The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1875-12-26

tive soil
Thonhc took hor hand and held it to hi-
liu- i'm pprfiule "G uuI-hV' ho sad. lie
k,s-,d the trembling hand. "Good-by,
nom
4 moment ntcr and Mrlcmoi-ollc
d'Etoilr was atone, Listening to the echo OF
li~ step as b" passed. beneath her hd,"lN
tO the cato. 60 l' she cried. pa.StOnntriN,
caspina her hands tightly together ' how
| hate 40 hear the footsteps of those love
going from me. when cnunot follow
Niron sat long time with her chm
drOppod into her palm tnusiug. Thcn she
went ~ her library, aud selecting Il certain
big book, opened h at certain pare. II
held n mp of England. infinltesmal. hut
complete. NInOn, with her hugcr, traced
u route from the coast inland to- certain
shire.
otis not very far from the coast, " she
murmurcd. She pushed away the book,
and sat lost in thought again.
How different are the skies Of France
and England; they seem to he separate
patches, curtanlug separate countries On
n certain dav, for instance IN our voyagel,
when crowded excursion steamer left
the French harbor, il left blue skies soft
summer airs and mellow warmth behind
II. When II, across the channel slid slowly
up alongside the English pier, dark, lower
ing clouds were dtscharging mist So chill
that everybody shivcred and turned blue.
Among the crowd of cheap British tour
lists who landed was n young French girl,
who seemed to he ali alone aud who
glanced with timid, shrinking looks about
ncr. She had pretty dark Norman iea-
lures. aud dark, piqtiant eyes, frlngcd with
curled lashVs that rose and fell rs she shot
those frightened. quick chances about.
She trpped up the landing, her little
high-hcclcd boots clicking mu-iCallN rs
they flashed from beneath her sllsh,d
hlack-1ud-CrImsOu skirt. Her raVishing
little Vaudykc bodice was burdercd with
heavy gold fringe, that clnshcd mcirllN
when she moved. and the broau ribbon OF
u guitar was passed over her neck. She
looked 10 he music pcrsonhcd, gliding
with little light feet up that NOISY, diuny,
rainy per
When She had separated herself II little
from the thirkc-t of the crow she paused.
She looked around upon her late cuInpau-
ions, then, with u demuic smile ON her
pretty lips. she raised her guitar, touched
tho strings, aud began to sing tender pa
thctic. old norman love SONG, III Il f. sh.
sweet glrlish voice.
IL was a siglit sufficient To draw crowd
in amy thuruughlarc, TIL. slim igttrc of a
girl. mif-timid, half-fcaIirs-, pretty, pa-
thciic with her youth and hclples,ncss,
singing quaint old love song M Il voice
fr sh and clear rs the dew aud huttcrcups
of May. The crowd looked and grew
drnscr.
The music triclllcd on. lmpid, sparkling,
brOuk-liltc. IN" little Whine lauis Il ishcd
over tn siriug.; the gold fl ne Of her
bodice spanked; her short, crimson skirts
iiuttcr,d on the air, together with the
long. waVy tress,s OF yellow hair, that fen
thickly from underneath her COQucttl-h
cap.
There was nothing but the sweetness
ana freshness OF her gtlilVless, uui,arIug
youth about her; Innocence smiled ca her
lips and Spdrkicd IN her eyes. but II could
not protect her from the lnsulencc OF "A
iough loud, Jot ring crowd. Silent nj FIRST
through sheer auIaZrmcnt, the louugcrs
about her grow. by and by, less respect
| iul. One or two coarse jokes were Ncn-
! turcd, which, being in English, Fortunate
! ~ conveyed no meaning t. her pure ears.
| She had finished her song, and " A. touch
| Ing the guitar strings to a pldintIvc closing
| strl.n, when, of n sudden, the tioubadOur
/ felt a cuar-' hand CrIwuug around her
| waist Il rough. bearded lace WAS ctOst To
! hers, the Odurs OF stale beer and tobacco
sckcncd and ovcicamc her and III mo-
| mcut more, urged on 10y his companions,
| The ruihln was begging for 4 kiss.
With "A shuIdcr she ificd To spring away
| from the coarse grasp that held her. Wmtc
ana terrified. feeling herself lost, shc hcld
| up her hands TO shlcld her face, aud cried
! cut one or two gi>piug 'uttnces IN French.
| The crowd. hearing tue foreign language,
only jecrcd the more. "Don't understand
amy of that ouilandish gibbcish," per
sisted her chief tOrmeutOr-a big. ici-
! headed Cockncy. You must speak piilu
| Engi "a, my darling, II you want me 10
/ listen. Come, now
And then. before he could finish the
| sentence, the wretch was caught 10y Il
| strong hnnd and Hung backward, while
! the little miuuc-singer, sustained and up
| held by the same protecting arm WINCH
| had 80 mugiClly come to her assistance.
WA borne OF RAPIDLY up tho LANDING, out
of slght ana hearing Of her assailauts.
"Ihc brute, What Il PITY that one
/ can't punish them COrpOrcally treat them
10 rough nOs-hg, Ike untuly BOYS at
! school. lherr, Nuu are quite sitic now,
ma lrmoi~clle. | hope you have sustained
! 10 serious injuii =.
rms brave champion, who had arrived so
| OPPORTUNITY on the scene, spoke IN French,
/ VA Oh he InstiuCtIVciy felt was the girls
/ native language. He COOK oil his cap and
4 lJOked-au expression OF puzzled, bailied
/ wonder dawnlug meauwnue III his hand
/ some blue cy,s-nto her lace. The pref y
/ trouhadOur, 50 quickly II all had happened,
hardly realized that sine was saved. She
stood, pale and sasping, trembling from
/ head to foot. But tins ntw voice, The
words spoken in French, the respectful aud
sulcItou' accent, acted like IA charm on
/ her qulNcrlng nerves.
30, " she gaSped, chow much l thank
you for coming! felt my ,eIf lost, sinHing
| down, down, IN darkness. Ali"
suddenly, as she was speaking, she looked
into her deliyerers face. she started away
from him, cried out II quick cXclamation-
frightened, wondering. amused, all together
and, covering BAGS, h. Id up her hands
rs II she would shield her own features
I from the young lnau's slgnt
You are faInt. Shal | get you some
water hc asked, mislakIug her gestures
amt thinking Snc had not fully recovered
/ from the $40 OF hcr late peril.
500, no. | am better. shall be
better soon. o. how can / thank Nou
enough tor what yOu have done; Iou are
very brave ana kind, Monsieur, ana tn-
poor sIugIu- girl thank. you.
Tuc lItIe trOubadUur's head dropped rs
she sad ms; Dut with Ter solt, tcar-Wct
dark eyes She TREMENDOUSLY surveyed her
companion large ana strong ngure. That
figure looked very blave ami handsome IN
H. dress of an officer 81 the guards, but her
| eyes never once were liltcd above the gay,
/ scarlet COat-neVcr once, They seemed 10
shrink from resting on his face, perhaps
from maiden modcsty. Her gullar mean
while, forgotten IN her fright, hung sus-
p, nded by its broad, CRIMSON ribbon from
/ hcI ueCk h, She had not DOtlCcd THAT TWO of
It's strings were snapped.
There VIII literally be broken chord
/ IN your music now said the young officer.
smiling. lie pointed 10 the broken stI1ugs
" Ah.' cried enc little roubadOur plly-
| ingly. she caught up ..cr precious gui,ar,
looking ready To cry again, and rjacuiat-
ing, fOndird 1t with caressIng touches of
her slender hands. AN! monsieur, was
IL not wicked Of tncm TO do thisf My poor
little EtItIr!' She pulled NJ the stiiugs
non! but il was wicked and she All but