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

and ran back few steps; then, fas-
cinated ey terror, she stopped and
fixed her great dilated ewes on the
dreaded animals.
Il was Just at the moment when
her strength seemed falling that the
huge creatures, startled perhaps by
the Watchdog behind them, broke
into a run and came dashing on.
Surely surely destruction was certain
now. The little trOubadOur cIasped
her hands IN helpless petition her
limits grew weaker her eyes closed
like the portals of lily, and she sunk
down. Yet as she sunk, dimly
through her swimming senses she felt
that deiyeranee was approaching.
She heard the thunder OF hDOfs as a
hOrseman galloDed up the highway
beaiuu her. Nearer he came The
kneeling girl did not stir A.; she dared
not. The hOrseman bracsd himself
for action. Leaning forward and
stretching out his arm, he swooped
the little helpless figure up as he pass
ed, and, swinging her to the saddle in
front, flew like lightning on his way.
As he drew rein under the elms by
/ the riverside he saw that the girl was
in dead faint.
! When the little troubadOur opened
her eyes she found herself lying along
the turf, with her head supported on
somebody's arm. Water from a wet
| handkerchief on her forehead was
I trickling down her face. An what
had happened ? She tried to rise.
She pat up her hand. The wig of
glossy golden curls was displaced and
flung disdainfully to one side. and her
own luXuriant abundance Of soft
brOnZs-brOwn wavy tresses were
streaming in unbound beauty on her
neck and bosom. She started ~ con-
fusedly, gave one look into her de-
| liyerer's grave face, and then she sunk
down again.
"Henrl Monsieur Bertram ~ she
stammered.
"AhI NinOn, l have found you
again. You are better now ,"
He helped her to a sitting posture
! Why was his face so grave i? She
struggled up from his arms.
"You know me, then L? / am dis
covered ~ she said, humbly and
her thoughts flew back to that other
day when she first stepped on English
soil-to the broken glitar-strings,
and the peril from which ne had Just
| then rescued her.
al suspected you that other day."
| he answered, "but was not quite GER
tain. There were times when / was
sure twas you, and then the next
moment said to myself was 4 fool
| for thinking of such a thing But
what does it all mean-this masguer-
ade and disguise? ? Why are you here
alone ?n
Lietenant Bertram, as he asked
these questions, looked ut the little
trOubadOr gravely. He remembered
the beautiful maTquise whom he had
left in Normandy. He recalled her
wealth, her position. He thought of
her luXuriant suTrOundings-her tiny
satin-lined nest of a bOudOir pictured
and perflmed-where she had tOyed
with her guitar aud sung to him like
q bird in its bower.
"Why are you here thus, alone ?"
he asked again.
"Why ?' The little song birds pale
face flushed gniItily as she thought to
herself truly, "Why ?" Simply for
love of him
''I thought to earn my bread thus"
she stammered. "I had my voice
my one poor gift OF music. Why
should not make it serve me ?"
"But, MademOiselle d'Etoile ~ in
terrupted the lover, astounded-
mo, Henri ; not Mademoiselle
d'E.oile any more" she cried, i'm
patiently. She was vexed, tired,
mortified. She hal hard work to
keep back her tears. She was ready
to renounce the whole world now
everybody-everytEing-was so stu
pid. Add he would not understand.
o! why was he SO blind ?-why
could he not see?
81 am only poor little singing
girl now" she cried, starting up,
proudly determined. al shall never
be Madame ls Marquis again.
Henri's face frightened. Her
words innocent'y deceived him.
This was no vulgar freak, then-nO
bold caprice. He recalled what she
told him that day in Normandy, of
the cousin who might return one day
and reclaim his hereditary wealth.
And so he had come-sO soon ! And
how nobIy this fragile, untaught girl
had acted, thus taking the burden of
life into her own delicate hands.
Henri took one OF those tiny sun
hauuo III Ills wv
"Dear Ninon, at least, if you can
not be Madame la Marqulse d'EtoiIe
any longer, you will be NV wife and
mistress of Bartram Court" And
then, after he had said that, breeze
and tird and woodland water sung
the old tender tune of youth and hap
piness tOgether-lOve, love, love
IT'S beautiful tune, easily learned
they say.
'But would you marry me thus, in
this dress-the poor little troubadOr ?'
she asked, by and by. "And my
poor faithful guitar, too ?"
"Would not marry you in that
dress far more proudly than in any
other ?" was his happy answer.
She looked at him with eyes full of
pride and exultatiOn. All that was
where the full pathOs of the situation
revealed itself. To be welded like
this-fOr love, pure love. All, love
she chirped out like bird.
"You could not kiss me with such a
smile as that if you were deceiving
me.n he said. "Put your hand in
mine, Ninon, and swear that no dis.
grace lies behind this masquerade of
yours"
She put her hand unheSitatinglY IN
his. "Fnere is no disgrace. l swear
it by my love for you, Henri"
And so in due time they were mar
ried. They have two homes now
one in Normandy and one in Eng-
land, where NinOn is the happy mis-
tress OF Bertram Court. But | think
their children love the old chateau,
the white-cspped peasants, and the
apple orchards of st. LO best. They
loye to drink the yellow cider gush-
ing from the old wooden presses, and
say that it is more to their taste than
English ale. And, for my part, l
agree with them, for I, too, love