The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-12-15
MONSIEUR LIE CURE.
From Temple Bar.

che straight, white roads of the little
Ardennes Village. The white houses, over
avery third of which hung the sun-dried
hush which proclaimed the estaminet; the
bright mustard meadows; the red roof of
the old tiled church all added to the general
sense of heat and color, which was pervad
ing the August noon. Into this atmosphere
If warmth and sunlight there came a sud
dan shadow which seemed to disturb and
almost to stain it-Monsieur lie Cure.
A tall, gaunt man, bowed somewhat at
the shoulders, aud with his hands clasped
behind his back, he came slowly out of the
porch and began pacing the little gayly
decked garden. The sun rays flickered
little as though reluctant to rest upon the
somber figure
While he was pacing up and down, wait
ing for the shrill voice of Jeanne-Marie-an
old Walloon who served him in the triple
qualification of cook, housekeeper and
qardener-to summon him to his midday
meal, another actor arrived upon the scene.
This was a man in a tourists suit, who ap-
peared suddenly upon the ridge of a little
hill beyond the farthest field, and it seemed
TO the watching eyes of the priest as
though he had emerged straight from the
blue haze formed by the distant sunlight.
The newcomer was an Englishman, hand
some and well set-up, who whistled lively
air of a man who was perfectly content
with himself. AS be passed, he turned
for longer look at the solitary figure
which was apparently noting mis- own
movements, and then went on his way with
laugh.
A beggarly priest, he thought. Good
Lord be pitied him. What a life to be
buried like that, unless the man were as dull
as the earth at his feet
And while the two men stood looking at
each other, a small cloud, no bigger than a
mans hand, crept up between them and
married the clearness of the sky.
Two days afterward, and in the tiny bed
room Of the whitewashed vicarags, man
lay mute and unconscious, dying apparent
ly. The whole of the little letnargic vii
lage was agog with excitement, and the
sturdy laborer who had found the injured
man. the tlaxen-haired child who had been
The first to carry the INTEL igence to Monsieur
le Cure, and Jeanne-Marie, who could fur
nish the freshest items of news, all found
themselves suddenly in earnest request He
was an Engllshman, this unknown stranger;
that went without saying, for, judging by
lis dusty and travel-stained clothes, he
must have been walking for miles in that
burning sun when every sensible Belgian
have been giddy, too, from the effects of
that sun. for even dogs and Englishmen
must somewhere have brain to be affected
by such sultrineSs, or else his foot must
have slipped, or he could never have met
with SO frightful an accident. In falling
upon the harrow he had gashed open his
head, and run its sharp edge into his side,
and it was then that zee panvren must have
| become unconscious, and have lain there
Z fba of h0 or Hnyu
had poured, "mon Dieu!" the whole evening
and night the rain had been pelting him
| lAerciessly. Small wonder that life had
| been almost extinct when in the morning le
matre Correct had found him, and Monsieur
le Cure had had him carried to his own
bone. Ali he had a good soul, 'un anne
chretienne'-:haJ cure of theirs. Not much
use perhaps for everyday affairs, nor one to
whom many condolences would be carried,
but observant Of every parish duty, and
without doubt a saint. Why, look how
affected he had been when first confronted
| by the CHASTITY blood-stained face of the in
| iured man.
How white his own face had grown, and
| how strangely he had muttei ed in that un-
cOuth English tongue which had so strong a
fascination for him that jeanne Marie had
declared he whispered it in his sleep. The
stranger had fallen into good hands in fall
ing into his.
Thus the village gossips. while hour after
hour the priest stood by the bedside, and
fought with death for the soul of the IN
conscious man.
"A doctor Is unnecessary. / can do all
there is to be done and The fever will go out
of itself" he said, quietly, when the sugges-
ton was haZarded that a twenty-mile walk
might possibly find the doctor at home;
AID no one was in a position to dispute his
verdict
As time went on there was something al
most horrible in the feverish anxiety with
which he watched his patient. With the
exception of the one half hour which was
necessary for morning mass he never left
him night or day, and would spend whole
hours In gazing fixedly at the motionless
bandaged figure, or listening with an atten-
ton that was painful in its eagerness to the
disjointed words which fell from the sick
man in his dellrium.
1t was the ninth day, when he was bend
ing over him, that into the blue eyes there
shot the first CLEAN of returning conscious
ness, and with it there came sudden look
OF terror as he saw the thin, dark face of
the silent priest.
As fuller comprehension came slowly to
him the dim half-memory which the sight
mad awakened fioated into the back
ground, and faint smile flickered on the
pale lips.
I've had a narrow squeak for it." he
sad, speaking slowing and with difficulty.
And then, recollecting himself, he added:
Pardon, monsieur, 'mais-a boire.'n
HIS nurse went to a cracked jug which
stood by the door aud poured him out one
Of Jeanne-Marie'S connections.
You eau speak English he answered,
CURLY Il understand"
You are Englishg
The other hesitated
Partly" he SAID at last.
u remember the accident" went oh the
SICK man, after pause. "You are pulling
me through I owe you great deal"
Yes, am pulling you through, and you
VIII owe me a very great deal,n repeated
MS host mechanically and his voice sounded
even harsher and more monotonous that
usual
After that there was no return of the
lever, and except for the necessary ban
uaglng for the next few days the patient
was left pretty much to himself, while the
priest took long solitary walks, fastening
over the ground at so violent a speed that
eaca night he would come home footsore and
thoroughly tired out.
In only one way did he vary those days
from the quiet, equable life he was accus-
TONED to lead, and that was he avoided the
va church where so many of his hours had
previously been spent. The mass once over
ne hurried away from the place Wi hout
ever backward glance, and a great,
wooden ffx bad hoe