The Mineral argus. [volume] (Maiden, Mont.) 1883-1886, 1885-01-15

OF us; he may nave nre. ana II vnO
lady likes to get down? Hi! Sabatier!"
A second lantern approached them.
"Go and see il the signal man has fire
in his house.
Fortunately he had. The General
was as proud as il he had gained a bat
tie or finished the last stripe Of knitting
in his famous counterpane. He went
back to the Queens carriage to tell her
the results of his efforts, and q moment
after the three travellers were in low
rooted room of the little hOuss, stamp
their feet on the floor to get rid Of the
snow on their shoes, while the signal
man, who had brought them in and who
still wore his s'lcepskin, knclt down be-
fore the fire and threw soma dead wood
upon the dogs.
The Queen threw her cloak on the
back Of her straw bottomed chair and
sat down before the CHEEKY blaze. She
took of her long, Swedish kid gloves
and began to look about her.
II was o peasants room. There was
o dry, uneven. earthen floor: strings OF
onions hung from the earthen rafters;
an old poacher's gun was fastened over
the chimney -peicc by couple Of nails.
and there were . Il " lowered plates on
the dresser. The General made grim
ace at two cheap pictures that were
pinned on the wall; one, the portrait of
NJ. Theirs wearing the ribbon of the
Legion of Honor, the other Garibaldi
in his red shirt. But what attracted
the young Queens attention was wick
or cradle, by the side Of the large bed,
half hidden by striped chintz curtains,
from whence there came the murmur-
ings Of child awakened from its sleep.
As soon as he heard 1t the signal man
left the fire, went to the cradle and
rocked it gently.
"By-bye, chickic, bye.bye! It is
nothing-only friends of daddv's."
He seemed o kind father, this man in
his goatskin, with his bald head, his
rough old soldiers mustache, and those
two deep sad lines around his mouth.
as that your little girl?" the queen
asked with interest.
"Yes, ma'am; it is my Cecile. She
will be three years old next month";"
"But-her mother?" inquired Her
Majesty, hesitatingly. And as the man
shook his head, ''You are widower?"
But he shook his head again. Then
the queen, touched, got up and went to
the cradle, and looked at Cecile who
had gone to sleep again hugging card
board dog tenderly to her breast.
''POor child!" she murmured,
"Wasnt it o heartless thing to do
for mother to abandon child of that
age?" said the signal man in . smoth-
cred voice. "That she should have
left me after all was my own fault. I
ought not to have married o woman too
young for mel ought not TO have let
her 60 to town where she picked up
this darling! Wasn't it infamous? And
now I have to bring up the poor mite
myself! And I can tell You it is not
easy with all the work ! have to do.
In the evening ! am very often obliged
to leave her there screaming and crying
when hear the whistle of the train.
In the daytime. though. take her with
me, and she is quite used to it already,
the darling! She is not afraid Of the
railway now. Only yesterday Twas hold
ing her in my LEFT arm, while I waved
my flag with my right. Well, she never
even trembled as the express train went
by. But, you see. what troubles me
most il having to make her frocks and
caps. Fortunately, I was . sergeant in
the Zouaves once and know how to use
my needle"
But, my poor fri,nd," began the
Queen. lit is very difficult task for
you. should like to help you. I sup.
pose there is village near here, and
there must be some good people in the
village who would take charge of your
little girl. II it is only . question Of
money"
But the signal man shook his head.
"No, good lady, no. am not proud,
and would accept with all my heart
anything that was done for Cecile
But l will never part with her. No,
not even for an hour!"
But why?"
"Why?" repeated the man, in his
deep voice, "beceuse can trust no one
but myself to make this child what her
mother was not--a good woman! But,
excuse me would you kindly rock Ce-
cile a moment? I am wanted on the
| track"
Who can tell what thoughts passed
through the mind Of the young Queen
of Bohemia that winter night as she sat
rocking the poor signal mans child.
while the General and Baroness whose
help she had refused, sat and sulked
before the fire? "Now then. ladies and
gentleman, the express is starting; take
your sests!" the Queen put her purse,
swclled with gold and the bouquet of
violets from her belt, into little Cecils's
cradle and went back to her seat in the
train.
But har Majesty STAYED onlv two days