The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1880-12-04

er bit of bread and a raw onion. She
seated herself on the edge of the ravine
and thought about Raphael as she
munched her nuts. Below. this path
traversed the ravine and climbed the
opposite slope TO the wall of pretty
villa, one of the houses occupied for the
winter by rich strangers Gita looked
at the villa, with its window shaded by
lace curtains, balconies and terraces,
where orange-trees were covered with
little golden balls of fruit.
I" If / were rich like that l would have
soup every day, sometimes made of
pumpkin and sometimes with macaroni
in il" she thought.
Then she turned over stone with her
heavy shoe and it rolled down the hill.
Gita uttered cry. The stone had cov-
cred hole at the root of the olive-tree
where she sat, far away from the other
workers. In the hole she saw green
frog; she dropped on her knees to look
at it more closely. Yes, it was a green
frog. How did it come there? She
touched it with her fingers; the frog did
not move or croak. Then she took it
out carefully. The frog was one of
those pasteboard boxes which appear
each year in the shop windows of Paris
for Easter presents, in company with
fish, Holsters and shells.
Gita raised the lid. Inside were bank
bills and a lizard. She knew lizards very
well; they were always whisking over
the stone walls; but then those were of
a sober brown tint, while this one was
white until she lifted it, when it sparkled
like dewdrop. The lizard was an or
nament made of diamonds. Gita held
her breath and closed her eyes. She
believed herself asleep. Soon she rose,
took the box in her hand and crossing
the ravine began to climb the path to
the villa above.
As she reached the door a pony-car-
riage drove up. A big servant with
many buttons on his coat told her to 90
away. Gita paused, holding the box.
The pale lady in the carriage, who was
wrapped in furs, motioned her to APP
proach. Quickly the girl ran forward
and held out the frog.
"Ifound it in hole at the foot of the
olive tree" she explained. at must
belong to this house."
The lady took the box and opened it,
emptying the contents on her lap.
There lay the diamond lizard and the
roll of French bank notes.
"You see that Pierre was dishonest
servant, although nothing was found on
him." said the lady to those about her.
:" He must have hidden this box in the
olive grove to return from Nice later
and find it."
Gita listened with her mouth and
eyes wide open. The lady looked at
her and smiled.
"You are a good GIRL" she said.
Then she selected one of the bills and
gave it to Gita. 1t was a note of one
hundred francs.
"Now can marry Raphaelr' she
cried.
Raphael was standing beside grand
mothers chestnut-roaster when both
saw Gita running toward them, her
cheeks red and her eyes flashing like
stars. She had to tell all about the
frog, not only to them but to the neigh
bors. As for grandmother. she could
not hear the story often enough. When
she had been a lemon girl no such luck
had befallen her.
"Who would have thought of find
ing a wedding dowry in a frog?''
laughed Raphael.
Gita and Raphael are soon to be mar
ried in the yellow church on the hill.
The olive-pickers in the grove seek for
something beside the dark berries; they |
hope to find green frog under stone
money and diamond lizard;
put this will never again happen"
Virginia W. johnson. in Harper's Young
People.