Los Angeles herald., 1892-02-03

nad WaKeneu, ana VINO ulu not WISH 70
go to sleep again.
The mother soothed and fondled it
with words of endearment that some
how strangely disturbed La Bretonne.
That outburst of simple tenderness
seemed to waken confused maternal in
stinct in the soul of that girl condemned
in the past for having stihed her new
born.
IF things had not gone so badly with
me-" thought La Bretonne sorrowfully,
"it would have been the same age as
this little one here"
At that thought and at the sound Of
that childish voice a sickening shudder
seemed to shake her very vitals, some
thing soft and tender to spring up in
that soured heart, and an increasing
need for the relief of tears.
But come, come, my little one," the
mother cried, Ito sleep you must go'
And if you are good and do as say, to-
morrow, maybe. III take you to the st.
GATHERINGS fairl'
"The fete of little children, mamma;
the fete of little children, you mean?"
Eyes, my angel of little children"
"And the day when the good st. Cath
crime brings playthings to the babies,
mamma?
"Sometimes-yes."
"Then why doesn't she bring play
things to our house, mammal
I'VE live too far away, perhaps, and
then-we are too poor"
''She brings them only to rich babies,
then, mamma? But why, mamma, why.
| say? l should love to see playthings!"
"Eh, bien! some day you may, if you
are very good-tonight, perhaps, if you
are wise and go to sleep soon"
81 will. then, mamma; l will right
away, so she can bring them tomor-
row."
The little voice ceased; there was a
long silence; then long breath, even
and light!
The child slept at last-the mother
also
La Bretonne only did not sleep! Ar
emotion at once poignant and tender
tore at her heart and she thought more
than ever of that little one whom they
said she had killed. This lasted til
dawn. n
Mother and child still slept, but La Bre
tonne was up and out, gliding hurriedly
and furtively in the direction of Au
berive and slackening her pace only
when the first houses of the village came
in sight. ur,1Os.
Soon she had reached and was travers-
ing its only street, walking slowly now
and scanning with all her eyes the signs
of the shops. One at last seemed to fix
her attention. She knocked at the shut
ter and presently it opened. A MERGERS
shop apparently, but also with some toys
and playthings in the window-poor
pitiful trifies, a pasteboard doll, a Noah's
ark, woolly, stiff legged little sheep.
To the astonishment of the merchant,
La Bretonne purchased them all, paid
and went out. She had resumed the
road to the hovel in the wood, when
suddenly a hand fell heavily upon hel
shoulder, and she was face to face will
a brigadier of gendarmerie.
The unhappy one had forgotten thai
it was forbidden to liberated prisoner,
to loiter in the neighborhood of the
Maison Centrale.
Instead of vagabondizing here, yor
should already be at Langres," said the
brigadier gruffiy. Come, march; be
off with you'll To the road, to the road
sayr'
She sought to explain. Pains lost
At once passing cart was pressed into
service, La Bretonne bundled into il
and in charge of a gendarme once more
en- route for Langres.
The cart jolted lu1nberingly over the
frozen ruts. The poor La Bretonne
clutched with heartbroken air hel
bundle of playthings in her freezing
fingers.
All at once, at a turn of the road, she
recognized the cross path that led
through the wood. Her heart leaped
and she besought the gendarme to stoI
only one moment. She had a commits
sion for La Fleuriotte, the woman thai
lived just there!
She supplicated with SO much fervol
that the gendarme, good man at heart
allowed himself to be persuaded. They
stopped, tied the horse to tree and as
cended the pathway.
Before the door La Fleuriotte hewe6
the gathered wood into the required
fagots. On seeing her visitress return
accompanied by gendarme, she dwell
open mouthed and with arms hanging.
-"Histp said La Bretonne, "hist! the
little one--does it sleep still?"
Eyes, butt
"Then, here, these playthings; Lay
them on the bed and tell her st. Cath
crime brought them. l returned to Au.
berive for them, but it seems had &c
right to do it, and they are taking me
now to Langres."
"Holy Mother of Godl" cried the
amazed La Fleuriotte.
'Histl be still, say!'
And drawing near the bed herself,
followed always by her escort, La Bre-
tonne scattered upon the coyerlet the
doll, the Noah's ark and the stiff legged,
woolly and somewhat grimy little lamb,
bent the bare arm of the child till ii
clasped the latter, then turned with a
smile
"Now," said she, addressing the gen.
darme, vigorously rubbing his eyes with
the cuff of his jacket-tbe frost, it
seemed, had gotten into them--"I am
ready; we can go!"-Translated from
+ba IVranch of rThuriet hv r. q Wao-