Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1880-02-20

Monsieur Philippe pauses abruptly and
turns away his head from u.s. Rollie, the
tender hearted fellow, chokes down a sob or
two, while from my own eyes can scarcely
keep back the tears at the conclusion of the
old Frenchmans story Neither Of us says
anything, however, and for n moment there
is silence on the part of all, while family up
the valley comes the whir of the factories be
low. AT last Monsieur Philippe turns toward
us.
"But it is l that nm forgetting" he ex-
claims, THAT it grows late, and we have yet
the walk to Wire before us. Shall we not be
returning?" he asks and 80 we turn our
steps toward the town.
The sun is sending his rays Flautingly
across the valley as we return, and from the
numerous factories the workmen are begin
ming TO come out to their homes. The rush
Of the river is pleasant to listen TO, and the
bells of the church of Notre Dame are ring
ing musically. Monsieur Philippe is con
ducting us homewards by a different route
than the one by which we had come, and as
we approach the town we pass many pictur-
esque old houses, often covered with climb
ing vines and having the windows filed with
myrtles and geraniums The street 10y which
we enter the town is called the Rue des Tein-
turiers, NJ. Philippe tells us, and the name,
street of the Dyers," is most appropriate
for at our right the Wire, much wider here
than at Oliver Basselin's mills, is bordered by
constant succession of dyers' sheds in the
yards about which are endless lengths of blue
cloth drying on poles or soaking in tanks Of
water. On the other side OF the street are
old stone houses with successive stories over
hanging each other and crowned with carved
gables and high-peaked dormers Now and
then our guide points out particularly curl
Gus old house to our notice, or bids us OBJ
serve charming shadow effect among the
gables
''You should have been au artist instead of
notary, NJ. Philippe" says Rollie, after
some remark of this kind from our guide
who has grown cheerful again by this time.
but no, monsieur" he responds, 1T is
best as it is. / have not the skill of the paint
er. | am quite sure"
At last Monsieur Philippe turns down
narrow side street that is lined with shops,
and after we have passed through it and have
turned another corner we are near the Tour
dIIorloge and close 10y the home Of the no.
tary.
GLOW can we thank Won sufficiently Mon
seur Philippe ?" we saw as we stand before
his door. ''for YOU know we have taken up
all Of your afternoon and given YOU long
walk beside"
'.Do not mention thanks, mad emoiselle."
SAYS the polite Old man as he lttS his nat,
the afternoon has been one Of much pleas
ure to me. and il is that am the debtor of
mademoiselle and the young monsieur. most
assuredly." he concludes. and refuses courte-
ou,lv to see the matter in any other light.
So we bid our charming old guide bon sOir
and 20 on toward the Hotel St. Pierre, but
b, fore we 90 Rollie presses on the notarys
acceptance n little gold pencil that he has in
his pocket.
"Wout YOU take this lust to keep us in
memory, Monsieur Philippe z" he pleads
when the other demurs 1T will bring to
mind His uleasant afternoon. YOU know
and so the notary at last Yields and accepts
the little Gift AS n token of remembrance. and
we leave him standing on his steps looking
after us.
As my nephew and are sitting in the
salon of the Hotel St. Pierre that evening.
servant ushers in Madame Louchaud, who
appears To have donned in our horror an even
taller Bonnet rond than We had seen her wear
ing some hours previously | beg her to be
seated. and after she La, Introduced herself,
she inquiries if We succeeded in finding the
house of Oliver Basselin
"Oh, yes, Madame Louchaud," l reply,
and We are greatly obliged to you for intro
ducing us to so pleasant and entertaining q
guide rs Monsieur Philippe proved to be-"
I I
is he that knows moro about Wire than almost
any one else in the town, aud WAS sure he
would be glad to show you where you want
cd to 90. Did he talk of anything but Wire
on the way Z" she inquired after n slight
pause in which she smooths down her ker-
chief with her right forefuger
"Yes," answer; beside many stories of
the Vaux de Wire he gave us an account Of
that very sad incident Of his carly life 1t
must have been terrible thing for him to
witness" add, "and do not wonder at the
evident gloom it seems to have cast over his
life"
Monsieur Philippe is very fond Of telling
that story" Madame Louchaud replies, but
it is seldom now that he has a new listener
He told you, did he not that Elise Ri gaut
was my sister Z" she questions further.
l nod my head in reply
so l thought likely" is her response
Listen, madomoselle my name before my
marriage WAS Rignaut, it is true, but then |
never had sister Elise"
How can that bel" l am beginning, but
the Viroise goes on
Thus it is madt moiselle When Philippe
Bessin was but young man of twenty he
was once very i'll. tho result of a fall he had
from one of the windows Of the castle to the
ground, some twenty feet below When he
recovered he was never aftorward the same
as before, but was full Of strange notions
Nademoisello may have known of such things
in her own country, it is likely. After time
many of these odd ideas of his left him, but
to one he has always chung, and though he is
now quite like other people in everything
else, in this one thing he is us a child who
thinks what he imapines is true. The story,
then, that Monsieur Philippe told you to-day
is my friends weakness. 10 him it is all as
real as the town of Wire itself; but we know
the story to be fancy merely, and the result
of the terrible fall he had when we were both
Young :" and Madame Louchaud sighs as she
concindas her sent.nca