San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1891-05-08


the privatiou he had endured since land.
ing ut New Orleans.
Tslen once he be gan IN sing the trepida
ton left hiI.. LucGi!y, perhaps, he tried
eEme old French sopga. At least the eff
feet was all that he could nave wished for.
His four auditors showed tears in their
eyes before be was done, and when ne arose
to resume his tramp, and was thanking
them for their generous and touching kind
ness, it was Mademoiselle Hortense who
suggested that a whole day Of rest would
be good for Monsieur Duval. All the rest
of the household joined at once in this
thought, and so Andre staid not for one
day only, but for many days. He asked
for writing materials, and scrawled long
epistle which he begged Nation to post
for him. It was addressed to Louis VAL
more, Due &c Moutpensier, Paris. This
caused Nation to open his eyes and won.
der why this strollinG minstrel should be
writing to so great man as the Due de
Montpeusier. He showed the superscrip-
ton to his parents and to his sister. Ger
tainly 1t was mystery.
Next morning q servant came into An
dre's room with a great armful of clothes
and card, on which was written:
PLEASE accept these to serve you until
you can hear from home"
He could not refuse kindness coming in
this way; to have done so would have
wounded some one, perhaps all, of his
generous entertainers. He may, moreover,
have taken a half pathetic delight in going
downstairs dressed from head to foot like
a gentleman: and what a change it made
in his appearance. Mademoiselle Hortense,
.la., hn in, tha holl l-aI
him with pretty little start and bluShed
crimson. He was not less confused than
she and SO they stood 4 moment in awk-
wal silence. looking at each other and
smii ng rs bashfully as two peasants would
have done.
The weather continued fine, just warm
enough to make the hooking birds sing
morning, evening and at intervals, all the
night long. Andre did his part of the
singing, too. You could have heard his
guitar and hi, rich baritone voice, when
the breeze Wa right, clear across the bayou.
'Ha rust I've Il prince or at least Il count
in disguise" remarked Monsieur Armand
to his wife.
"Hc certainly has a distinguished air."
said Madam" Armand.
He has read = great deal: his language
is very relneu, auCeu 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
lyand strange every member of the house
hold. As Andres spirits rose. his ready
wit and large knowledge of the void en-
abled him to display himself with a.u-,Il,r
and fascinating brilliancy. Suddr...., IS
was natural, he found himself in love with
Hortense, and he Gwoke 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 despi5ed himself. The poles of his
temperament were reversed; the sunlight,
the bright b&"Ou, the dusky old mansion,
the whole world had shriveled into hate
full scowl of fate.
One morning the household awoke to
discover a little later that Andre Duval
had left durim the night. 1t was a great
surprise, il sore disappointment; but what
could be done5 They looked at one another
in hopeless surrender to the silence and
loneliness of their remote and Uneventful
existence.
lou est lie maroufe?" Where is the rag
amuflin?) screeched the parrot. 'Ou est
lie marouhe? 10, no, ho-o-o"
Mademoisclla lEortense slipped away TO
her room and cried.
As if to add to the special gloom. the sky
was overblown with low gray c.ouds tnrt
presently began to let fall fac, 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 marouile and scoldng be-
cause he would not come back. Andre had
won the wise old bird over to him, but it
persisted in It's first impression that he
ought to be called a ragamuffin.
We who live in towns and cities, or in
thickly settled regions, know nothing of
the utter isolation in which the jewellers
on the great l0wland plantations passed
their lives. True, they had their visitors
now and again. and they went once or
twice a 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 The only passersby were those
in the boats.
Long after the minstrel's departure there
came letter addressed to M Andre Duval,
Vicompte de Vaudreuil. 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