Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1885-09-26
TOO LATE.
Charles E. Whitney, in N. o. Times Demo-


SDID0. lie StTGGlS Of view Oflean
leading off toward the rear of the cit,
seemed bedded with ox-eyed daisies, 81
yellow was the early morning ligh
that flooded them. The bright greer
leaves of the sycamore trees in the arch
bishops garden were splotched with
patches of gold where the light touched
them, and the red tiles of the old Span
ish houses in the more ancient portion
of the town threw off the dust of years
and welcomed the day with bright
faces of orange and vermilion. From
a lofty chimney a solitary mocking-
bird, delirious with delight in the
beauty of the new-found day, was pour.
ing out his minstrelsy with bursting
throat as if the rosary of his notes was
broken, and he, in reckless prodigality
was scattering the silvery beads ON
those below.
With blue cloth cap set jauntily
on the back of his head, and short
cherry stick in his right hand, a TRIM
| ly built young man sauntered out
Rue Ursulines, taking the middle oil
the street for his path, as is common
with the paysans OF Europe. There
were no vehicles out so early save a
few struggling milk-carts, and he east
| ly avoided them. As he went along
he twirled between his thumb and
foretinger the little cherry stick in so
dexterous manner the servants on
their way to market were attracted to
the little pedestrian, and set him down
at once as some wandering street Jug
gler. Perhaps this Judgment was
somewhat strengthened by his foreign
appearance,
His trousers, OF creamy white vel
veteen, were several inches too long
for the short but active legs, and they
hung in loose wrinkles and folds over
his hob-nailed shoes, almost conceal
them. The easy-fitting blue cotton
blouse added its evidence, and sec
ond glance would assign the loiterer
at once to the vine-clothed terraces of
France. SquaSe-set shoulders, erect
head and swinging military step con-
veyed an impression of the drill SER
geants work, which was confirmed by
the bronZed face and pointed little
mustache. He had evidently seen SER
vice.
AS the notes of the mocking-bird
caught his ear he stopped suddenly
and looked inquiringly around At
last he saw the songster on the chim-
ney. He seemed puzzled. A few
CHEEKY notes of the meadow lark had
transported him back again over the
sea, but when the song, III trills and
crescendo, skipped gracefully from
lark to hnnet, and SO through the
complex score of many birds, tfe5eays
farer seemed astonished at tins music
al wonder. Whistling to himselfa gay
chanson of Beranger, he took up his
walk down the middle of the street.
Taking from beneath his blouse Il
letter, soiled with much handling, and
reading intently a few lines of the
sc-awling handwriting, he glanced up
at the numbers on the houses. He
evidently had not reached the place
of which he was in search, for he re-
placed the letter carefully and renewed
his march. Again and again the let
ter was drawn forth, until, at last, he
paused before tall brick residence,
with broad verandah extending over
the sidewalk, and ii wide porte cochere.
He looked up at the windows, but
they were closed. 1t w;ls evidently
early for the people to be about, so he
took a seat on the steps of a cottage
opposite and waited He had trav-
elled so far and so long, now that he
had reached his journeys end, he was
in no hurry to end the delicious an
ticipations that had been his constant
companions. Yes, he would wait.
He took from his pocket Mar
~ fol
from silk embroidered pouch, light
ed it with one Of those little waXen
matches that go off with snap, and
putfed vigorously. With smile of
intense self-satislaction, he watched
the smoke curl in wreathes and long
serpentine clouds, as it drftei away
in the sunlight, never relaxing his
gaze, however, on the door opposite
When he had finished smoking, he
put the pipe carefully back, and with
the end of his cherry stick began to
make hyeroglyphics on the sidewalk
in an distracted manner. Then he
fell to whistling, at first soft and low,
but as he grew interested IN the old
and familiar air, he increased the vol
ume of his shrill notes.
nuts of his native place, and the long
lane bordered with pollards leading
toward Goberoy in Normandy. He
even distinguished through the under
brush the sparkling waters of the little
river Terrin, and he thought he could
hear the bells calling the faithful to
early mass. As he whistled, the pct-
ure grew more distinct, and IA girl,
driving before her a solitary COW, passed
under the shadow OF the mulberry
trees. Ahl He knew who that was,
and he ceased whistling to murmur,
"My ANGEL"
A sound aroused him and drew his
eyes once more across the street. The
little gate in the porte cochere was
open, and mulatto woman came out
with pitcher in her hand.
The little man in the blouse imme-
diately rose and stepped across. He
the old housekeeper. Did
she know girl named Celestine Nau-
det, a girl from Normandy?
Yes, she knew her She had lived
three years in this house-ever since
she came from France.
The little mans eyes sparkled. His
cheeks grew redder beneath the tan
and bronze OF exposure. "Could he
see herr"
The colored woman eyed the stran-
ger closely. Could this be the Alike
Celestine had spoken of so often? She
would see. So, in her creole patois,
she asked: "Es-ce qui Ii to frai ?" At
first the little man did not understand.
but then the question solved itself.
No, he was not precisely her brother,
but an old friend-un VIGIL ami"
The mulatto woman smiled sadly,
and in desperate endeavor to tie her
tignon tighter, answered, "Aha! that is
ALL" She seemed to take a greater in
terest in the young man. She told
him that Celestine was no more at
their house. She had gone away two
months before, but she would tell him
where 10 find her. Oh, yes she was
we'll. Then she pointed in the direc-
ton OF the city park, and described a
little house on the Metairie road, with |
Il dairy just beside it. 1t was far to !
walk, yes. 1t was two miles.
The blue cap nodded thanks, and |
with the blouse, the velveteen trousers
and the hob-nailed shoes, started hasti-i
ly in the direction pointed out
The old mulatto woman followed |
him with her eyes as he passed out of |
sight down the middle of the street.
When the last of the little cloud OF