, 1881-08-05


and Henri said she was the wife for me.
He is a good lad to put me IN the right
abou. it."
What do you mean, Andre? what in
the world has the son of Leclerc been
saving to you?"
The dark eyes of Andre frightened,
and glad light came over his face.
Thou knOwest that big house on the
hill all made of gray like the granite
rocks on the way to the great dark noun
tain yOnder," pointing as he spoke to a
distant purple peak, whose summit
seemed lost amid misty clouds, land
where the posies in the garden are as
bright as the many-cOlored quilt on the
best bed? 'Tis there she lives. Henri
said she was to be my wife; and she has
checks like this, plucking maiden
blush rose from its stem and holding 1t
toward his mother, land eyes like what
yon shut morning-glory was this morn
ing
You are talking nonsense, Andre; and
Henri did wrong to put such ideas into
your head. Think no more about 1t, and
we will go into the the fields together to
pick flowers as soon as L get the the COWS
MIXED, and the butter made, tomorrow
morning"
1t was Andres chief pleasure to take
these quiet walks with his mother, to
whom his society was ever a Joy, for
strange as he was he had quaint thoughts,
oftentimes as quantity expressed, and
the boy was her earthly all. So she said
this, hoping to take his mind from the
idea which for the first time had now en-
tered it.
Andre was ever docile, SO he said no
nIk
brooded over his face for the rest of the
day, and indeed for many days. Then
he took action upon the matter so near to
his heart. He went to the house where
Geraldine Lemoine lived, and asked to
see the master.
Every one in the village knew him by
sight, and felt an interest in the limo
cent" as he was called. So the servant
showed him at once into the room where
Pierre Lemoine was making out his ac-
| counts.
/ He was seated before table covered
with papers, and beside him stood Ger
aldine, looking over his shoulder with an
expression of interest upon her pretty
! face. A canary bird was perched upon
/ her shoulder, and it would occasionally
/ peck at the lump of sugar held toward
/ it by its mistress, but its chief pleasure
seemed to consist in catching some of
/ the shiny threads of Geraldine's silken
hair, and pulling them between its tiny
bill with a petulant motion, which was
amusing in such dot of a creature as
/ this.
Andre pulled the curly forelock which
hung down over his forehead.
II am come to tell you that 1 love your
I girl" pointing to Geraldine, ''and that
/ the sight of her is better than the sun
shine or the flowers. want her for my
wife"
Had Andre been in full possession of
his wits, his words would have occasioned
anger, and he would surely have been
put from the room. But innocents are
privileged in all countries. They are
considered as especially under the
Heavenly Fathers protection. So Pierre
Lemoine conquered the look of aston
ishment which had come into his sharp
eyes.
''My lad, he said seriously, she who
weds my Geraldine must bring her a
dover in coins of gold which would cover
this whole table"
Andre looked sorrowfully at Geral-
dine, who was gazing curiously at him
her cheeks red with bushes called forth
by his words.
SIS it true that he who marries you
must pay for you, even as a store keeper
buys his fine goods?" he asked.
The father interrupted him hastily.
shade of anger was in his voice, though
he tried to speak unconcernedly:
SIT is not meet to have this talk be-
fore you, my girl. Go to your room un-
til my outspoken visitor has gone"
Geraldine obeyed. Then her father
said to Andre:
''That is about the truth of it, though
we don't usually express it in that way.
If you should bring me bag of gold to-
morrow, innocent though you are of
more than a modicum of brains, would
give you my girl. A cage is the thing
for bird. added, to be sure, to enough
to feed her with, and also to supply her
with gay enough plumage. Now go, my
poor fellow, and ask the cook as you
pass out, for cake and cup of milk,
so that your errand may not be
bootless one."
But Andre thought not of the where
withal to satisfy hunger. He went slow
ly and sadly forth, pondering in bewild-
cred fashion upon what has proved
puzzle to wiser heads ever since the first
love story was told in Eden.
ne inoI u uclBnoOr Ot Ills nOJucr S-a
merry soul who was ever full of quips
and jests,
Andre stopped him.
"Tell me JEAN" he asked earnestly,
"where can 1 find bag of gold? 1
must en- buy my wife when I get her
for my own"
Jean opened his eyes wide in astonish-
ment ut first; but when Andre told of his
visit to the rich man of the village, Ire
took his pipe from his mouth, and
laughed long and loud.
Andre waited patiently until his mer-
riment had subsidized, then he repeated
his question, and Jean answered jest
ingly:
SEQ to the mountains and ask the
| gnomes that make their homes there.
They will tell you. AS for me, it is be-
yond my knowledge, else why should l
be a poor workman instead of keeping
my coach-and-four?"
Then he went whistling on toward a
| group of companions with whom he was
wont to pass his idle hours.
! Not another thought of Andre entered
his mind for hours. Then a rumor
came that the boy had disappeared. 1t
was an unusual thing for him to stay
away from his home for any length of