News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1886-09-16

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vehicle should pass over it"
He growled little and then took the
child up in his arm again.
He noticed its hair, beautiful blonde
hair, just beginning to curl. How very
soft this hair! II is pleasure for an
old man to stroke it.
II will carry it to the police station" "
he decided.
But suddenly, during the journey,
the little one said something. Yes,
something very strange indeed.
PAPA"
1t said this with such strange voice.
Bernadon began to consider And his
heart, yes. his heart, which he had not
felt beat for so many years
But these reflections were arrested by
his arrival at the police station. He
entered mechanically He was ques-
toned, but he heard nothing. His ears
were filled with music, very sweet
music, whose only word was "Papa."
81 want to know" demanded one of
-the guardians of the peace, what you
wish US to do with that child. If you
have found it and wish to leave it with
US, do so and go your way"
Hey? Leave it with you2" demand
ed Bernadon.
And the music rang continually in his
ears.
''No. indeed" he said
And he departed, pressing the infant
to his breast
Thus it was that Bernadon found an
abandoned child, loved it almost in
spite of himself, raised it, and thus
! committed, to his shame, to his Joy, as
/ he termed it, an act of infdelity against
I Ceestlne
Now, several years after these occur
rences, Bernadon suffered severely one
| spring morning.
All! it was terrible. Bernadon was
loaded down with debts contracted for
the maintenance of the little one. He
had vainly sought, invented, reflected,
both Celestine and the child. One or
the other must be sacrificed.
Then, with his eyes full of tears, he
compared them for long time this
spring morning. The terrible moment
had come. He must choose between a
levy on his house and sending the little
one to the home for foundlings.
1t was a lugubrious business. He
looked successfully at the eyes of the
child and the windows of his pet
Celestine, the child's hair and the head
gear of the old house. He found them
all charming, all adorable, indispensable
, to his old age. He wavered between
the two, unable to conclude which was
/ preferable, equally happy with either
All at once the little one threw her
arms about his neck and murmured
something in his ear.
''What did you say2" demanded Ber-
nadon.
81 said you are my papa"
Ali he hesitated no longer. No, in
deed. Houses cannot speak. Suddenly
turning his back on Celestine, not dar-
ing to look at her for fear she might
suspect his treason, he crossed the
street and directed his steps toward the
little hotel on the left; with his heart
on ire, he went to seek the man who
wished to purchase his house and land
Six thousand francs he was offered
for them, and three thousand in addi-
ton to take charge of the demolition Of
the old structure.
Come, come" said the old man
when he was back with the little one,
Il shall buy you a beautiful wooden
horse -
And he jingled the coins in his pocket
with feeling of coltentment.
Weeks passed and passed. Bernadon
grew lean. He had been unable to pre-
vail upon himself to demolish Celestine.
He had hired lodgings opposite his for
mer home and spent his days in looking
at 1t from afar. He had three months
according to the written contract, in
which to raze Celestine to the ground
Three months Berdadon counted the
days in anguish.
One morning it was absolutely neces-
sary to resolve upon doing it. He hired
two laborers, and showed them the
house.
There" " he said with dull voice,
Ego to work" Feeling a curious vice
clutching about his heart, he cried,
mot there"
They wanted to begin with the great
tower, which, to him, was Celestine's
head. But he had them tear down a
few insignificant walls at the sides, then
corner of the roof, then a ruined little
observatory, starting with each stroke
of the plckaxe as if the laborers were
working on his flesh.
All this time he held the little one on
his knees to console himself Occa-
sionally his eyes wandered from the
house to the child, and from the child
to the house, regarding them, in turn,
T as if he had repented of his choice.
mo, neverr' he cried to the work
men, who were about to attack the tow
er. ''Never n' So he discharged them,
threatening to break the head him
who dared do evil to Celestine. He be-
came frantic.
But on the morrow the new proprie-
tor came with a troop of men, armed
with long iron tools, that made Berna-
don tremble
'Don't, don't, " he clamored.
But, seeing that the die was cast, that
this dreadful thing must happen, that
nothing IN the world could save his be-
loved house, he himself took a pickaxe,
and, motioning the laborers away with
a gesture of his hand, he approached
Celestine.
''There, you shall not suffer long"
he said, in a high-pitched tone of ex-
Citement
He seemed to be cropping for place
at the bottom OF the tower; then he
SlIuCh tefTlDle DlOW, WIN q power no
one suspected i'll his old arms.
The iron brace that upheld the whole
structure was laid bare. A second blow
severed it. The house trembled and a
cracking sound was heard.
"Heavens the whole thing is fallingl
Save yourself, Bernadonn' cried the
workmen.
But Bernadon moved not.
He turned toward the child that was
playing at distance and, with strange
voice that was no longer human, he ex-
claimed:
'1ou will come sometimes and play
upon my grave, little one"
Staggering, Celestine fell upon him
with horrible crash, and her timbers,
her tiles, her stones and rubbish fell up
on him eagerly, covered him. killed him
fercely, as if they loved to murder him.
-7ransla'ed for the Cosmopolitan from
tie French Of Jean Rameau.
"DocToR, my son William is not well.
He has not got any appetite and he com
Dlains of headache and general debil-