The World. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1891-1896, 1892-02-19
eparated from the room BY board bar


into the closet. leaving La Bretonne
crouched alone in the darkness.
Stretched upon her heather. after she
had eaten her supper, she strove to close
her eyes. but sleep would not come to
her Through the thin partition she
heard the mother still softly talking to
the child whom the arrival of stranger
had wakened and who did not wish to
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 stified her new
born
If things had not gone so badly with
me- thought La Bretonne sorrowfully,
1t would have been the same age as
this little one here.
At that thought and at the sound of
that childish voice d sickenlng shudder
seemed to shake her very vltals, 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, I'll take you to the ST
GATHERINGS fairI'
THE fete of little children, mamma;
the fete of little children. you meanT
Yes, my angel, of little children
And the day when the good St Cath
crime brings playthings to the babies
mammal
"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
say2 should love to see playthingsr'
"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; | will right
away so she can bring them tomor-
row
The little voice ceased; there was
long silence. then a long breath, even
and light
The child slept at last-the mother
also.
La Bretonne only did not sleep An
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 till
dawn.
Mother and child still slept, but La Bre-
tonne was up and out, gliding hurriedly
and furtively in the direction of Au-
Derive and slackening her pace only
when the first houses of the village came
in sight.
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 trihes, a pasteboard doll, Noah's
ark, woolly, stiff legged little sheep.
To the establishment of the merchant,
La Bretonne purchased them all, paid
and went out. She had resumed the
road to the howell in the wood, when
suddenly a hand fell heavily upon her
shoulder, and she was face to face with
a brigadler of gendarmerie.
The unhappy one had forgotten that
to loiter in the neighborhood of the
Maison Centrale.
Instead of vagabondizing here, you
should already be at Langres," said the
brigadier gruffiy. Come, march; be
off with you! To the road, to the road
say!'
She sought to explain. Pains lost.
AT once passing cart was pressed into
service, La Bretonne bundled into it
and in charge of gendarme once more
en- route for Langres.
The cart jolted lumberingly over the
frozen ruts The poor La Bretonne
clutched with heartbroken air her
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 stop
only one moment. She had a commits
sion for La Fleuriotte. the woman that
lived just there
She duplicated with SO much fervor
that the gendarme, a good man at heart
allowed himself to be persuaded. They
stopped, tied the horse to a tree and as
cended the pathway
Before the door La Fleuriotte hewed
the gathered wood into the required
fagots. On seeing her visitress return,
accompanied by a gendarme, she dwelt
open mouthed and with arms hanging.
"Histr said La Bretonne, ''hist! the
little one-does it sleep still?'
Yes, but
Then, here, these playthings; lay
them on the bed and tell her st. Cath
ERNIE brought them. | returned to Au-
Derive for them, but it seems had 70
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