The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1890-08-20

LOVE AND STARS.

when watched the 0Cck upon the 1C-
boron / remained whole weeks without
seeing living soul, alone in the Pasturage
with my dog Labzi and my sheep From
time to time the hermit Of Mont de fUre
passed there 10 look for medicinal herbs,
or l saw the black face of some Piedmont
collier; but they were simple soQls. silent
BY dint of solitude. having lost she taste
for talking and knowing nothing of what
was said down in the villages and towns.
Hence every two weeks, when heard upon
the ascending highway the bells Of our
farm mule, bFanging me my provisions for
the coming fortnight, and saw gradually
appear from below the lively counJenance
of the little farm boy or ths red locks OF
old Aunt Nerade, l was indeed delighted
made the visitor tell me the ne-~s Of the
country at the foot Of the moRntain-the
baptisms, the marriages, but that which
interested me most of all was what had
happened to my masters daughter, our
Demeise4le Stsphanette, the prettiest girl
for ten leagues around.
Without appearing TO be toe much bent
upon acquiring this knowledge gathered
information a. to whether she went great
deal to fetes and evening assemblies;
whether new admirers were still throng-
what good those details could do me, 6
poor shepherd of the mountain, will
reply that l was 20 years old, and that
Stephanette was in my EYES the handsom-
est creature on the face Of Gods earth.
Now, one Sunday when l was waiting
for my provisions, It SO ctTanced that they
did not arrive until very late In the
morning said to myself: /" 1t is the fault
If no n
heavy storm came on and thought that
the mule had been unable TO set out be
cause of the bad condition of the road. At
last, about 3o'clock in the afternoon, the
sky having cleared and the mountain be
ing all of glitter with water and sun
light, heard, amid the droppiTCs from
the leaves and the OVERLOOKING of the
swollen brooks, the belts of he mule, as
gay and brisk as a grand church chime on
Easter day.
Put il was neither the little farm boy
nor old Aunt Nor2de who was urging the
animal along Il was-guess who! our
demoiSelle, my friends our demoiselle
herself, seated right between the osier
baskets, all rosy with the n ounJein air
and the GOODNESS brought on by the storm
The little farm BOY was sick; Aunt
Norade was absent on holiday visit to
her children. Pretty Stephsnette told me
all this as she sprang down from Ier mule
and also that she was late in arriving be
cause she had lost her way. But to see
her so finely dressed, with her lowered
ribbons, her f.rliiant skirt and her lace
she had rather the air of having fingered
ut some dance than of having sought for
Ter road among the bushes.
Oh, the delicious creature, Nv eyes
could not grow weary Of gazing at her. l.
is true that had never seen her so near
Sometimes during the winter, when the
flock had gone down into the plain and l
had returned in the evening 20 the farm
house TO SUP, she passed brisklv through
the hall, without talking much 10 the
s,rvants, always bedecked and q trife
hfUChty. Now nad her there before me,
for myself alone. Was it not enough 10
turn my head:
When she had taken the provisions from |
the basket StePhanette began to look Gu
riously around her. Raising a little her |
Sunday skirt, that might otherwise have !
become stained with mud, she entered the
fold. She wished TO see the corner where |
slept, the pile of straw that WAS my bed,
my sheepskin covering, my big cape hung
against the wall. my crook in my fiintlock
gun. All this amused her.
$50 it IS here you live, IS it, my poor
shepherds" said she, with heavenly smile.
How tired you must get Of always being
alone. What do yOu do. What do you
think aboutg'
had strong desire 70 reply, about !
you, mistress and I should have told the |
truth but my confusion was so great that |
| could not iud single word. l think she |
noticed this and that the mischievOus |
creature tool, pleasure in redoubliDg my |
embarrassment with her roguery.
And your sweetheart, shepherd con- |
tinued she. Does she climb up here 70 see |
you sometinesy Surely she must be the /
Golden Ioat or the Fairy Esterelle who |
skips only over the summit, Of the mount /
aims And she herself, as she spoke thus |
to me, had The very air Of the FAIRY Ester- |
ellie, with her lovely head thrown back, the /
pearlv laughter ripping from her cherry 1
lips, and her haste to depart TINT made 4
her visit seem like a dazzling vision.
Adieu, shepherd.
"AdieG, mistress
And she was gone, bearing away with !
her the empty baskets.
When the descending road hid her from |
sight it seemed 70 me that the stones roll |
ing beneath the shoes of the mule were /
falling one by one upon my heart. / heard I
them a log, long time, and until the close /
Of the day / was Ike one wrapped in a .
sweet slunber ie2ring 10 stir lest l might 4
drive away ny dean
Toward evening, O. tbe depths Of The val !
ley began 70 grow blue aud as Jhe sheep |
huddied together, bleating 70 return 90 The |
fold, heard some one cell me down the |
road and saw reappear our denoiselle, no |
longer smiling a. ! h2d seso her . short /
time before, but tre-n olng with cold, fear /