The true northerner., 1883-05-18

shat monsieur must make picture Of
them"
"Very we'll, says the young man, and
he goes back to the sheds.
He is gone some time, but at last
Arlette hears murmurs of delight from
the sheds, and she knows that the draw
ing is finished. Soon afterward he re-
turns.
"Bon Jour-" he says to Susette and
the others. "Bon jour, ma petite he
says to Arlette in low tone, as he
on the ground beside her, "Arlette will
see me again" and then he goes on his
way beside the Ante.
"Bon jour, monsieur" scream the
women after him when he is almost out
of sight; and at this he turns and waves
his hat. They will talk about the hand
some foreigner beside the Ante for many
a long day.
BY mid afternoon Arlette goes home,
and soon afterward an errand for her
father takes her away from the house
for an hour.
Monsieur has been here" says Guy,
when she returns, "and he would have
liked to say adieu to thee, for he was
going away"
"Going away" repeated Arlette
family.
"But yes. my daughter, there was
news from America that caused him to
go at once, he said to me. And he
could not wait for the shoes, but paid
me the money and told me to give them
to some one who needed them. / wish
him good journey, for he has done
well by me, and not every one would
think to remember that he owed an old
shoemaker like thy father, Arlette.
America is over the sea, they tell me,
and he can not yet be half way to Caen,"
concludes the old man, drawing out his
waxed thread slowly.
Is it really true that she shall see him
no more? This is the one thought that
fills Arlette's mind. 1t is this that
sends her supperless to bed. 1t is this
that causes her to rise In the morning
with eyes that are red with weeping,
and that have not been closed in sleep
the night through Foolish little Ar
lette, to weep for one who will soon
forget her! She does not go to her
work that day, but day later sees her
back with the others, a little pale, but
that is all the difference
The summer goes and the autumn
comes, and the red leaves float along
the winding Ante. The women are
still talking of the foreigner who came
and sketched them all so wonderfully
one day.
The summer goes and the autumn
comes, and the young American is back
in his law Office deep in his work and
his future plans He has not thought
of Arlette since his return. His sketch
book lies on an upper shelf, where he
tossed it when first unpacking, and he
has not thought to look at it since. A
privileged friend comes into his office
one morning, and, turning over one
thing after another, lights upon the
sketch-book, and taking it down begins
to examine its contents.
by Jove!" he exclaims, "that is q
lovely face. Where did you come
across so much beauty, old fellow?"
1t is Arlettes picture that the visitor
is gazing at The other turns to see
what his old friend has, and suddenly
there flashes over him the memory of
those two days at Falaise. How sweet
she was, that little girl beside the
Ante
at is just a study" he replies, care
lessly.
a study?" repeats his friend in
credulously, and then the drawing is
laid away with the others.
But in replacing the volume the
drawing falls unnoticed to the floor,
face downward, and the office-boy, that
evening seeing it lie there like piece
of waste-paper, tosses it into the waste
basket, and later it goes to the rag
man with the other paper.
And Arlette is still beside the Ante.
She never thinks now of the one she
met at the fair in the Faubourg of Gui-
bray, but always of him who came so
suddenly into her life, with his hand
some face and his tender words, and
who went out of her life so suddenly
Only two days! But the sweet pain of
those two days will linge~ a whole life
time in one tender little heart beside
the Ante. What if she should once
more see him there by the archway!
And she looks often that way with
vague hope.
The Arlette of eight centuries ago
was happy in her Count Robert, who
loved her. There are no Counts Robert
now, and Arlette is still at her work
beside the Ante, and the slow seasons
come and go, and life is long and re-
membered kisses sweet.
Foolish little Arlette The Con-
til1eTt.