The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1888-09-08
"DON GARC0N."

There is little corner in southern Italy
where Already still fingers. Once was IN
the habit of spending every spring there pu'
shall never 60 again. Yet 1t is to me the
most beautiful place in the world:
One lands at the Marina and climbs the
hin winding up. up, up the long white high
road which is like shelf along the edge OF
the cliff.
High above ones head hangs the mountain,
leaning forward stark and grim; below the
wall of the road the ground falls sheer away
TO the sea. One sees nothing but the great
shining plain and the threatening mountain.
Round and round curves the road between
those two silent watching enemies, till sud
denly. without warning, one reaches the
plateau and comes out In land OF desire
1t is only to climb wall and then to walk
onward without let or hindrance through inc
wheat fields under the olives, where the
young green wheat blades are like swordsfor
keenness. and their color strikes on the soul
like a song too sweet for words, and yet
brave withal And below the wheat on tho
lower terraces are the bean fields, sweet and
heavy, where q man may lie full length on
the short grass Of the threadlike paths and
feel nothing but the warm odors, the little
winds over the blossoms, be conscious OF
nothing but the glory Of the wheat, the
Pickering shades Of the gnarled olives In the
afternoon light, and II he lies still enough
tho sound of the nightingale learning Its
song. And yet he may be sick at heart.
As lay there the livelong April day,
neither reading nor thinking, nor grateful to
God for his wind and his bean fields,
but with my fingers in my ears to shut out
the sound of the nightingale who sang loud,
so loud!
For, instead OF the young spring tide,
saw nothing but n woman, standing as at
first saw her. dressed in white from head to
foot, with bare arms and shoulders, a wreath
OF brown winter ivy round her golden head
and a great garland OF 1t on her gown.
There she stood and looked me in the eyes,
with straight grave glance.
Not the look she gave men as rule;
found that out soon enough, for If ever there
was woman coquette, seduisante ,tmy Eng
lish is not good at best, it leaves me always
when speak Of herr, 1t was she-Suzon.
used to watch her often as she talked TO
men with that quick grace she had, and he
ing used to Analysing faces-it Is my profess
sion for that matter, who am a dOctor-I
saw that she, whom most women hated for
her lovers, whom most men adored and
thought soft, warm plaything, une vraie
femme, was in reality as cold as Q stone
image.
It was very pretty play which went on
around her, with often a change In the jeuns
premier, but she did not act In it herself
She piped carelessIy and all her court
danced, but she grew neither warm nor
weary.
| am not very sure how came to DO 80
friendly with her; think she began It,
But we fell into way Of walking over the
hills together and sitting on the cliffs In the
mondays, looking out over sea like tho
glory Of God for light and colcr; talking Of
many things sometimes, sometimes quito
silent, lying In tho sun with my hat over
my eyes, drinking in the scents Of the spring
air. just seeing the splendor Of bush Of yell
low broom standing out against violet sea;
The with her head flung back on the short,
Try grasses, often enough cigarette In her
mouth
As the days went by we grew quietly
nearer one another, insensibly, till one morn
ing asked her something.
Tho fact was, all the place was ringing
with her doings. The men with whom she
had amused herself for time, not all being
gentlemen, handled her name In the cafes
without too much courtesy. And tho women
had always hated her for her beauty, Dor
toilets, her artistic reputation; young as she
was, she had had mention at the Salon.
En I eGnlh ar ly ual har o,,H
GENTLY to DO worth the price.
She shook her head.
When she was not painting she grew hor-
ribly ennuyee; she must do something. And
then it was not all her fault, she said
ut Is to great extent" told her. "You
lead men on horribly mot me-ce nest pas Ia
peine-but most mem. As soon az they
make love to you they disgust you. repel
you; you fling them over none too gently,
and, we'll enfin, they talk"
She nodded. l fancy she knew quite well
what sort Of reputation she had But pres
emily she said with amusement:
$50 you do not care about me-your
~ like you SO much that do not like them
to speak Of you az they do. You are always
bon garcon to me-" ! cried, turning sharply
on her; "why cannot you translate II liter
ally and he good boy alwaysl Drop your
coquetry, take life frankly; you would do
better"
She did not answer.
The sun was hot, she began to look tired
and said she had work to do, she must go
home thought she did not like what had
said. But | walked to her villa with her,
and as stood in the loggia and babe her
good-by she put her hand into mine
And something prompting me, said very
low:
BE a good boy"
She looked me in the face.
81 will, she said. as though she we're max.
ing vow.
And she did, know, for | never again
saw in her that light manner which had
always disliked; never heard her talking
to men as had heard her often enough.
And we were rather more together than
ever. She would not let me treat her as a
woman; indeed, she was tho only woman
ever knew who was, au fond, bon garcon--
who knew the meaning of camaraderia
But my relation to her was getting all
pose, aud | knew it.
"Mon camarade, mon beau garcon, mon
ami" said 10 her, and In my soul called
her ma rose blonde, ma cherie"
made up my mind to go away; it was all
/ could do. She knew nothing about my
wife, and Of course knew / must tell her.
So one very windy unpleasant day, as We
were sitting in little sheltered cove on the
shore, screwed my courage to the sticking
nlacao and told har I rnusf eyn n, Roma