Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1886-06-24
,ance, they sat and spoke OF France.

wonder. since Lorraine is no longer French
province; but" dropping her voice for his
ear alone, IAN old Mexican W woman, for
| tune teller, says ! shall live in France some
day"
| "She is wise woman" said Saint Cyr,
smiling. Il can tell fortunes, to-"
Papa do you hear what the count sayss
He can tell fortunes
HE has certainly spent them, and made
| them, SO I've no doubt he can tell them too
Does he foretell the future of the canall"
Celia va sans dira," retorted Narcissa
"besides, monsieur is not expenoing his mill
ions upon our canal America is able to
| provide for her own"
''She does not provide in this case, made
moiselle; but if l were obliged to expend
my money upon my ventures, would do it
! without hesitation"
Even upon the great canalE'
Most certainly. l hope you do not
doubt my SUGGEST"
Monsieur" she returned, reproachfully,
"it is the grandest undertaking since the
building of the pyramids"
They laughed at her enthusiasm
! "But tell Inc of France" she continued.
MY child" said De Chalusse. things are
sadly changed since ~ Look at Lorraine
Papa" she said, gravely, 'you should not
| complain. Before ~ you had lost the
battle of Waterloo; now, you have won il. 1"
That is a consolation that never occurred
| to me-" said her father amused; "but just at
present l happen to be an American"
Il shall be the happiest woman in the
world" said Narcissa, when / can 60 to
France, look about me and say, so this is
my country; here my fathers family for
centuries past have lived and died, loyal
subjects of the soil"
Subjects of the soil"" repeated Saint
Cyr. After all, Edmonde, the feelings of
the highest class and of the lowest, even the
adscripti glebr, find the same expression 1t
is the love of country that is the great
want of the middle classes"
The conversation drifted to the discussion
of the great social problem. The engineer
had his own views of the subject, and gave
them eloquent expression. Narcissa sat
beside her father and listened, as Desdemona
sat beside Brabantio and listened to the
| Moor
Saint Cyr thought of the fair Venetian,
and wondered if she were fairer than his
country woman.
and stepped upon the stone balcony adjoin-
white moving among the flowers in
the courtyard caught his eye Ii
was Narcissa with a watering pot in her
hand She looked very lovely in her cool
garments of some thin white stuff her ia
vorite fower-poor Josephine's Souvenir
de Malmasion'-in the loops of her heavy,
dark hair. She looked up presently and
caught sight of him, smiled, and with "bon-
jour, monsieur" invited him TO descend.
She showed him her collection of rare plants
and flowers, and when he paused before the
gem of all, she offered him the single bloom
it bore, and bent to cut it off.
Many thanks, mademoiselle, but I be-
lieve | would rather not have that one"
She paused and turned her splendid eyes
upon him. disappointed
Why, monsieur, it is the rarest flower /
have"
Pardon, mademoiselle the choicest one
you have you have not offered me-"
She looked seriously at him.
rs it possible! Where is it: Show it to
me, monsieur"
And if | do"
1T is yours if you want it."
He put out his hand and touched the rose
in her hair. She smiled brightly.
"ls the Souvenir your favorite rose also,
monsieur! 1t is mine as you see; but you
are no botanist. 1t is by no means the
choicest flower l have. Will you have thiss
or this" indicating the buds on the bush
"It is the rose in your hair, mademoiselle,
that l ask for"
She unpinned it and loosened her hair al
the same time; it fell upon her shoulders in
thick curls.
"Oh, how awkward ami" she exclaimed,
laughing; "see what you have made me do,
monsieur. You don't deserve the rose"
But you promised it to me-"
And Chalusse should keep her word"
She pinned the flower upon his coat She
was goodly height; he did not dwarf her
at all, although he lowered above most
men.
"Brunehilde," he murmured
Am l so tall." she asked There l have
decorated you, monsieur; you are now a
Knight of the Rose; it should be a feur de.
lys instead"
And she went off, holding back the food
of hair that hung from her shoulders far
below the waist. He followed her with his
eyes, thinking deeply.
A week passed, delightful week to the
Chalusses, but more particularly to their
guest.
One day little package and letter,
postmarked Preside del Norte," came to
Narcissa. She opened the letter first then
cried out:
From Victor, maman; he is on the Rio
Grande"
What does he send your.
That is a secret" said Narcissa, blushing
slightly, and going out of the room.
Victor Rembert is my nephew" ex-
claimed Madame de Chalusse tc Saint-Cyr;
"he is travelling in western Texas"
And Observation-Disclosures
The lady was sharp-witted if trifle
near sighted, and replied, readily
"Narcissa and her cousin are brother and
sister, monsieur. l do not approve mar
riages between cousins, the church forbids
it"
Saint Cyr and Madame de Chalusse were
alone, so he took courage.
Madame" he said earnestly, what am
going to say may sound absurd The diff
ference In age is very great, but your
daughter is very beautiful. Is it absurd
for me to say that l love her, and would
give the world to marry herf Do you think
she could love me! Look at me-Tm PASTOR
He walked up and down the ROOM He
would be superb when he should be a CEN
tury old. Madame de Chalusse admired him
with all her heart A little smile fickered
about her lips. She rose and went to the
door and called Narcissa. The young lady
came in, with a saucer carefully held in 1
her hands We'll, maman."
"The Comte de Saint-Cyr wishes to speak
to you, my daughter" Then to Saint-Cyr,
in a lower tone, Pardon me, monsieur, but
am not Frenchwoman," and then she
went away and closed the door after her.
Narcissa advanced slowly to table, and
set thereon the saucer. A dry ball of
faded-green, withered grass was in it, float
ing upon the surface Of the water