Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1886-08-14
CELESTINE.

nothing In the garden, by the side OF the
house In which he dwelt alone
The house was a strange one. A misera-
,,,, ,o,.,rnc,oa h,,i,d,n, 1.nLad ,,;,h 60.
.....'.s -, 80, .a...s.. ,,. s,..,ua,' 80
s'uo'u.es "no 'o"o,s haoa onn'oa"' Pu''e
isolated In the middle OF plot OF ground
with uncertain boundaries, 1t stood In ono Of
tho richest quarters of the city.
Reynadop a,oso suddan,v and s,eali ino
,,,,, ,ha hoI,a,. ,s ~. ,s,,a y. | .,, fs
Hhto .ne hoiio" Vi MS manu-, ne saiu :
With this repair, Celectines will do"
Celestine was the name the old man had
given his house. lie loved this old shed,
which no had erected at difIerent times with
h,. cur hands uo iovo, !, ,,,,,o,, ,ni. ;,s,
,s -. .,,,. ,s., ~, ,,o, IL .ni' .
hhonso rum 'na. nao cost MN ."ohty thou-
sand francs and was not worth four sous.
With the tenderness OF a bachelor deprived
Of the presence Of woman, he had called ii
t,elestine In his old age
And Celestine was all his Joy. filed his
whole life ~
| This parody of mapor-bouse had the An.
| pearance of a SQUAT old womsn. and the large
| tower represented for Bernadon the head of
| his dear idol. lie had made round openings
| high up on the facade and he mentally v called
them t,elestine,s ewes He had recentlv
given the dwelling a roofing of red tiles
that was Celestine's = head dress. Finally his
sleeping room, the central apartment and
poorly lighted, constituted Ceestine's heart
The poor thing was not solid. II settled a
little, day by dsy, notwithstanding its youth.
full age. 1t had lost one or two little turrets,
as one loses his teeth. And Bernadon, over.
had found himself 30 poor that he had been
unable To reconstruct them.
| All he need o}ly have spoken the word
| to be rich. All that would have been neces-
| of ground on which IL stood. They would
have been worth several thousands perbaps
| But abandon Celestine-see her demolished
Never
The old man left tho arbor and approached
his dwelling.
eyes" he said again, "with this repai-,
everything will do.n
He spoke OF large iron brace that he had
placed in the interior of the principal tower
| at the bottom, an ingenious firm brace that
| had cost him his very life blood but that
would prevent Celestine from tumbling
down for many day.
And, half closing his eyes and inclining
his head, like painter examining his work,
he looked lovingly at Celestine, as if seeing
her for the first time.
Suddenly he trembled. Some one had
laid hand on his shoulder.
"At how much do you value your prop
erty nv friend ?n
Bernadon Strengthened himself. as If he
would have broken his. back, and, with a
ringing voice, looking the man in the face,
he said 1t is not Tor sale, sir look else.
where,n
And he terrified the would-be purchaser
with an injured look, as il a husband whose
wife II had been proposed 10 bpy. The gen
tleman bowed.
"If YOU should ever decide to SELL" he
said, al am stopping at the little hotel on the
left ;"
And he went his way.
Bernadon turned at once toward his house
Then, tear not ~ he said, as if adj dressing a
person. With short steps, his hands behind
| him, and his eyes half closed by the sun,
| Bernadon returned to his arbor
But all at once an exclamation escaped
him:
| alt can't be possible !"
And his eyes opened wide. A child in
that arbor A very small, red child, wrapped
| in shawl A child, abandoned there, was
placed beside the wall.
The old man bent over aud looked down.
" 1t Is impossible ~
But then a sharp cry struck his ears, the
| cry of the child, frightened by sight of him.
Bernadon stood amazed. What was to be
| done with this package? He looked up and
down the street, under the wall. He saw no
one. 1t took him long time to decide Iat
| to do.
The little one continued crying. He toe k
| 1t up, and, hesitating a moment, passed into
the street.
| Yes, will leave It out here somewhere"
| he said TO himself But people camo along
and he dared not leave it. The child, Gained
| now, looked up at him with droll gravity. 1t
might be ten months old, perhaps six, possi-
| bly, twelve the Old man was no connoisseur
| of young children.
| He laid the little one down near the end
| of the WALL but a carriage came rolling
along
Ha " he exclaimed, suppose the vehi-
! Gle should pass over it,
He growled little and then took the child
| up into his arms again.
He noticed its hair, beautiful blonde hair,
just beginning to curl. How very soft this
hair 1t is pleasure for an old man 10
| stroke it
| Z" will carry 1t to the police station,' he
| decided.
But suddenly, during the journey, the lit.
| tie 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 feit beat Tor
so many years
But these reflections were arrested by his
arrival at tho police station. lie entered
mechanically. he was questioned, but he
heard nothing. His ears were filled with
music, very sweet music, whose only word
was, Papa"
al want to know" demanded one of the
| guardians of the peace, I" what you wish us
and wish to leave 1t with us, do so, and &C
your way
"HeyY Leave it with you ~ demanded
Bernadon. -,,,..u - IT.
And the music rang continually IN his
ears.
mo, indeed" he said.
And he departed, pressing the infant TO his
breast