The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1889-03-26
Copyright by the Author.)
CHAPTER VI.
ICONTINUED.
AT THE HOME OF THE OUTLAW.

WINDOW DunQS. he IOOhCu dOOuI 49,
for his fair nurse, but she was not there;
A negro boy came from a corner and
stood before him in a respectful attitude
"Where is Mademoiselle Rochon? de-
handed Orion, with the fretful peremt"rl-
ness common to invadids when GONZALES
cling.
boys answer in very good French. "Does
Monsieur wish to have her come?
eyes, | do" said Orion.
The boy went briskly and lightly out
and after a little while Mile. Rochon came
in. She smiled brightly when she saw
how much better her patient looked. In
her hand she bore a small silver platter
upon which was a steaming bowl OF
broth.
"You must be quite hungry, Monsieur
Orion" she exclaimed cheerily as she
| came toward him, "and I have brought
you something good that I made with my
own hands"
"a thousand thanks, Mademoiselle, y
| he said, "a thousand thanks"
He was trying to rise.
"No, mol" she cried, "you must be
quite still, Monsieur, indeed you must!'
dIlu Sic puO Ill 11CI 11dL1u d. IL W pic
vent him. "You must do just as | tell
you"
She spread a snowy napkin b~efore-him,
raised his head a little with the pillows
and prepared to feed him with a spoon.
"How coed you are" he murmured,
" and to a prisoner, too!'
"Oh, you are hardly a praisoner, rather
a guest" she responded quickly. Though
your invitation was a very rough one, |
admit. 1t is a wonder that you are alive.
My uncle rarely is so generous She
spoke far from lightly and there was a
sad ring in her voice. "But he seems to
have known your father long ago and re-
members him gratefully for some act of
kindness"
Il am under deepest obligations to
your uncle, Mademoiselle, he replied, II
hope he Jared better than l in our little
passage at arms"
He was scarcely hurt at all" she said,
He never gets hurt, indeed. He seems
to bear a charmed life, and then he is so
strong"
Orion smiled reminiscently, thinking
over the terrific struggle with Rochon.
~ deemed myself a match for any man
until I came upon Monsieur Rochon, said
he, "but he rather overbore me, I be-
lieve."
at does appear So" she replied, land
| am so happy that it is no worse"
"But, Monsieu, you are not to talk any
more" she went on, "you are to sip this
soup and keep silent"
Spoonful by spoonful she fed him with
a sweet, gentle dignity of manner, sitting
close by his bedside. Orion felt to the
full that refined delight which the artist
lover takes in the dual experience of low
ing and studying at the same time and all
in that atmosphere of romance so dear to
the young and healthy heart. Mile. Ro-
chon, too, vas receptive in the highest
degree to every charm of the situation.
Perhaps she was as yet but half aware of
the power that Orton's manly beauty
was exerting over her, still it was
exquisite pleasure to her to administer to
him and to realize that her ministrations
were acceptable. The isolated life to
which she had been for so long confined
had made her interpretive, finding most
OF her quleter pleasures within her own
breast. Now the care of this golden
haired young messenger from the great
teeming social outside world was stirring
her heart with many glowing but as yet
almost formless dreams. Her experiences
had been softened greatly by the rough
but careful watchfulness of her uncle, who
IN his grim way dotted upon her, still she
had known, as If at a distance, the wild
life that was flowing around her and had
come to feel quite safe in the midst of it.
Occasionally there had come to the Rochon
place people of refinement, her uncle's
friends from New Orleans. and Mobile,
dropping ashore for a few days during
their summer voyages of pleasure, but
these had not interested her in more than
a passing way. Rochon's sister, dead
ONE years since, had been Felicie's
teacher, a very austere and exacting one,
indeed, but the girl had a disposition not
to be spoiled, and so had grown up strong
and lovely in body and soul. Old Rochon
himself, as the reader must know while
he was not just the man to be the guar
dian and director of a young girls life,
was as good to her as his business and
his coarse nature would let him be.
While Orion was quietly slipping the
soup rendered him by Mile. Rochon,
heavy footballs were heard on the stairs.
my uncle is coming now" she said,
half hearkening to the measured treated,
"you must net let him make you talk too
much, remember that, please, Monsieur"
Rochon stalked in presently, his burly
form draped in a light loose jacket and
broad trousers, his gray hair tossed in
great shocks over his head, his beard un-
kempt. One hand was bandaged, his
forehead had a white plaster on it and his
left arm was bound up just above the
elbow. Notwithstanding his roughness
and his air of brigandish savagery, there
was something about him magnetic, a
strong dash of personal influence as power
1ul as 1t was strange. His rather dark
gray, eyes were deep, clear and steadfast
in their gaze, looking out from under
heavy, shaggy brows, matted and drawn,
his forehead was deeply furrowed, like
wise his massive cheeks over which al
most up to his eyes grew the orizzled