The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-03-07

leaves clash and rustic like the star 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
panion.
"But no.'' he exclaimed, ~ cannot. I
am MOTIF He glanced down over his
clothes.
do not think of that" urged the other
in soft persuasion. ut 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 hike twins N 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 OAR
mand," said the young man in Andres ear
as they approached the veranda. sMy
name is Nation d'Armand; what name
have your"
ANDRE Duval."
Monsieur Duval, little sister: my sister,
Mademoisef1e d'Armand," said the young
man, with graceful hghtness and yet with
dignity.
The girl smiled sweetly, but there was a
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, I believe" she
said, stepping backward 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 magnificent parrot
cried out from its perch on an antler hang
ing near:
"venez icil venez lei, I'm maroufle!
Ho! Ho! Hop Come here! A ragamuf-
fnD
1.-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 it
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.
A 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 ragamufin, begone, quick!
Hol Ho! Hop
Andre Duval found himself in house
worth studying; 10 was place to charm
the eye of the artist, the poet, the dreamer.
Here, indeed, was a provincial palace-a
rustic castle, so to say-a sylvan chateau.
1t was wooden structure of ample dmen-
sions, built after the crudest design and
finished in a rude way, but yet it reflected
at every turn solid taste and that refine
ment which comes of long line of refined
ancestors. The roughly carved oak cell
ings, the massive wall panels, the great
dark stairs in the hall, the ancient pict-
ures, the tapestries, the ponderous mahog-
any furniture-an these seemed to be
stepped in the atmosphere of centuries.
He remembered having seen such things
during his childhood in France
AnHra followed bic youroy host into Tho
large, airy breakfast room, where he was
presented to Madame and Monsieur d'Ar-
mand. The master of the place was short.
sturdy, dark man, gentle and winning in
his manners, while madame, his wife, was
tall, stately, reserved, though by no means
lacking in affability. Mademoiselle Hor-
tense, the daughter, sat opposite Andre at
the table
Somehow our vagabond forgot his tattered
clothes and sunbrowned face in the midst
of the pleasant chatter that followed.
Moreover, lie did not eat over heartily for
one who had tasted SO long True, he did
ample justice to the venison. the fish, the
eggs, the hot rolls and a goodly number of
other toothsome comeSoibles, but he man
aged not to appear ravenous.
After breakfast the gentlemen had CT
CARS, and then Andre was asked to sing
Of course he could not refuse, though his
heart almost failed him at thought of sing
ing in the presence of Mademoiselle Hor-
tense dArmand. He could scarcely trust
himself to look at her, for her sweet,
bright face sent all sorts of wild thrills
through his heart. Foolish fellow! He
thought to himself that to spend one hour
III orI 60. eli
the psivation he had endured since land
ing at New Orleans.
When once ne began TO sing the trepida-
tion left him. Luckily, perhaps, he tried
some old French songs. AT least the eff
feet was all that he could have wished for
His four auditors showed tears in their
eyes before he was done, and when he arose
to resume his tramp, and was thanking
them for their generous and touching kind
ness, it was Mademoisene Hortense who
that 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
lay only. but for many days. He asked
for writing materials, and scrawled long
spistle which he begged Nation to post
for him. 1t was addressed to Louis Val
more Due de Montpensier, 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
He showed the superscrip-
ton TO his parents and to his sister. Ger
-ainly 1t was mystery.
Next morning a servant came into An
ire's room with a great armful of clothes
and card, on which was written:
please accept these TO serve you until
Tou can hear from home"
He could not refuse kindness coming in
his way; to have done so would have
wounded some one, perhaps all, of his
Zenerous ENTERTAINERS. He NAV moreover
have taken half pathetic delight in going
downstairs dressed from head TO foot like