The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1880-08-13
From Chamber Journal
AT TIE TROIS ETOILES.
CHAPTER |.

CHAPTER |.
Where am Ia 60? That Is the ques-
t"n. The doctor has ordered ME hrac-
Ing aIg and rest; and cannot quite make
NJ my mind where To 60 in search of
them. have been shut mp for some
time Ill sick room, nursing m old aunt
who Is now dead: and the confinement
and broken rest, which l did not feel ut
the time, are beginning Ia tell upon me.
am Glow and nervous-a very unu-
suAl state Of things with me-, and my
kind and CHEEKY doctor has percmptorily
desired me to "dy To other climes." II
don't much care where you go, he SAYS,
provided the climate is bracing, and
that You can lie great deal i'll the open
air. Go To bed early, sleep and eut and
,nnk well, and i'll n fortnight you will
he looking different woman" and he
departs, leaving me to solve the knOtty
point rs to the "where" hy myself.
Bracing air AMI rest" | repeat
mentally, Us / watch his figure disap-
pcaring down the garden walk. "Where
shall | find the combination? And
run over i'll my mind the names of differ
ent places where people usually go to
seek health: but | reject them all. One
~ tao gay; another, too cold; another,
too relaxing; others. too ugly, too far, or
too near. But memory has started on
lis travels, and III another moment has
hung ont Il picture before me, ut sight of
winch exclaim "The very place! /
will go Ia the Trois Etoiles at St. Pour
cain. | will rest; / will drink in de-
hclously bracing air, and | will sketch. I"
SO ring the bell, order my box to be
packed, and, III three days time, find my
self IA the coupC Of the numbering
diligence, toiling up the steep picturesque
streets Of the little Norman village,
which | have only seen once before. but
which | am destined now to know init
mately. 4 year ago | had been on II
sketching tour through Normandy with
friend am an artist in "a dilettante
ama'"urlsh sort of way-and We had
passed through this village. and been
much struck by its quaint beauty: but
We wcr" then hurrying home, and had
only time for peep, promising ourselves
that We would come again at some future
time, and make longer stay ut the little
inn whc'r we had found ourselves 80
comfortable during our brief sojouin.
am the only passenger for st. Pour
cam; so the cOnductcur deposits me and
my box at the Trois Etoiles, and with a
smile and BOnjOur ct JOHnc Santc,
m0dDntc," proceeds on his journey;
while | turn to the pleasant-looking
hostess, who has come forward to meet
me.
"Ah, how madame must be tired"
she exclaims. THAT diligence is of n
slowness-ah. cell, of sluwness! And
madame has been i'll, and demands re-
pose" Il had said 80 writing to engage
rooms. No. 4 is quite ready for madame
the chamber she occupied when she
and her 80 charming friend was here,
that Is now year. Aud what of good
ness on the part of madame to remember
herself Of the Trois Etoiles, and to come
here to seek for rest and pure air.
Everything shall he done TO insure
madame's comfort. Will madame give
herself the pain to mount to No. AZ"
Madame does give herself the pain,
and follows the voluble little woman,
talking all the way, into charming
room, fresh and bright as the hostess
herself. The vine-wreathed lattice
stands open, and on the table is a
bouquet of freshly-gathered flowers.
The bed furniture in as white rs the
driven snow; and the bright blue paper
on the WALL, and the gay clock and
vases of flowers on the mantle-piece, are
as refreshing to my eye as the COM
Portable armchair is to my tired boy.
"Madamc is quite exhausted" says
Madame Petit. "She must descend no
more tonight. What will madame take
before she rctires? Perhaps an Me
would refresh madame. and there is a
ydtdntinc of the most delicious, or the
wing of chicken"
| decline the tea, much to Madame
Petit's surprise; AIN an old traveller,
and know what straw colored infusion of
scented hay would he presented to me-
But | express my desire to test the cx-
celcncr of the !ydLdntinc, accompanied
lay coffee. And soon the table is spread
with ii snowy cloth, and / am making a
meal with much more appetite than
could have drcamt of three days ago.
Madame has not Overpraised the ydi0n-
NnC-made by her own tair hands; and
the coffee is-French coffee. The table
is drawn into the window, whence | can
look into the sunny little court yard, with
its gay flowers, its vine wreathed
windows, the lime tree, under which
stands a comfortable seat, and its pump,
the handle Of which seems never still for
moment. The chatter of Babette's
wooden shoes makes n pleasant click
clack aS she goes to and fro over the
stones between the kitchen and the
pump. The sinking sun sends level
ray through the open door, and see the
copper htcwpans shining and glinting
rIddily on the wall. A carved wooden
beam runs across it, dark with age; tall
Oakcm press stands in corner; and the
red brick floor makes hit Of warm
color where il is touched by the sun. il
Is n pretty picture, aud Babette's quaint
costume and high Normandy cap add to
the charm
al remember Babette when j was
here before" l remarked.
90! certainly" says Madame Petit,
smiling, "Babette was here last year,
and no doubt will remain for many more,
until she finds q husband, which madame
VIII comprehend IL not No easy for a poor
girl. Nothing changes much in st.
Pourcain.
"Ah!" say without thinking, 81 sup
pose there are not 10 many marriageble
young men since the war; but Won must
have secn many changes during that ter
= BILE time"
i regretted the words almost M soon
as | have uttered them, for the little
woman's face loses its Brightness, her
eyes fill with tears, and she Chances
down nj her black dress. "Ah! indeed;