The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1888-01-21

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Tho bride dared 70 assert that there had besu
Q blunder In the delivery Of the man for
husband. II was not Auguste, but Cadeton,
whom she had chosen.
"That fellow" exclaimed CastAgnet, -
youngster like thatl beardless boy! a.
After ALL" he concluded, "for my own part,
provided have donkey
But IL was now the turmoil I.abarthe, VINO
entered in fine rage.
"Cadeton! The donkey will remain at
home with him. Let him gof Never"
1T was trap, them shouted Castagnet'
bounding up Miserable fellow"
"But'----
Labarthe understood his sons thouShtless-
ness. He tried to deny it, Some neighbors
had run in There was but one way to prove
his good faith; give his younger son ana ms
donkey 20 his rival. He gave them up, Ana
in month later, after "A new contract had
been signed and the bans had been pub
lished, the bclfry of Saliguacq announced
marriage in the beautiful Gascon tones OF ITS
bells. Cadeton, who saw growing the hrst
hairs on his lip, put on large new vest TO
90 and find Hancttc at the Upper Mill lie
was happy; he trcmblcd with feycrish eX-
element, and never in the heavens was
there 50 much light as on this day. When he
was all ready he went to take Hercules from
the stable and he put on him fine, hand
some, stout bride, a handsome fly net and a
heavy blanket Of gray wool. Hercules and
he were to present themselves together at the
Upper Mill on the morning of the wedding
day. And the donkey was as happy as his
master He danced, he knelt, he saluted
L.abarthe, whom he was going to leave for
ever, and he counted up to nine with his
hoof. Now, just at the moment when he
was setting out for the Upper Mill, the young
spouse felt the paternal hand lying heavy on
his back.
"Listen," said Labarthe, in an agitated
voice.
He drew the son toward the stable.
my son, | am an honest man, as you
know. | made great sacrifices for you.
Take Hercules away. Since he is the price
of your happiness, consent to the separa-
ton. But and he waxed profane, II VIII
never permit my competitor to make use OF
him. In two years would not have sack
of -four TO grind Go at once and give your
donkey this half pound of powdered cobalt,
which | have mixed with five quarts OF
BRAN
Cadeton grew pale.
"Fear nothing Labarthe went on. Il
have foreseen everything. The first symp-
toms of the poisoning will not appear for
two hours. In two hours Yanette will be
your wife, and what's done can't be undone,
Come, be quick"
But, papa" -
''No foolishness now If you don't mind
me, everything shall be stopped"
Cadeton felt cold sweat start on his tenn
pies. What the good donkey, that he had
ridden so much when he was general! the
good donkey that had carried Ianettel the
unforgetting friend that had brought thelr
love to light! "Oh, no, moi" said he, keep
ing away from the trough that was filled
with the bran But he thought of Yanette's
large eyes, of her bright smile, of all the
radiant promise of this day, for which he
had SO long waited.
"Ohl my God" said he, burying his face
in his hands And he heard Hercules MUNICH
ing the contents of the trough.
Five minutes later Cadeton trembled a
little as he presented himself at the Upper
Mill. Castagnet felt of the donkey, ex'
amined him all over, found that he was
sound, and put Yanette's hand into that OF
Cadeton. Yanette was resplendent She
was all in white. She made light about hei
as she walked through the fields CadetoI
| trembled. Coming out from the mayor:
Office, what is the matter with you" asked
she Of him, ''you are pale" Cadeton told
her tho whole story. And in the church
when the Salignacq organ played its pretties
tune over the shining faces Of the newly wed
and when the old curate declared, in solemn
Latin words, that the blessing Of HEAVIER
would descend on Yanette and Cadston
they, very humbly, with great fervor in theil
souls and with sweet tears in their eyes
prayed with all their might that tho goot
God would accord them long life, that Ht
would cause great harvests of corn to grow
in the field for them to grind, that He would
send water to turn their mill, and also that
He would keep life in the poor, innocent anc
loved donkey that was called Hercules
Alas when they came back, arm in arm, t.
the Upper Mill, Hercules gave his last sigh
turning on his master his great despairlne
eyes, those eyes so profound, SO thoughtful
SO loving, so mysterious that they had some
times disturbed the eyes of men.
A year went by, and there came thu
christening of the first son of Yanette anl
Cadeton The mayors wife having acceptet
the part of godmother, and the schoolmas
ters wife having attended the ceremony, th
young mother received heaps of flowers jus
as if she had been fine lady. On the mex
day there might have been seen the hand
soonest of the bouquets spread piously unde
the decaying oak, which served as boundar,
mark between the lands of the two mills.
1t was there that Cadeton had buried Her
cules year before. Translated for the Boz
ton Transcript from the French by Jea
Rameau.
Ferdinand Wards Health.
When Ferdinand Ward was sent to Sin
Sing for ten years there were scores of pei
sons, among whom were some intimat
friends of Ward, who said that he would nc