Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1890-09-06

"Then, why," stammered Jonanin,
"will you tell me, Noeline, why you
would not be my wife twenty years ago."
At first she could not answer; she
pointed to the chimney as if half ashamed,
and would have been glad to hide her
head in her apron, as she did when she
was young.
ut was the fault of the cricket, she
stammered.
"Of the cricket?"
"Yes! | was foolish. 1 thought you
would bring me misfortune. The cricket
stopped singing when you came to see
me.
He stopped singing! Why?"
Noeline shrugged her shoulders, in
sign that she did not know. They both
stood silent. dreaming and they dared
not look into each others eyes by the
light of the smoking resin.
Very soon Lariensec, the farmer, en-
tered.
Good evening, good evening, he said,
after the peasant fashion, saluting as
many times as there were persons in the
company.
And when he had recognized the former
shopkeeper-
what, Jonanin! you here! What the
devil are you doing here?"
Il come to talk over old times. 1t does
one good at our age.
"Ah, yes, the old times ?" said Larien-
sec. Il remember that you We're to have
been married, you and Noeline."
Certainly" replied the miller.
And do you know what kept us
apart? asked the merchant. A cricket. !"
Bah! exclaimed Lariensec. "ln fact,
| seem to remember"
He burst into loud laugh.
"Ah! 1t was too good!" said he, too
good!"
Then seriously.
Bah! You are happy. are you not?
Both happy? We are all happy here;
so we may confess our little peccadilloes
of other days Ali. that was one too
good Do you know, Jonanin. why the
cricket did not sing? We are all friends,
you know, old fellow? Well, it was be-
cause | was watching you; l scratched
in the chimney there, on the side next
oti licIIl, w licil YOU S'tille w pay soui
court All! other people loved Noeline,
too, and other people We're furiously
jealous!'
Then seeing that this revelation was
ccldly received, and that Noeine looked
at him sadly, he resumed generously:
THAT Is not all; come to tell you
that | accept your price for the corn: -
francs and sous the sack. Does that
suit you, Nooline?"
And Nocline in a low voice:
THAT suits me. Lariensec.
Then the farmer bought some spools
of thread from the merchant from
Orthez for his wife and paid without
bargaining.
"Good evening, good evening"" he
said, going out.
And the two old lovers were left alone.
They did not say much to each other
Jonanin slowly put up his merchandise.
turning over the little silver cross which
she still wore with her bony fingers
For one deSpairing moment she was per-
haps tempted to press her lips to Jo-
nanin's hair, once blonde, now turning
gray; but she restrained herself; her
virgin lips were ignorant how to give
such kiss.
"Well, good night, Noeline, said the
colporteur, lifting his box to his back.
"Good night, Jonanin!"
They awkwardly pressed each others
hands and parted.
He took the path through the woods
on which the moonlight fell; she stand
ing on her threshold watched him go,
while in the chimney the cricket sung in
the sad night, sung with a calm clear
untiring voice, as if he wished to tell
Noeline of all the happiness she might
have had.-[The French of Jean Ra-
meau