The Wyandot pioneer. (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1853-1868, 1867-01-31
Misfetlanu.
THE COQUETT OF ARLON.

OF Arion WofSnll pea Ine moon, "!N
learned men say that the name of the
place { Arg lnua) sprang from that cir
cumstance. 1t is from the same cir
cumstance, it is added, that the young
ladies of this ancient town have some
times a way of their own.
About a hundred years ago, 10 one
was 50 much talked about by the Ar
fort augment the expenses, and make
war upon the general welfare of the
lonnais as girl who was in possession
of feighteen years, good, lively, frank,
always smiling, always happy, but
whose affections no one could monop-
oiize, she was SO volatile and independ-
ent. Her name was Gertrude, and she
was the Only daughter of Charles Stock,
a we'll to do inhabitant OF Arlon, and
who was generally known as Stock fis,
to distinguish him from his father and
and grandfather, who were both alive,
.'On durait vieux they lived to a
good old age, in that family, accord
ing to d local expression. Arlon had
not at that time suffered from the terri
ble fire which ravaeed the little town in
1855.
All the young men Of the town, VIC
have said, sought to win the affections
Of the beauty of the place, but no one
seemed to meet with success. It was
For this reason, and on account of h21
apparently fighty manners, that she
was called the ''coquette d'Alon." y
The epithet must not be taken, howev-
er, in reproachful sense, for her faith
er and mother had perfect confidence
in her, and let her laugh and do just as
she pleased.
Four young gentlemen Of the town
were particularly distinguished by the
assiduity with which they piled their
suit to thecoquette. They were known
rs Sigismond de Vletter, GILES Colin,
We2ceslas Stroobant, and Lambert van
Mou. Thief rst was so quiet that he
inspired no apprehensions to the three
others an the three Others were so
ardent that each only awaited his selec-
ton by the maiden. AS they became
urgcnti in insisting that she should make
a choice the sprightly damsel in ques-
ton resolved at last upon stratagem
by which she should put each to the
proof This was in the month Of Sep
tember in the year 1743.
Gertrude was aware of the existence
in & field belonging to her father, not
far from Arlon, of an old Roman tomb,
which was looked upon with awe on ac-
count Of many suparstitious stories
connected with it. She made this the
centre of her batteries.
Giles Colin came first, according to
to his daily custom, protesting that he
would walk Oh burning Goals to please
her.
Z am nol 50 czacting,' she replied ''I
do not even say that I will not take you
for my hu3baul; I must have mark
Of devotion and courage on your
part
Now you speak to the pointr' said
GILES. Il viii give you plenty OF
MARKS, only say what You wish
''You know she replied s'the old
tomb that lies there, on mound about
quarter of a league from the town ?"
II know it" said the Arlonais-''I
know it from afar Inever cared to
go near it. There are strange tales
current about the nasty place
"Well, it is my wish, without telling
any one of the understanding between
US, you shoull go tonight at nine o.
clock, and that you should lie in that
sepulchre.'
'What, in that den Of witchcraft =
What a fancy!' "And that you should
remain there motionless until mid
night
"But, Gertrude, what are you think
ing of? For what object p
"Why, you show the white feather
already You may say it is a whim, a
fancy; well, let it be so. / have my
ideas, wish to prove you. If you do
as ] bid you, I shall be satisfied : and if
you remain from nine till twelve, my
heart is yours. Refuse, and / wed an
other
GILES, taken aback by The decided
tone of the young girl, had no alterna-
tive but to submit It was in vain that
he passed over in his mind the ghosts
that had been seen in the neighborhood
ofthe sepulchre, the witches who had
been watched manufacturing their ur-
gents and charms at the very spot, and
the sabbathi that were occasioally held
there. Although GILES was any thing
but courageous, still he was so much in
love that he accepted the terms, and
promised to fulfil them without saying
any thing about them to any one.-
Perhaps he comforted himselfby think
ing that, if groups of sinister-looking
and grotesquely dressed personages