Litchfield enquirer., 1881-01-20

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 -. oao,s Chateau," Mrs. Lancaster's ?, gsa: 1 .~sagrrs fs'0ah," etc. .s.,i drle. sa.f -1s -s.. r,. v.aa.., l. se,.a ..sa E. sal.
 Frank Morley, young man of six,and- twenty, was one of the heads of great old firuu1 of.claret merchants, for more than hun dred years established in London and Bor- deaux. His father had sent hiin to France to | learn his business when he was quite a lad, in consequence of which his manners were excel l lent; and he spoke like Frenchnaan, with a slight accent of the South, hardly strong enough to mark him as provincial. For the last three years, since his fathers death, he had lived at Bordeaux and managed that end of the business entirely, his partners, who were oldish men, living in London. ...- s,.f l Frank was clever, steady, hard working, and thoroughly awake to his own interests He meant to be very rich man, to retire at forty, and not to marry till then. In spite of l living abroad 80 much, lie was unmisiakably English both in looks and ways; but this did not prove hindrance to his popularity among the French He was we'll known at Bor- deaux, and great favorlte there admired for his liberality, his physical strength, his fear less openness of speech and manHer. He nev- CT suspected, probably, that some of his young French friends laughed at him, and called him jeering names behind his back-the only real satisfaction they could have, poor fellows, in their intercourse with such provoking mass of advantages. '-" But Frank had ons friend who really cared for him, though lie borrowed money from | him like the others. It was a true mutual liking that had drawn them together-tlie jol ly auburn haired Frank Morley, and the black, salow, melancholy Albert de Saint Flor. AL bert was as loyal to his friend Frank as to Henri Cinq himself. The idea of putting off One's marriage till sue was forty met with his special approval after he had sounded Frank on the possibility of marriage with his own only sister This, it seemed, was far too high an honor for Frank to aspire to. It was nee ] essary that he should marry an English woman
 of his owu rank in life, he modestly added, being quite aware that the Saint Flor family would look upon him as mere boasaoeeis Al so he knew ill his own mind that Mademoiselle | de Saint-Flor was no longer young-hcw old | he did not know but older than her brother, who was ve-andtwenty-and Albert had several times assured him, thinking it probab l ly recommendation, that they were the i'm age of each other. He spoke so positively, and yet with such good-humored compli
 nents. that Albert saw the idea was ahope- | less one. But he did not swerve from his friendship with the obstinate Morley, 7p1 @s
 In the month of, December, 1879, early in that long, painful winter" Frank chose. to go | to Paris on business. and Albert eagerly con | sented to go with him.. They started 'on snowy day and while they were yet some way south of Tours, at about 5 in the after noon, the earth being wrapped in snow and the sky black and heavy with more, their train ran into deep drift on the line, and it was soon too clear to the passengersth that many hours of the night, at least, would be spent where they were. After the first shock, most l loft hnrn txxyifh ton of French people, But the one English man in the train, hanging himself out of the carriage window, shouted to the nearest off cia, who answered by begging monsieur to sit down and be patient. yf . Patient be hanged ? sad Frank or some thing equivalent in French I am not going | to sit here and be frozen or stifed, wh ich is more likely. Look here, what do you call the l nearest stationY .,..
 | 'Maupas! shouted the official from the dis tance, as he plunged through the snow.
 'Maupas! Why. Saint-F Flor, that's your place! said Frank quite angry to his friend, who jumped up in state of tremendous ex
 He had thought they must be at least eight leagues short of Maupas. But even now they | were some distance from the chateau whicl I lay a pile beyond the station. Nothing I would give him greater delight than to intro l duce his dear friend there, but it seemed to him simple impossibility.
 A simple necessity' said Frank laughing. Look at it in that light, and come along .A.5
 Albert shrugged hs shoulders, but his eyes shone with proud pleasure at the daring of his friend. ,.-' -. .,-r ,wrs 4 .ul-i .5-41
 My dear he said I am ready te follow you to the worlds end.'
 As the door went open, we will begin by getting out of the window,' said Frank. The best way at first will be along the roofs of the carriages
 'Go go on. follow you, mon brave P '~
 An hour or two later these weary travellers stumbled up to the great iron studded door of the Chateau de Maupas. Albert had lost his way once or twice, but at last the glimmer 1 from the snow showed him the dark line of frs through which rough narrow road ap- preached the house. He was melancholy i; this unexpected coming home did not seem to give him any pleasure Frank, who knew l that the Saint Flors were poor and old-fash- | toned, did not himself expect very hearty | welcome, either from monsieur, madame, or mademoiselle. Aboutthat, however, he cared very little. All he, wanted was supper and 6 bed, f1atterng himself that he would get on to Paris the next day. t.... .- A shabby man-servant received their wet l great coats in the hall which was high and large, and diinly lighted by a hanging Ian | lantern. ...,, ..,..4 ..f,...f. ,,y ...
 They were certainly pair of disreputable objects. covered with snow, which was melt ing slowly on their hair, their moustaches. in fact all over them. There were pools of wa ter where they stood on the stone floor of the hall. Suddenly a bell rang sharply in some distant room. s ,s
 1t is Monsieur le Baron for the bouilli.' muttered Francois, and he shuffied of Y
 Let us make haste, said Albert; and he was leading the. way upstairs, F having just reached the first step, when lady's voice made Frank start violently. It sounded so sweet and strange in the desolate. gloomy old house, where there seemed to be no welcome and no warmth
 Do hear Alberts voice, said the lady
 She had suddenly appeared in a -arched door-way winch framed Aer in like 8 picture Frank, who was the nearest, made her low bow. She curtsied with extreme politeness 1; but Frank was sure that there was the faint est quiyer of amusement about her mouth, and felt miserably conscious of being an absurd 1 object. It was a new thing for him not to be quite satisfied with his own appearance5 ii3
 An, there you are, ma hel!e!i exclaimed Albert, and he marched up to the lady, I dare not even allow myself to kiss your hand May present my friend, Monsieur Morley, to my sister. Mademoisellegde Saiut-Flor? Y D. I am charmed to see you, monsieur said the lady, smiling on Frank with a grave sweetness which treasured him. But how did you bring yourself and your friend into this sad plight, my poor brother2 Tell, me, then 1--you have walked in this dreadful weather all the way from Bordeaux
 No, indeed only from the railway. But I will explain presently said Albert. Excuse us B moment, dearest. Beg my father and mother to pardon this sudden intrusion and to give us something to eat' s4rs
 But certainly, poor travellers! Make haste, then. An, let me see-I will send old Marie to you with dry clothes' ss i [ Albert tore upstairs, followed by his friend. whose brain was in g strange ,; commotion. Twenty railway accidents would have been
 less exciting than than this encounter with MademoiselIe de Saint Flors7 whose pityinp glance and smile, half pensive. half amused