Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-03-19

, the bright bayou, the dusky old mansion,
the whole world had shriveled into hate
i 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, a 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
existence.
"Ou est lie maroufe?" CWhere is the rag
amuff1n? screeched the parrot. sou est
lie maroufe? Ho, no, ho-o-or'
| 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 a 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 and scolding 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
ought to be called a ragamufin.
| 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 lowland plantations passed
| their lives. True, they had their visitors
now and again. and they went once or
twice 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 IN. Andre Duval,
Vicompte de Vaudreuil. care of M. Nation
d'Armand."
''He told me once to open any letter tn
might come when he was gone," said Mat
ton.
So he broke the seal and found the fol-
lowing letter, accompanied by letter of
credit to New Orleans bank for large
sum:
MY DEAR NEPHEW-It is charming news to
me that you are heartily ashamed of your tiff
with me, and that you are anxious to return to
your own country. One good turn deserves
another. Permit me, as your guardian, to
notify you that your aunt is dead and that
your estate awaits you. I take pleasure in adj
vancing you 10000 francs. If you have really
finished your travels, come back and be sensi-
BILE man, and | will be glad ever to remain
your devoted uncle, MONTPENSIER.
| Nation read this epistle aloud, standing
| in the midst of the assembled household.
| They all listened in breathless silence,
! Hortense as pale as a ghost.
| 1t was early summer and the hall stood
open, the wind pouring through in a
strong, cool current.
"Voici! Voicil LIE marouf1e! Ho! Ho!
| Ho-o-o-ah?'
screeched, and there on the threshold,
ragged, haggard, forlorn, stood Andre Du-
val, his old guitar slung at his side, half
jaunty smile beaming through his embar-
rassment and humility.
Hortense cried out and started as if to
run to him; Lut she checked herself, turned
! aside trembling and sat down in a chair
limp and HELPLESS.
Nation went to meet him with the letter
in his hand.
welcome, Monsieur the Vicompte; we
| are right glad to see you back" he ex-
claimed right cordially.
Andre star ed, gazed hard at Nation
and a gray cloud gathered in ris face, a
cloud that was mixed of surprise, hope,
dread, everything that tears mans heart
in a moment when a breath may mean life
, or death.
81 have glorious letter for you. Pm
sorry | opened it, but you were'--
Andre interru pied him by tumbling for
| ward and falling full length on the floor
! The poor fellow could not bear up under
; this sudden pressure OF excitement.
They bore I'm to a bed and resorted to
every means at their command to bring
him round to consciousness. A long ILL
ness followed, through which he was nurseI
with tenderest care; and then, when it was
all over, when he was well enough to come
out of his room and begin to say droll
things and hum the old tunes-well, it 3
the good old story. He was not contented
for a moment if Hortense was out of his
sight, and before he departed from Chateau
! d'Armand there was betrothal, and he
left his old guitar as gage.
! The wedding took place at Aries the fol-
lowing winter, the whole Armand family
migrating th.ther for the occasion.
! In Il certain picturesque old residence in
New Orlean. / was shown the portraits,
! painted on panels of tulip wood, of the
| Vicompte de Taudreuil and his lovely wife
who, though ouite DID, are living today
Maurice Tho:0pSon in New York Ledger.
Housewives Drawback to Big Dinner.
No wonder the average housewife de-
: tests dishwashing. If the water is too
cold it requires more work to remove the
; grease, and if it is too hot it scalds the
hands, and in any case it is dirty, tedious
piece of drudgery which women perform
simply because it has to be done. Cook
ing a meal exercises the reflective and
constructive faculties; it brings it's own
reward in merited encomiums, social
gratitude and beatific digestion. But the
cleansing of dishes is an anti-climax. 1t is
! like the feeling that obtrudes itself on a
! person who has made a successful hit in
! life-the thought that he must leave this
gay and happy scene and pass into the
portals of the unknown.
When the ancient Egyptians gave a
! sumptuous feast and the social rapture
! was at its highest point they had habit
! of carrying the mummifed remains of
their ancestors through the banqueting
! hall to bring the host and guests into a
more sober frame of mind and remind
| them that they were mortal. In these lat
! ter days we don't practice this grewsome
ceremony, but to the average housewife
| who can't afford a servant comes the