The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1878-01-19

never marry" Yet, seriously speaking, |
was afraid of Madame de Noriolis, and always
saw her head encircled with an aureole of my
aunt's red line. Charming, sensible, talented
and eight hundred acres within ring fence!
Escape for your safety if you will not marry.
And l always did escape; but this time re-
treat was impossible. lay extended on the
turf, covered with sand, my hair in disorder,
my clothes in tatters, and my leg stiff.
'What are you doing here ?'' inquired Mad
anne de Noriolis. ''What has happened?"
L candidly confessed that I had been
thrown.
''But you are not much hurt?"
'No; but have put something out in my
leg-nothing serious, am sure"
you this trick?'
pointed out Brutus who was quietly graz
ing upon the shoots of the broom.
''How! it is him the good horsel He has
amply repaid his wrong, as will relate to
you later. But you must go home directly"
"How? l cannot move a STEP"
''But l am going home at the risk of COM
promising you"
And calling her little groom, Bob, she led
me gently by one arm, while Bob took the
other, and made me get into her carriage.
Five minutes afterward we were moving in
the direction of La Roche large, she holding
the rens and driving the pony with light
hand; l looking at her, confused, embarrassed,
stupid, ridiculous. Bob was charged to lead
back Brutus.
Extend your leg quite straight" said Mad
anne de Norolis," "and will drive you very
gently to avoid j0lting." When she sa W me
comfortably installed, 'Tell me-" she said,
how you were thrown and will explain how
l came to your assistance"
l began my story, but when spoke of the
efforts of Brutus to unseat me after the two
shots, 81 understand it ALL" she exclaimed
you have bought the trumpeter's horse.''
"The trumpeter's horse?"
eyes, that explains il ALL You have seen
many scenes in the Cirque de PImperatrice,
the performance of the trumpetet's horse. A
Chasseur d. Antique enters the arena upon
gray horse; then come the Arabs, who fire
upon him and he is wounded and falls; and
as you did not fall, the horse, indignant at
your not performing your part in the piece,
threw you down. What did he do next?'
1 related the little attempt of Brutus to
bury me.
EXACTLY like the trUmpeter's horse. He
sees his master wounded; but the Arabs NAV
return and kill him, so what does the horse
do? He buries him and gallops off, carrying
away the colors that they may not fall into
the hands of the Arabs"
"That is my hat which Brutus carried off,"
"Precisely. He goes to fetch the vivandiere
the vivandiere of to-day being your humble
servant, the Countess de Noriolis. Your
great gray horse galloped into my courtyard,
where l was standing on the doorsteps, put
ting on my gloves and ready to get into my
carriage. My groom, seeing horse saddled
and brdled, with hat In his mouth and
without rider, tried to catch him: but he
escapes their pursuit, goes straight up to the
steps and kneels before me. The men again
try tip capture him, but he gallops off, stops at
the gate, turns round and looks at me, felt
sure he was calling me, so jumped into my
carriage and set off. The horse darts through
roads not always adapted for carriages; but
follow him and arrive where I find you.''
AT the moment Madame de Noriolis had
finished these words the carriage received
fearful Jolt, and we saw in the air the head of
Brutus who was standing erect on his hind
legs behind us. Seeing the little back seat
of the carriage untenanted he had taken the
opportunity of giving us another specimen of
his talents, by executing the most brilliant OF
all his circus performances. He had placed
his fore feet upon the back seat of the little
carriage, ard was TRANQUILITY continuing his
route trotting upon his hind legs alone, Bob
striving in vain to replace him upon four.
Madame de Noriolis was so frightened she
let the reins escape from her hands and sank
fainting in my arms. With my left hand. 1
recovered the reins, with my right arm l sup
ported Madame de Noriolis, my leg all the
time causing me most frightfal torture.
Ia this manner Madame de Noriolis made
her first entry into La Roche large. When
she returned there six weeks later she had
become my wife.
"Such, indeed is life,' she exclaimed.
"This, would never have come to pass if you
had not bought the trumpeter's horse. "-Lon-
don SOcietn.