Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1891-02-27

ton.
"If monsieur will kindly honor me l
should be glad to invite him to breakfast
with me at my fathers house yonder."
ooh, with deep pleasure; thank you,
monsieur"
Come then"
"You are very kind, monsieur"
They strobe side by side along the hedge
till they came to an opening, then they
crossed the little field to the great oaken
gate.
The sun was now well up in the east and
shining gloriously. From the bayou came
the leapng breeze to worry the long moss
on the spreading boughs and to make the
leaves clash and rustic like the stir of
heavy silk.
Andre looked up the avenue and saw
slender girl standing on the step of YER
anda in the dusky shadows of the trees.
She was dressed in white and looked not
unlike tall, pure flower. Instantly wave
of shame came over him. He stopped just
inside the gate.
"Come on, monsieur" said his COM
panon.
"But, no." he exclaimed, 81 cannot. l
am not-1''- He glanced down over his
clothes.
"Do not think of that" urged the other
| in soft persuasion. 1T makes no differ
ence if monsieur is trihe travel worn.
That is nobody but my little sister"
He grasped Andres arm and led him
right along while he was speaking. The
two young men were like twins in size,
their athletic shoulders and well set heads,
their 1.-THE bodies and graceful limbs match
ing almost perfectly.
1--WE call our place the Chateau d'Ar-
mand," said the young man in Andres ear
as they approached the veranda 'My
name is Nation d'Armand; what name
have you?"
"Andre Duval."
Monsieur Duval, little sister; my sister,
Mademolsele d Armand" said the young
man, with graceful lightuess aud yet with
dignity.
The girl smiled sweetly, but there was Il
reserve Of wonder in her eyes as she invol-
unfairly swept them over Andres form.
Her brother managed to make sundry
signs to her which she interpreted readily,
and from them she caught the spirit of
Nations hospitality. If he had said, THE
poor fellow is starving" she could not
have been surer of his meaning
"Breakfast is waiting | believe" she
said, stepping back ward to let them pass
into the hall. "And you found no game
this morning, brother miner she added to
!
Nation.
His dog captured me, Mademoiselle, "
said Andre, with a shrug and a reminis-
cent smile.
At this moment a magnificent parrot
cried out from its perch on an anter hang
ing near:
"Venez icil Venez icil Tn maroufe'
Ho! Ho! Hon. Come here A ragamuf-
fnD
"The bird discriminates with accuracy"
added Andre.
Everybody laughed; it was impossible
not to do it.
Nation laid his gun on buckhorn rack
and took Andres battered hat and hung II
beside his own; then said:
Come this way, please"
They bowed to Mademoiselle Armand
and Andre followed his young host into a
room where he was left to battle his face
and make ready for breakfast silent
black boy standing by to serve him AT
need.
few minutes later Nation came to in
quire if he was ready, and they went to
gether to the breakfast room.
AS they were crossing the hall the parrot
screamed out:
"Begone. you ragamuffin, BECOME quick
Ho. Ho! Hop
Andre Duval found himself in a nous,
worth studying: it was "A place to charm
the eye of the artist, the poet, the dreamer
Here, indeed, was provincial palace
: rustic castle, so TO say-a sylvan chateau
1t was II wooden structure of ample dimen
sions built after the crudrst design anC
finished in a rude way, but yet it reflected
at every turn Il solid taste and that refine
ment which comes of IA long line of refined
ancestors The roughly carved oak cell
ings, the massive wall panels, the grea
dark stairs in the hall, the ancient pict
E ures the tapestries, the ponderous mahog
g any furniture-all these seemed to b
! stepped in the atmospl ere of centuries
He remembered having seen such thing
; during his childhood in France.
\ Andre followed his young host into tn
large, airy breakfast room, where he wa
presented to Madame aud Monsieur d'Ai
e mand. The master Of the place Was short
t sturdy, dark man. gentle and winning il
. his manners, while maGame, his wife, wa
tall, stately, reserved, though by Lo mean
n lacking in affability. Alademoiselle Hor
v tense, the daughter, sat opposite andre a
e the table.
Q Somehow our vagabon forgot his tattere
i clothes and sunbrowned face in the mids
of the pleasant chatter that followed
d Moreover, he did not eat over heartily 70
Z! one who had tasted long True, he di
ample justice to the venison. the fish, tn
n eggs, the hot rolls and a goodly number c
b other toothsome comestibles, but he mar
|. aged not to appear ravenous.
k After breakfast the gentlemen had C
t, gars, and then Andre was asked to sins
IS OF course he could not refuse, though hi
heart almost failed hin. at thought of sinG
ing in the presence of Mademois -lle Ho
e tense d Armand He could scarcely tru,
r himself to look at her, for her swee
n bright fnce sent all sorts of wild thrill
It through his heart. Foolish fellow! II
thought to himself thai to spend one hot
n in such company was ample reward for a
n the privation he had endured since Liant
lie ing at New Orleans.
When once he began to sing the trepid
20 ton left him. Luckily, perhaps, he trie
1, some old French songs. At least the e
a feet was all that he could have wished TO
ID His four auditors showed tears in the
lie eyes before he was done, and when lie aro
to resume his tramp, and was thankiI