River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1883-01-04
KAD0UR AND KATEL.


Finally he opened his eyes and saw in
distinctly light and peaceful room with
white curtains, green branches waving
at the windows, sun with occasional
clouds, and near his bed a little sister
of charity, watchful and silent; she had
no silver cross, no rosary nor vel, only
two heavy braids falling over her velvet
waist. From time to time some one
called "Katel Katel!" Then the little
maiden stole away on tiptoe, and the
wounded man listened from a distance
to a sweet and youthful voice, as refresh
ing to his ear as he brook flowing be-
meath the mill windows.
Kadour- las been long
time i'll; bnt the Ripperts have nursed
him SO well that his wounds have begun
to heal; they have hidden him so well
that the Prussians have been unable to
send him to freeze in he Mayence dun
geons. Now he begins TO speak and
smile, and takes few steps about his
room; one sleeve, the one that has
great hole through the embroidery, falls
over the arm that Is carried in q sling,
splintered and still useless. Every day
katel takes a wicket chair into the gar
den for him; she searches all along the
wall for the warmest nook, the spot
where the grapes are soonest ripe. And
Kadour, who, being the son of a ruler,
has studied at the Algerian college,
tn nks her in his barbarous French
Without suspecting il he becomes en-
chanted The natural gayety of the
French girl who lives free asa bird. unveii
ed out of doors, with windows unbarred,
astonishes and charms him. Far differ
ent is the shut-in life of the women of
his own country the masked and per-
fumed maidens in their seclusion. Katel I
thinks Kadour rather dusky; but he
looks so good, so brave, he hates the
Prussians so heartilyl One thing troub-
les her THIS is that in Algeria men may
have several wives. Katel cannot under
stand this. And when the Algerian, to
vex her, says to her in his jargou:
''Kadour married soon. He have four
wives-Fourr'- grows angry
''Ugh-the wretc Kadour!--the barba-
rian~ Then he laughs a childs laugh,
suddenly becomes grave again and is ST.
lent before the young girl, devouring
her with his eyes Thus began the love
of Kadour ard Katel.
When fully cured Kadour returned to
his father, and the festivities in his honor
may be left to the imagination. Reed
flutes and Arabian drums played their
lOveliest airs to receive him; the old rul-
er seated before his door, see ng his dear
son, whom he had supposed dead, APP
proach from far down the cactus avenue,
began to tremble. The people of the
country kept up their festivities for
month. Notwithstanding all these hon
ors; all festivities made Kadour no hap
pier. In his fathers house, surrounded
by all that could recall his childhood
horses, hounds and arms, --something is
always wanting, the frank word, the gay
ugh of Katel. The incessant chatter
of the Arab women, which used to set
his heart beating, now tries and annoys
him. He no longer admires their head
dresses adorned with glistening coins
nor their rose garlands. Speak TO him
rather Oh long btaids adorned by no
flowers, nor veil, Eor pearls; only inter-
woven with threads of gold beneath tho
setting sun in a little Alsatian garden.
If Kadour only chose to see, there are
beautiful long black eyes which watch
him from behind the barred win
dows of the officers house. But Kadour
no longer cares for these eyes. That Of
which he dreams regretfully is KatePs
dear look as it swiftly glanced about
the room to see that the sick man
wanted nothing: he dreams of those
eyes where life was always dancing like
light in the rain drops. But little by
little these blue eyes lose their charm,
that tender charm associated with re-
turning life, with the first waking ofcon-
valescence and the soft. mild climate of
France.
In all the valley of Chitif nothing is
talked of but Kadour's approaching mar
rage with Yamina, an officers daughter.
One morning long train of mules has
been seen comingup to the city; Kadour-
ben-Cherifa is on his way with his father
to buy the wedding gifts. They pass the
entire day going from one bazaar to an
other, choosing Smyrna rugs, amber
necklaces and earrings; as he handles
all the beautiful Jewels, silks and gorge
Gus fabrics, Kadour is thinking of Yamina.
The East has again taken possession of
him; but rather by force of the manner
of life and from the influence of the eli
mate than because of any real love.
AT sunset the mules were filing down
the street, laden with their bales of rich
est merchandise, when they were sud-
denly stopped. Here were band of
immigrants who had Just arrived. AS
nothing had been made ready to receive
them they were here to make demands
and complaints. Those most discourag-
ed were sitting on their baggage, tired
out with the voyage, troubled by the
curiosity of the crowd upon these exiles
as an added sorrow, the setting sun was
disappearing, and night was falling to
make still harder the strangenesS of the
country so new to them.
Kadour surveyed them almost uncon-
sciously Suddenly his heart gives a
bound. The costumes of the old peas
ants, the velvet waists of the women,
their hair as golden as the ripened grain
-are-lo! his dream becomes more real!
He recognizes the sweet features, the
heavy braids and the smile of katel
There she stands before him with old
Rupert, the mother and the little ones,
with many miles etween them and the
Sauerbach which flows before the for
saken house.
''kadourr'
t'katelr'
He grows deadly pale; she bushes
little. The rulers house is large; while
waiting for the assignment of their por-
ton of land, the immigrants are to take
up their abode there. In a moment the
mother gathers together her bundles,
she calls her little ones, already at play
with the children of strangers. Heartily
does Katel laugh TO see herself
mounted so high on AN Arabian
saddle. kadour also laughs, but
less heartily, and with restrained joy.
As night is coming on and it IS cold he
wraps abodt her a beautiful mantle
which he takes from the wedding gifts
Erect upon her high seat she looks like
a blonde Mohammedan without the
veil. Kadour thinks of it as he looks
upon her. Then his mind is filed with
wild faneies-a thousand plans. He
thinks of breaking his engagement with
Yamina and of marrying kstel. Who
knows? Perhaps some day they viii re-
turn thus from the city, they alone
along the laurel-bordered way, she
laughing, he holding the bride as now.
And, as If still in dream, he is about
TO give the word TO proceed, when katel
stops him with her sweet voice.
Not yet,-my husband is coming.
We must wait"