The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1888-09-07
EBENsBURG. PA. FRIDAY SEPTEMBER T. 1885,

course OF time the estate passed into the
hands of new generation who knew
no: hing OF the buried jewels, save as a
half-believcd family legend that the old
nerroes told them with bated breath.
l-sdame paused for long time. The
noiso Of the city 1Oated up 10 us on the
balcony. Somebody was going aloug the
street humming an air from Norma"
Among those who knew OF the burial
Of tho diamonds in the tomb, d" she said
after zwh!le, was the son of an old
neiShbor on the Teche, named Francois,
who, Ike the PierrepontS, drifted into
NV Orleans. Es had not been fort unats.
He hal seen his plantation, acre by acre,
pass into the hands OF the commission
agent, until at last there was nothing
left. and he came to the city to seek his
liv.~E, poor. bewildered, d.zed
"l-o lid s'ways boon fond OF bocks-too
fond. sad his ncii:hbors, who were only
learned in vacuum pans and centrirupals
so some wiai OF chance blow him into
n Ht;le second hand bookstore. where he
was his own best patron. and grew grayer
and dryer and dustier day by day over
the nan y oil books.
"Eo lad brought with him from the
country only one piece OF suushine-h:s
daughter Celeste, who blossomed ont in
the d.lgy little shop Ike n splendid
jSponica in an earthern jar, and around
her ho wres;hed all the love and tender
ness tnat he might have given. under
happier auspices. TO wife and child and
home"
Nadnme ceased speaking for an Instant,
and then she said abruptly:
mon ami, the wisest OF us do not
know how such things happen Il is in
tho hands OF 10 bon Dieu, / say. and /
should know, fer / married the man 1
loved, but one day there happened into
the chop fine N 'aieu, young and hand
some and gay, n GOOD parti for anyone.
And what WI he lave, Is il Lamar
tine or la Fontaino he will have, He
sees Celeste and he forCets everything 1t
Is As IL lie had been seeking her ali his
life. Ma fol, it IS love. And Celeste,
"Ah! there are no young demoiselies
Ike her now. She was enough to mako
any m,n forget when onco he had seen
her eyes. Eh bien. as / was saying. the
handsome 'sieu was entrance.i. Every
day he fads his way to the shop, until at
last IL happens rs one might suppose and
he wishes tn marry Celeste. Very well.
But ii happens also m'sieu has n mother
who Is agIIast Mt the idea.
"Whst, her son marry a shopkeeper's
daughter! A g:Fl without dot: la vain
IS il represented Ia her that Francois is of
tha Eu.uonots, that lie has met with
misfortune.
''She will not listen. Francois is n Ie-
spair. 1t will break Celeste's heart. Day
by day rs sees her grow thinner and the
color fsdes out of her cheek. 1t IS more
than he can stand.
Do not despair, my child he cried
one day kissing her adieu, lie bon Dieu
will provide
That night he started on a Journey
back TO tho old home. could fancy how
every familiar landmark must have sn,oto
him like n blow, and called ont to him
that he was going hack TO dishouor.
'He knew hat within the old I-ierrep1n.,
tomb In the lonely churchy.Ird vas hid
den the wealth that would buy Celeste
happiness and life, ana what sin va- IL ir
ko reached out his hands and took it, IL
was treasure going to waste, at best.
there in the crgmLling old tomb where
the green lizards summed themselves and
the grass struck its roots deep into the
creviccs between the bricks
'The mad old woman and her foolish
whim were already half forgotten. No
one came to the tomb to pray or xeep.
even on All Souls day no one brought
here an immorteIle Well, IL he robbed.
it was nothing but n handful of unknoyy-
ing dust, Ant for tho Pierreponts,
what did \ few jewels, moro or less, mat
ter 10 tiru' While as for CeIcste-.h.
God, he would sell his soul for her Ho
loved her better than his honor Ifsne
were happy nothing else rlattrred-
"The blood beat and surged through
his brain-balls OF fire flasl4ed before his
eyes. He was conscious people looked
strangely at him. and once, when n kind
ly hand WAS laid upon his shoulder, he
shook IL roughly OF.
''In = few days Francois Was back IN
the city in tEe musty little shop. He
sent for 'sieu and his mother aud the
three went To the notary, where the mar
riage contract was signed, and he settled,
oh, quite n fortune On Celeste But the
money-wherc did he get it, they asked.
Bah, he said, 'Ons lays n.ide some
thing for the evil day passing IL of as.
jest, SO. Well, nothing vould do hut the
marriage must take place the next day.
Celeste had no trousseaus Sho might
buy it afterward. lie had important az
fairs abroad and must be gone.
"Bien, IL Is - l tell you Tho next day
they were married. Celeste aud her fine
m'sicu, and they passed out of the church
smiling, happy. Francois kisses Celeste
solemn and then he slipped back in the
church and knelt before the altar of our
blessed lady. He did not 500 or heed the
people all about
"'Oh, thou who knowest what It II to
bear and love q child interceds for me-
no eriod, and he fell dead there at the
foot OF the altar.
The next day there came n message
from the plantation saying the Pierre
pont tomb had been desecrated and
robbed. There was no difficulty in trac-
ing the theft TO Francois or in recovering
the diamonds, which had been sold to a
jeweller in tho city.
THE affair was hushed mp, md, of
course, the jewels como back to the
Picrrepont family. After all, such things
are in the hands of le bon Diem. But
what would you, Celeste got her lover
and got these baubles. All, none of US
know snother's temptation to sin, my
friend. As for me, I had a mass said for
tho repose OF poor Francoi.' soul.''
The night was growing chilly and mad
anne rose to 20 within.
AN rovoiri" she said. giving me her
hand in farewell, and stopped and kissed
tho fingers on which the Pierrepont dia-
monds were cleaning in the moonlight.