The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1870-06-02
!. = g., ..''a,,' = - =. = -
VILLAGE 7, 0NTHE GLIFF'.
-.
II H e
BY MISS THACKERAY.

~------- ~----:--- - ---- -- 90 Il,
.-,.... -, CHAPTER XIX, ;.
FokTA1NE TO THE RESCUE.
In the absence Of: his wife, poor .Fon.
taine had been making mischief At
home; he had let ont Dicks secret to
Madame de Tracy, Who happened to
meet him as be was coming out Of the
cures house With his paperas,es, as be
called them in his hands. She. had
been transacting some business with
the lace makers at the end 0: the vii.
lage, and had walked home with him,
talking of one. thing and another, little
thinking as sbe went along that this
was the last Of their many gossips.
Madame be Tracy listened with interest
to Foutaine, who was speaking Of his
wife, and saying how happy he was,
how good she was, how charmingly she
bore with the small pcouliarities of a
tender and excellent, but oaer-anxious
and particular mother.
"My nephew told me that ho was
afraid Madame Merard had taken a
great dislike to him." said the countess,
laughing. IL know she Is little diff:
ficult at times"
'She is aperson Of great experience y
said Fontaine, "and one can not blame
her, madame, for feeling that in a usual
way the acquaintance Of an elegant
young man Of the world is not desirable
for a young wife in Cataarine's posi-
tion.; She might be tempted to draw
comparisons-but Of course, under the
circumstances Butler is en-
gagged" and here poor Fontaiue sud-
denly stopped short and looked Madame
de Tracy in tho face "You did
not know it," he said; "1 have forgot
ten myselt-madame, l entreat you to
ask no more-let my words be buried
in oblivion" :
He might have known that Madame
de Tracy, Of ali the people in the world,
was the last person to comply with
such request. She asked a hundred
questions, she piled him in every way.
She never rested for ono instant until
she finally extracted poor Reice's name
from her victim. Her next proceeding
was to rush off to the farm in state
Of indescribable agitation. Petitpere
was ploddipg about in company with
his friend Barbeau, the wisps Of straw
hanging from their wooden sabots
Together they poked the pigs, inspected
their barns, examined tho white horses
lame foot. Tho apparition Of the coun
tess took them ty surprise; but ole
Ch,etien courteously replied to al
Madame dc Tracy's agitated questions
Reiue was absent; she would return
next day-offered her refreshments, .
little bread and butter after her walk; ,
little milk k-would she not rest? sh'
Was tired, would she not permit him t
send her home on Annette, who shoul'
|. be instantly saddled'? for the weathe
vas threatening, and Is he spoke tn
storm which Fontaine had predicte'
broke. So Madame do Tracy had t
wait for shelter At the farm, and mean
while the little party Of excursionist
had not yet reached home. The ca,
riage was waiting at tho STATEN, and .
they passed through the streets Bayea
looked black, and then again suddenl
lighted BY CLEANS from the setting sui
the window-panes blazedhere and ther
drops Of rain began to fall, and pre-
emily clouds came spreading and hid i
the pale gold, and the rain began
pour upon the roads and hedges, I
the stunted fruit-trees, upon tho vii
fields wh1ch spread to the sea and sot
the mists came creeping up, aud h
the distant glimpses of the sea aud Il
hills. ,< -,
! They were all tired and silent, al
:spoke little on the way back. Raptis
was sanding at the door Of the ohate'
when the carriage drove up throul
the gusts Of rain. "Nadame has !
yet returned from the village" he ea
"She has sent a message; she wisl
the carnage to 60 for her to Lefebvr
. cottage. The poor wife is in gr'
! trouble; he has not yet return
They say the boat has been seen m.
: ing tor the port"
. "Ah! poor woman !" said NADIA
: Fontaine, with an ache in her he,
= a sudden gust Of wind atdlrain q
!. blowing 10 her face, and Baptiste st
= gered under the great umbrella wh
II he WAS holding over Mn. Beamish
g shs alighted. ...
Dick Had got dowa too. but.he spr
& into TIE carIiag sgain when he 10