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

a gentleman: and what a change it made |
In his appearance! Mademoiselle Hortense,
wise she met him in the hail. looked at /
him with pretty little start and blushed |
crimson. He was not less confused than /
she and so they stood moment in awk-
ward silence, looking at each other and ]
smiling as bashfully as two peasants would
have done:
The weather continued fine, just warm
enough to make the mocking birds sing
morning, evening and az intervals, all the
night long. Andre did his part of the
singing, too. You could have heard his
guitar and his rich baritone voice, when
the breeze was right, clear across thebayou.
ale must be Il prince or at least Il count
in disguise" remarked Monsieur Armand
to his wife,
"He certainly has a distinguished air."
said Madame Armand.
"He has read "A great deal: his language
is very refined" added Nation.
Mademoiselle Hortense said nothing, but
her face was flushed, and her heart made
the blood sing in her veins. To the quiet
! and isolation of Chateau d. Armand, Andre
! Duval had brought little stir of life. The
! change was seductive one, affecting deep
ly and strangely every member of the house
hold. AS Andres spirits rose, his ready
wit and large knowledge of the world en-
abled him to display himself with singular
and fascinating brilliancy. suddenly, as
was natural he found himself IN love with
| Hortense, and he awoke to the terrible
reality of his condition. A penniless vaga-
bond daring to connect his hopes with
Pshaw! He looked in upon his life, and
heartily despised himself. The poles of his
temperament were reversed the sunlight,
the bright bayou, the dusky old mansion,
! the whole world had shrveled into a hate
| full scowl of fate.
One morning the household awoke to
discover little later that Andre Duval
had left during the night. 1t was great
surprise, Il sore disappointment; but what
could be done? They looked at one another
in hopeless surrender to the silence and
loneliness of their remote and uneventful
1 existence.
"Ou est lie maroufe?" Where is the rag
amuflinO screeched the parrot. lou est
lie marouhe: 10, no, ho-o-o!"
Mademoiselle Hortense slipped away to
her room and cried
As if to add to the special gloom, the sky
was overblown with low gray clouds that
presently began to let fall IA fine, steady
rain, which lasted with scarcely an inter
mission for two weeks.
What to the household of Chateau d'Ar-
mand seemed peculiarly touching was the
fact that Andre Duval had, in taking his
mysterious departure, left behind him the
respectable clothes that had been given to
him and had gone away dressed in the rags
of his vagabondage. Doubtless the Old
parrot had seen him go, for it kept chatter
ing about the marOufle ana scoding be-
cause he would not come back. Andre had
won the wise old bird over to him, but it
persisted in its first impression that he
TO ,o al al n
We who live III towns and cities, or in
thickly settled re -ions, know nothing of
the utter isolation in which the jewellers
on the great lowland plantations passed
their lives. True, they had their visitors
now and again. and they went once or
twice n year to some place of resort; but
their home life luxurious and picturesque
as it was. stood as the measure of loneli-
ness Think of it! There was not another
mansion within less than fifteen miles of
Chateau d'Armand The bayou was the
highway. rhe only passersby were those
in the boats.
Long after the mnstrel's departure there
came a letter addres>edt to NJ. Andre Duval
Nicompte de Naudreuil. care of NJ. Nation
d'Armand."
He told me once to open any letter that
might come when he was gone" said Mat
ton.
So he broke the seal and found the fol
lowing letter, accompanied by Il letter OF
credit to a New Orleans bank for "A large
sum
My DEAR NEPHEw-It i. charming news tC
me that you are heartily ashamed of your tiff
| with me, and that yol are anxious to return t.
= your own country. one good turn deserve,
! another Permit me. rs your guardian, t,
notify you that your aunt i dead and tina
your estate awaits YOU. take pleasure in al
vancing YOU D.HOJ francs. Ii YOU have real!
r finished your travels. come back and bra -ru,i
: bic man. and | Will be glad ever 10 remain
e your devoted uncle, MoNrPEN siER.
/. Nation read this epistle aloud, STANDING
$ in the midst of the assembled household
They all listened in breathless silence
e Hortense as pale as a ghost.
5 1t was early summer and the hall stOoC
: open, the wind pouring through in 1
;. strong, cool current.
n "Voici Voicil lie marouhe! Hol Ho
5 Ho-o-o-ah!"
= They all turned about as the parro
= screeched, and there on the threshold
u ragged, haggard forlorn, stood Andre Du
val, his old guitar slung at his side, hal
d jaunty smile beamng through his embar
1t rsssment and humility.
|. Hortense cried out and started as if t
n run to him; but she checked herself, turne
q limp and helpless.
If Nation went to meet him with the lette
l. in his hand.
"Welcome, Monsieur the Vicompte; W
l. are right glad to see you back" he eA
:. claimed right cordially.
is Andre started, gazed hard at MattoI
:, and gray cloud gathered in his face,
+ cloud that was mixed of surprise, hop,
At dread, everything that tears mans hear
t, in a moment when breath may mean lif
Is or death
lie II have a glorious letter for you. III
IT sorry opened it, but you were"-
Ii Andre Interrupted him by tumbling fo
d. ward and falling full length on the foo
The poor fellow could not bear up unde
a this sudden pressure of excitement
ID They bore him to bed and resorted I
f. every means at their command to brin
r. him round to consciousness. A long il
ir ness followed, through which he was nurse
Sc with tenderest care; and then, when it Wa
lg all over, when he was well enough to CON