The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1870-06-02
- ST. CLOUD, MINNESOTA, THURSDAY JUNE 1870

chat, De T,ey did notsg get of the box
but was buttoning up his cost and pre
paring Ito goson. sGood.by," sale
Catharine Beanish,: snd then the car
riage set off again. The horses ven
with asadden swiltness, sad. presentll
they came insight Of = brown sea tess
ing iereely in the twilight Trsc,
stood up upon the box, and tried t
mako out something Of the boat, bu|
the wind blew his hat off into the cal
riage, snd he could see nothing. Tht
wind: had changed since the morning
aud was now blowing in fierce gust.
from the northwest. They passed thi
wayside cross, upon which tho vel
garlands were swinging to and fro /; the
wet was dripping upon the stony steps
the mists were thiokening behind. it
Catharine could hardly believe that this
was the suusbiny place where she had
parted from her husband in the morn.
ing. Then they passed the church,
and the dark:lookiug gates of the pres.
bytery, over which the. bushy branches
we're swicging and creaking; and then
they came at last to Lefebvre's cottage,
which stood by itself at some little dis
lance from the street. Here Jean
pulled up, but no one seemed to be
there. There was the sound of an in
fant's voice screaming within, and at
last two or three little frightened chill
dren came crowding round the door,
and peeped out and ran away. stills
sont ale voire,'' one little girl said at
last; and the. countess was gone too,
she told them, in reply to Catharine's
questions. .:.;::. a.. II
- The rain fell with soaking force.
The child inside the cottage went on
crying in piercing sad tones, forlorn,
helpless, deserted. Jean looked IN.
'It is on the floor, poor little WRETCH"
he said.
"Please let me OUT" Catharine cried
suddenly; "that poor little baby! I
know it. Twill wait here for Madame
de Tracy, if you will tell my husband
where I am, and ask him to come for
me presently"
'"Had We not better take you home,"
said Jean; chow will you get back ?''
"Oh, Charles does not mind the rain;
it is very little way" Catharine
said. II must stay with these chill
;dren." =
The two young men turned aud walk
cd away, with the empty carriage fol-
lowing, as Catharine disappeared into
the cottage. She took the wailiug
child into her arms, and throwing a few
branches Of COLA upon the fire, she sat
down upon a low stool, and tried to
warm it and comfort it by the blaze.
1t was long, dark room, with the
usual oaken cupboard and the deep
chimney Of those parts, like the chin
neys in our own cottages. The wind
shook the windowpanes, and the slant
rain struck against it as it fell; the fire
seemed to make a melancholy and fitful
glare, every now and then lighting up
a little plaster statuette of the Virgin,
ornameuted with a tiny garland Of arti-
fetal flowers. The kitchen was in con-
fusion; chairs pushed about, the spin
ning-shuttle lying on the floor. Catha-
rine noticed it all when her eyes grew
accustomed to the darkness for little
light came from the window, aud she
had asked the children to close the
door. They were standing round her
now, staring in smazement. One OF
them who had not seen her before
thought it was, perhaps, lady from
heaven who had come to quiet the
baby. As she hushed the walling
baby, she had taken of her bonnet,
and her sweet little dark head was bent
thoughtfully as one thing after another
very lar away from the cottage came
into her mind. Every now and then
the baby gave little appealing moan
but after time it dropped off to sleer
in the. folds of the cashmere shawl
Nov and then Catharine would think
she heard a step, and imagine it might
be Fontaine coming to fetch her; bu|
no one came fox very long time-s;
at least it; seemed, to her. ...,.-, 49,.
When the door did open At last i
was old Nanon who appeared, slovl,
hobbling in from the storm outside, and
starting and blinking with her odd
bloodshot eyes. "A little rush Of alec
seemedeto burstkin with her,, and th'
baby set up I. fresh meaning. oTh''
old woman did not seem surprised 4
see Catharine there. {: 80 .er., ri
81 came back to look to the chil
dren," she said. "If I had known 20,
we're here I should have staid down be
low They can't get the boat roun'
the point. "Isabeau has gone to ath
Chapel Of our Lady to pray for thei
safety. That child wants food" Ani
going to . cupboard, she poured som
milk into cup, and gave it TO thebab!
The other children clamored round he
but Nanon pushed them away. The
} she pulled the wheel With tremblin
haste up to the fire, and began to spi
as il from habit, mumbling and lookin
a. ~. doo. ttTEav iii hrinpxI