The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1885-10-01

FIRE was seated his sister Nina, with
weary look too upon her face bat her
great dreamy eyes we're wide open for
although late in the evening, it was not
yet the hour for closing the Cafe Cornil-
lon. At any moment customer might
enter !; and some customers, If Nina was
not very wakeful and attentive, were apt
to grow impatient, indeed she had scarce
ly less peace and quietness than her
brother Prosper. At the moment when
it became so late that Nina was on the
point of rising to turn out the lamps and
lock up for the night, the door was SLOW
ly opened. An old sailor in rough coat
the collar of which was turned up about
his neck, mysterioasly entered the cafe.
He touched his slouching hat with his
sunburnt, horny hand in feeble, hesita-
ting manner; then choosing table near
the hearth, opposite to the one upon
which Prosper's head was resting, he sat
down and began to stroke his long white
beard thoughtfully, without raising his
eyes.
with what, monsieur, can l serve
you2"
The old man answered in a low voice,
with his head still bent: "Cafe noir."
Nina hastened to place . cup Of coffee
before him, and when she had filled lit
tie glass with cognac, she resumed her
seat before the hearth. The girls chair
was placed with the back toward the
door. On one side of her was the table
at which the old man sat slipping his cof-
fee; and on the other side was Prosper,
still fast asleep. Looking dreamily into
the fire, Nina seemed to have forgotten
the presence of both these men, 80 deep
ly was she absorbed in her thoughts.
"This is the Cafe Cornillon, is it not"
asked the old man.
Nina started as though the voice had
awakened her. eyes, monsieur" an
swered the girl, recolIecting herself and
looking up quickly" the Cafe Cornil
lon"
"Kept by Prosper Cornillon?"
%Sleeping there" continued Nina with
little jerk of her head.
"Ah," said the old sailor, Il am the
bearer of message"
"TO him ?"
Yes-to Prosper Cornillon."
"Shall rouse him."
"No. l will deliver the message to
YOU"
1t is the same thing" said the girl,
with pretty shrug of her shoulders, " l
am his sister"
"Nina Cornillon."
Yes that is my name."
The old man leaned forward, but still
without raising his eyes, and said, in
hoarse, indistinct voice: "You may re-
member, perhaps, few weeks ago, enter
tanning a young soldier who passed
through this port on his way to Greece.
Your brother conveyed him in his boat
on board the Livadia, ship bound for
SYRIA"
"l remember the gentleman well, - said
Nina in faltering voice; she gave
Prosper a piece of gold before parting to
sustain us in our efforts to collect the
large sum of money which is demanded
by Greek pirate as ransom for our ia
theirs liberty"
"It is from this young soldier, Colonel
Lafont," continued the old sailor, "that
| bring the message"
Nina looked around quickly. with
sparkling, eager eyes. "What is the
message, monsieur
WE'LL" answered the old man, speak
ing slowly, " his words to you'll mean
to Prosper Cornillon-were words of en-
couragement You must never despair
That was how the young Colonel ex-
pressed it. Because, as he argued, the
day might not be far distant when your
father would be set free"
With her eyes bent thoughtfully upon
the fire, Nina said: "A very kind mes
sage. How good of him to think of
me-!
"The message was to Prosper Cornil-
lon."
"To think, I should say, of my brother
Prosper. But"
But" continued the old man, have
not finished yet"
"What more, monsieur ?"
The old sailor lowering his tone, and
speaking as though he had difficulty in
not betraying some agitation, continued
cit was the Colonel's hope that neither
of you would be despondent; that you
would rather indulge the fancy that you
had heard that the ransom demanded by
this Greek pirate had been paid; that
your father had regained his liberty that
he had even started on his voyage home,
and was nearing the port of Mar
sellles-"
Nina clasped her hands and cried, in
a trembling voice: "That is what
dream of day and night! !"
"Imagine, then, even imagine that the
ship has reached Marseilles-that it has
entered the harbor. Nay figure to your
self-though it may make your heart beat
painfully-fgure to yourself weather
beaten sailor entering your cafe late one
evening" man with gray beard aud
shaky voice"
But at this point the old sailor was in.
terrupted. Looking around, Nina ut
tered cry ofjoy and sprang up with out
stretched arms and the word Father
upon her lips.
1t was Captain Cornillon who had
come thus at terribly trying surprise.
Yet he was 80 changed that even Nina
had not recognized him. But the recog-
milton was complete now. So, taking HE
daughter in his embrace, the old sailor
kissed her as he had kissed her at their
parting ten long years ago.
Not many weeks elapsed before Col.
Lafont again made his appearance At
Marseilles. Prosper, who happened to
be in the harbor at the moment of his ar
rival, accompanied him in triumph to the