered graely. "Not yet. I bring you
somo salado rb a presont. It is from
my mother's garden. I choso tho best."
"I thank you," Bald tho general with
Borlousness. "I am not suro If your
mother will thank you equally, it Is
a good proaont."
Francois was gratified. Lo Claire
had this morning sout him to tho gar
dens with a wldo margin of time, and
tho inspiration had como bb ho looked
down the gloaming row of whlto lot
tuco that ho would take a trlbuto and
mako tho visit which tho seigneur had
asked him to mako.
Qouoral Gourgaud brought down his
0
OOSr?GW 92 BY &OB&3 HEiMLL C(X
flat on a tablo so that it rattled and
Francois started but not Alixo.
"Sabre do bola!" ho threw at the
two children. "You have ruined my
morning between you. I meant to fln
lsh those cursed chapters this morn
ing. But let them wait. , Having tho
honor to receive a visit from an officer
of high rank, the least 1 can do is to
entertain him. What amusement do
you prefer, M'sleur the Marshal? I
am at your service."
It wus natural to Francois to believe
every one kindly; ho accepted with
simplicity, if with slight surprise, the
general's speech.
"Tho Bolgneur has fought battles un
der tho great emperor himself?" tho
boy asked In an awed tone.
"Yes," came the abrupt answer.
"Think!" whispered tho French boy.
"To havo fought under tho emperor!"
And the old soldier's henrt thrilled
suddenly. Tho child went on. "If tho
seigneur would tell mo a story of ono
fight of just one!"
"RntlBbon, Ratlsbon!" clamored
Allxe, and she scrambled over tho arm
of his chair to her father's kneo and
her hand went around hla neck. "Tell
about Ratlsbon and tho ditch nnd tho
ladders, father."
"Halt!" ordered the general. "1 have
not a wcok to talk. But I will tell
about Ratlsbon If you wish."
The deep voice stopped, then went
on again. "The Austrians held Ratls
bon and the bridge across tho Danube
river. The emperor wished to take
the town and that bridge. Marshal
Lannes was ordered tp do It. You see,
my children, the walls were very old
but filled with Austrlnn artillery, and
there was Infantry on the parapets.
An old ditch lay under the walla, a
large ditch, dry, but twenty feet high
and fifty foot wide. All tho bottom of
It was a vegetable garden. To take
that town It was necessary to go down
Into that ditch and climb up again to
the walls, and all the time one would
be under flro from tho Austrian on
the walls do you understand that,
children? Very well. Twice the mar-
Shal asked for fifty volunteers to tako
tho ladders and place them In the
ditch. Twice one hundred men sprang
forward, and It was necessary to
choose the fifty. Twice they dashed
out, carrying the, ladders, from behind
tho great stone barn which had cov
ered them, and each time the detail
waa wiped out fifty men wiped out. It
was like that, my children, tho fight at
Ratlsbon."
"The emperor!" Francois breathed
"the emperor wns there!"
Probably nothing, which had not to
do with his daughter, could have
touched General Gourgaud as did that
tribute.
"SapristI!" he growled. "Tho arm
of the little corporal reaches a long
way. The child has not oven seen him.
and voilu, he loves him."
Tho child's face flushed. "But yes,
my seigrieur," Francois spoko quickly.
"But yes. I have seen tho emperor."
lou have seen Napoleon?" The
general was surprised. "How is that?"
In a boyish fashion, In homely tan
guago of his class, yet with that dra
matic Instinct which Is characteristic
ally French, Francois told his tale as
his grandmother had told It to him and
to his brothers and sisters tho tale
which tho children called "Napoleon
Comes." The general listened with a
sincere Interest.
"My boy," he nddressed the lad, "I
do not know the law I am a soldier.
?-; nit',
"Come and See
In the Chateau."
Yet by :ny idea you are chevalier, cre
ated bo by tho act of the most power
ful monarch who over ruled France
by our limpcror Napoleon. The timo
may como when, as tho emporor snid.
you may be a mnrshal of Franco under
another Bonaparte. But that Is a
small thing If the timo comes when
you may help another Bonnparte to
como to his right, to rule over Franco
It la that of which you must think till
tho hour strikes, and thon It Is that
which you must glvo your lifo for."
Littlo Francois, tho visionary, the
horo worshlpor, trembled. "I will do
It, my seigneur," ho said, frightened yet
Insplrod, lifted Into a tremondous diz
zying utmosphore. And with that a
secret which ho had told no ono, not
oven hla mother, broko forth. "Mv
solcneur. a strange thine hnn
Me
sometimes I havo dreams yet thoy
aro not dreams In broad daylight. I
see things I hear voices which are
not of our villngo. Threo times I saw
ft long road up a mountain, und over'
the mountain was a largo star. I Baw
It three times, and onco a voice said 'It
1b tho star of tho,Bonapartes, but also
your star, Francois. Follow it."
The general was n hard-headod per
son for all his cult of Napoleon, and
vision-seeing appeared to him non
sense. Ho pooh-poohed at once the
idea of a star divided between the
house of Bonaparte and a small peas-,
ant. "Your mother hnd bettor put a
wet cloth in your cap," he advised.
"Parbleu seeing stars in midday!
Somo one-logged old fighter has been
gabbling before you about the star of
the Bonnpartes, and that and a touch
of sunstroke In this heat, it may bo,
havo turned you Billy. Let mo hear no
more of stars, but keep nt your lesson
and learn to be "
With that he waa awaro that tho
boy did not hear him. Tho light figure
was on tiptoes tho largo oyo3 stared
at the wall, and the child spoko In an
unlnflccted voice as If something muf
fled spoko through him.
"I soo the star," he said. "I see It
through a window whore thero aro
Iron bars. . . . Ah!" Tho Interjec
tion was In the boy's natural accent,
and ho shlvored violently. "Ugh!" Hla
teeth chattered and ho looked about
vaguely. "It Is llko an Icehouse. I do
not llko those dreams; they make me
so cold. Seigneur, it Is lnte; my moth
er will not bo pleased. And I must
stop at tho garden and pick tho vege
tables for supper carrots and peas. I
must hurry to get tho peas nnd car
rots." Littlo Allxe, clutching her father's
thumb, watched as the boy dlsap
peared. Then, to tho general's aston
ishment, sho began to sob. "I I don't
know," alio answered his quick ques
tion. "But I I think it is .because 1
am sorry tho little boy was so cold."
CHAPTER V.
A Game of CardB.
Francois Beaupre Lo Francois ol
Vieques sobor, laborious, had In him
a certain plg-headedness, and also a
vein of the gambler which had swollen
with use; yet because It had so fai
brought him only good luck the neigh
bors called this good judgment. He
was a dealer in working oxien; he
bought and raised and sold them, nnd
only his wife knew what chances he
often took In buying young bcoves. It
was a simple solid form of speculation,
yet it was that.
On a day in Septembor he loft Vie
ques early in tho morning to drive to
tho market in Delesmontes, a league
distant, two pairs of oxen which he
had bought as calves for almost noth
lng from poor stock out of a farm
leagues away. Ho had fed and trained
and cared for them till now they were
all well set-un and powerful nnd
smooth-working ready to sell for a
good price. At tho market he found
that thero were few oxen to bo dis
posed of, nono which compared to his,
and hla ideaB of value went up he
would got nino hundred francs for
them, which delayed tho sale.
So It camo to be, by tho timo his
bargain waa closed, three o'clock In
the afternoon, nnd ho had had no din
ner. With tho cattle off his hands
and tho money in his pocket he felt a
senso of leisure and of wealth. Hun
gry as a wolf ho folt also, and he
turned into tho inn of Dolesmontes,
whero tho sign of a hugo bear, cut out
of tin and painted black, swuug before
thu door.
A waitress approached him a som
melllere trim in her short calico skirt
and white apron, her hair dono in the
picturesque fashion of tho place. The
girl took his order; as sho turned to
go a man just coming in knocked
against her, and apologizing with
many words, caught sight of Francois
"Good day!" ho Baluted him heartily.
"Good day. Monsieur lleaupre," and
Francois, friendly always, answered
"Good day," but with a reseivo, for ho
did not recall the man. "You .inn'i
romember me? That 1b natural, fot
wo mot but once. Yot 1 havo not for
gotten you. It was at tho house ot
my cousin, Paul Nolrjean of Devllller."
Now Paul Nolrjean was an old ac
quaintance nnd a eolld mnn, and
though Bcaupro did not see him often,
living six leagues away, ho respected
him highly. A cousin of his was to bo
considered, and Francois was embar
rasBed that his memory could not
focus onv tho meeting. Ho tried to
cover this with cordiality, and Invited
tho stranger to share his meal.
"Not at all, not at all," tho other
answered. "Yot we must have a bottle
of wine together, but It Bhall bo my
bottle."
Francois objected; tho man liiBlstod
At length: "See, wo will play cards
for that bottle," tho unknown man sug
gested, and tho cards woro brought,
nnd a gnrao of La rams euchre was
In progress in two minutes.
Moaiiwhilo the wlno had como, and
Francois, a touch more generous and
moro cordial for It, wns genially sorry
w.u no un mm mo stranger must
nny'
I (TO BE CONTIN'UUDJ
1,1.