Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1888-12-19

wall that fronted the back OF the Bcr-
lots establishment, gathered himself
together for the effort, and with pro-
digIous bound cleared the lane and fell
into tree of the garden.
The noise of his plunge into the
branches aroused dog OF the neigh
borhood; IL began to bay, answered, IT
seemed TO Lurier, fram all directions;
1t was concert of yelps and howlings
that little by little died away. Nothing
was heard at last but the far-away
voice of a shepherds dog watching his
hocks below there, in the darkness of
the quiet fields. Pierre Lurier felt his
limbs to see il anything was broken and
began te consider. 1t was not much to
have entered the garden-it was really
nothing. He had come, in truth,
for something more, to throw himself
heart and soul into the adventure,
pushed by an Irresistible desire to finish
with his bad fortune; but he knew not
as yet if the Berlots still lived or still
inhabited their old dwelling.
No matter; he was right to have
come; it would have been imprudent
not to inform himself, and to inform
himself he had only to pass day in
the top of tree. If the farm had new
proprietors, he must depart again the
following night; if the Berlot's were
there, their money would repay him
for the trouble it gave him to regain
it. While waiting for the morning he
descended from his perch to get some
thing to eat. lie was not afraid of a
dog: for in the concert of a while ago
none. of the bowling had come from the
house. He walked then toward the
poultry yard.
1t was exactly the same-the house
for the pigs to the left, the stable for
| cows and horses to the right. In the
trough of the pigs his hand encountered
loaf of bread which he stuffed into
his pocket without the slightest feeling
of disgust. 1t was provision for the
morrow's repast. Then he gathered
some fruit from the garden, discreetly,
so as not to show.
These precautions made, he decided
to put off until the following night all
| that bore upon the crime, and he sought
a bed where he could rest through the
! day. He eyed the oak, thick ard
/ knotty, by which he had landed.
| Toward the middle of the tree the
! twisted trunk, followed by a stroke of
lightning, formed what was called In
| that country a cTeute. Pierre LurieI
went to bed there.
The sun had gilded the spiders webs
that hung between the branches of the
pear trees. and the dew dried from the
! vegetables, when he awakened. The
| first thing he saw across the leaves OF
| his oak was Father Berlot himself,
| engaged In attending TO the cares oi
| his poultry yard. The heart of Pierre
Lurier beat with Joy. Yes, the old
man was there, coming and going, and
distributing his grain and bread crumbs
to his noisy fowls, their breakfast tC
the gruntlng pigs.
This reminded Lurier that he, too,
was hungry. lie drew his bread and
fruit from his pocket and breakfasted
silently. Things were turning out tC
his satisfaction. for truly, since Father
Berlot cared for his poultry yard with
his own hands, he had no domestic and
must be alone in the house with only
Nine. Berlot.
Until eleven O'Clock the old man re.
mained in his court and garden, clean
Ing, digging, clipping and putting IL
order. AT one moment Pierre Luriel
was afraid. BeTlot was attentiveIy
considering his fruit-he had perceived
that some were lacking. Mechanically
he turned his eyes to the walls anC
trees at the end, seeming to suspec
that some one had entered there. Blu
the contemplation OF his broken bottles
so sharp and jagged, reassured him
He shrugged his shoulders with an al
of saying: No, wrong; it's impossiblel
Still, he was plainly tormented, anC
to be assured, called loudly: Pierre
, Pierrel here, / sayl'
Lurier trembled at the sound of hi
name, as If lie called him. lie buriei
himself still deeper in his creute. a
the shout of Berlot the kitchen doc
opened and a child came out, boy tel
, or twelve years old, rosy and blonde
: Lurier trembled still more-it SCENE
to him that It was he himself had com
! from the kitchen. 1t was the sam
little peasant gamin that he had bee
! III other days.
Pierre said Berlot, thou hast bee
stealing my pears
On, no, m 'sieu,' responded the lad
5 Il swear to you. How could 1 stea
them? / have only just come from III
! fields and pasturing the cow, and yo
yourself opened The kitchen door for N
/ to 90 to the stable, and the big door fC
g me to go to the fields
I Thou art little rascal. What is
r that prevents you coming in the garde
+ at nlghtr'
r oh, IN 'sieu, ImpossibleI EverythIn
t is closed in the housed
ia, Ia. Ia. prove to me that tho
< art not a thief!'
!, i swear it, 'sieu; behold the proof
e Pierre Lurier sbuddered with fea
{ fancying the little one had seen hin
e But no, the proof that he wishe
Il to give was only the solemn yo
usual with children of his age, whiC
e consisted in making the sign OF Il
@ cross, elevating his right hand an
e splitting upon the ground. Berlot CO.
b tented himself with pulling his ed
e and returned with him to the house.
y Twelve O'Clock struck. The crackt
II sound OF the village bell was the on
d noise that troubled that silent hou
e Two or three chickens picked here al
c there In the dunghill by the stable. II
:, pigs had emptied their box and retire
e to sleep in the bottom of their pc
e The sparrows had left the fruit al
n gone to the fields, and the peasants hi
p drunk their soup and were at wol
Il again. Nothing stirred in the hamle
and there was only a vague rustlil
e and buZzing in the country as If Il
d earth sighed while sleeping In the su
d light.
it Pierre Lurier felt rise within HIM
K singular peace. 1t was good to live
this. tranquility. The chickens we
d happy, the birds content. the existen
n of the little Pierre charming in spi
le of the growliDgs of Father Berlot. II
st ears were pulled sometimes, 1t was tru
,e but he could drink, eat, sleep, walk
q the grass and under the wood witho
Is fear, without looking behind him to S
b if he were persued by tricorne.
And Father Berlot was rich; he hf
N his fowls, his pigs, his pears-what
= happy mani Why had not he, Pier
y Lurier, his share OF happiness, to
N All, why? Had he only remained he
pr in the fields like his father. But W
{, it really his fault that he had gon
IN They had told him they had more fo
T. tunes in the city. Could he have gain
lg that fortune? Perhaps; who could te
lie lie had good chances; patron h
10 taken a fancy IN him on his arrival. d