The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1876-01-06

had thrown off displeased she did
not resist the touch of his hand she
sung, with a dOwncast face, q simple
Provencal air. Then she put tile gui-
tar away
al cannot sing to-day" she said ;
81 am not i'm the mOod-aBd at such
times music comes hard to me-"
Yet what she did sipg was beauti-
luI, both in words and execution. The
young marquise possessed wonder
fully sweet and sympathetic voice.
Henri paid her the stereOtyped COM
pliments of society TO beauty; then
he added a word of his own in sincere
thanks.
'You have the true musicians art
Of putting yourself en- rapport with
your hearers,n he said, nIf y0u
were Obliged, by stress of fortune, to
make song your profession, you would
soon win sll the laurels fame has
stored up in her treasure for future as
pirants."
HTIl try some day." cried Niuon,
ioyOusly. "Then, Monsieur Henri, be
on your guard. shall speedily ascer-
tain then how many OF these fine So
ciety compliments are sincere, if the
number paid to the marqlise in her
salon falls off when wasted on the
professional singing-gir in the con-
cert-rOom."
twill yOn come to England and
test us ." retOrted the young officer
gravely.
He took up his hat and stepped to-
ward her, a. if to say adieu. She in
voluntarily made little quick inn
DuIsiye gesture of regret
EAh is it time 2" she murmured.
The violets in her belt fell to the floor.
He gathered them carefully up and
restored them TO her.
"Will you give me a flower, Min
on ?D he asked softly.
NinOn held 4 violet out to him,
without speaking, but her lips quiv-
cred. Her fingers touched his, and
she threw her hand back burning
! from the contact.
"You asked me little time ago."
said the young man gravely, as be
put the flower safely away, 'if we had
violets in England. Sometimes We
are fortunate enough to be permitted
to transplant them from France, and
| then / think they strike down deep9
roots, and blossom into richer, love-
lier color than in their own native
soil.
Then he took her hand and held it
to his lips in parting.
"Good-by,n he said. He kissed the
trembling hand. "Good-by, Ninon-
mn NiEon I" he added to himself.
A moment later, and MademOiselle
d'Etoile was alone, listening to- the
echo OF his steps as he passed beneath
1, LII bn 70 Efn w che
cried passionately, clsspiug her hands
tightly together, show | hate to hear
the footsteps of those / love going
from me, 1Ohen 1 cannot JoVo'0."
Ninon sat a long time with her
chin dropped into her palm, musing.
Then she went to her library, and,
selecting a certain big book, opened It
at certain page. 1t held a map of
England, infinitesimal, but complete.
Ninon, with her finger, traced route
| from the coast inland to n certain
shire.
at is not very far from the coast"
she murmured, She pushed away
the book, and sat lost in thought
again.
How different are the skies of
France and England they seem to
be separate patches, containing sepa-
rate countries. On certain day, for
instance lin our vOyage), when a
crowded excursion steamer left the
French harbor, it left blue skies, soft
summer airs, and mellow warmth be-
hind it. When it, across the channel,
slid slowly up alongside the English
pier. dark, lowering clouds were dis
charging a mist so chill that every
| or,1 ialnn
Among the crowd of cheap British
tourists who landed was a young
French girl, who seemed to be all
alone, and who glanced with timid,
shrinking looks about her. She had
pretty dark Norman features, and
dark, piquant eyes, fringed with curl
ed lashes that rose aud fell as she
shot those frightened, quick glances
about.
She tripped up the landing, her lit
| tie high-heeled boots clicking music
ally as they flashed from beneath her
slashed black and crimson skirt. Her
ravisning little vandyke bodice was
bordered with a heavy gold fringe,
that clashed merrily when she moved
and the broad ribbon of guitar was
passed over her neck. She looked to
be music personifief, gliding with light
feet up that noisy, Gingy, rainy pier.
When she had separated herself a
little from the thickest of the crowd
she paused. She looked around upon
her late companions, then with a
demure smile on her pretty lips she
raised her guitar, touched the strings,
and began to sing tender, pathetic
old Norman love song, in a fresh,
sweet. girlish voice.
1t was a sight sufficient to draw
crowd in any thoroughfare, this slim
figure of q girl, half timid, half fear
less, pretty, pathetic with her youth
and heIplessness, singing a quaint old
love song in a voice fresh and clear as
the dew and buttercups of May. The
crowd looked and grew denser.
The music trickled on, limpid,
sparkling, brook-like. The little white
hands flashed over the strings the
gold fringe of her bodice sparkled I;
her short crimson skirts fluttered on
the air, together with the long wavy
tresses of yellow hair, that fell thick
ly from underneath her cCquettish
cap.
There was nothing bnt the sweet
ness and freshness of her guileless,
unfearing youth about her Innocence
smiled on her lips and sparkled in her
eyes, but it could not protect her from
the insolence of a rough, loud jearing
crowd. Silent at first through sheer
anaZement, the loungers about her
grew by and by less respectful. One
or two coarse Jokes were Yentured.
which, being in English, fortunately
conveyed no meaning to her pure
ears. She had finished her song, and
. was touching the guitar-strings to a
, plaintiye closing strain, when of q
sudden the troubadour felt a coarse
hand crawling round her waist a
T rough bearded face was close to her,
. the cdOrs of stale beer and tobacco
sickened and overcame her, and in a
moment more, urged on by his CON-
, panions, the ruffian was begging for a
I kiss.
With a shudder she tried to spring
from the coarse grasp that held her.
White and terrified, feeling herself
lost, she held up her hands :. to shield
. her face, and cried out one or two
gasping sentences in French. The
crowd, hearing the foreign language
: only jeered the more.
"Don't understand any of that out
! landish gibberish," persisted hel
chief tormentOr-a big red-headeC
eockney. "You must speak plaiT
; English, my darling, if you want mt
to listen. Come, now"
/, And then, before he could finish hi
: sentence, the wretch was caught by /;
: strong hand and flung backward
4 while the little aliTaneSiRgeT, sustained
/ and upheld by this same proteetin!
\ arm which had so magieally come t.
Q her assistance, was borne off rapidly
up the landing, out OF sight AM
e hearing of her sssilants.
d "The brutes What pity that on
can't punish them corporeally-trea
d them to rough flogging, like unrul,
10 boys at school. There, you are quit
y safe now, mademoiselle. / hope Vol
Ir have sustained no serious injuries.n
g This brave champion, who had ar
rived so OPPORTUNITY on the scene
l. spoke in French, which he instinc
it lively felt was the girls native Ian
guage. He took off his cap AM
ar lo0Rad-an avnraoainn nj nu1zIad