The Kootenai herald. [volume] (Kootenai, Idaho) 1891-1904, 1892-08-05

the loss Cor he remembers well the
foolish little talk, foolish yet so sweet,
when she first fastened it upon his
coat, months before. Mime. Chretien
takes personal interest in her ledger,
like every one else In Arromanches.
and is quite distressed TO hear OF his
loss
But what would youY she saws.
Every one must lose something in
the course of his life, and when it is
not one thing it is sure to be another.
The week before monsieur came she
lost a silver pin that she had had for
twenty years. and about the same
time her cousin at st. Aubin lost his
best COW, and so it was. and sine was
very sorry for monsieur, but what
would your If one did not lose things
sometimes, perhaps one might be hap
pier than lie bon Dieu intended-who
knowsp Wilfred laughs softly to
himself at this bit of philosophy, and
madame hastens into the inn yard to
speak to Pauline, the maid, who is
Gathering about the pavement in her
wooden shoes, quite forgetful, appar-
emily, that it will soon be time to serve
the dinner. The look of vexation re
turns TO Wilfred's face when he is
alone
II would rather lose almost any
thing else. he says to himself. Just
then there is knock at the glass door
of his room, which opens upon the
gallery encircling the auberge on the
inner or courtyard side. A tall, good
looking fisher girl stands there, bare
footed and bare legged, holding in her
hand the missing eyeglass hook.
us 1t this which monsieur has lost9"
she says, somewhat timidly. Wilfred
eagerly responds that it is.
Il found it on the PLACE but now, +"
says the girl, las was coming back
to the cliff with my net. Alphonse
Cauchon, it was he who said to me
that the American monsieur at the
Auberge Chretien had lost it, and
monsieur will see that | have brought
it at once to him"
1t is very good of you to take so
much trouble" said Wilfred, gently,
and he is about to offer her coin for
the service she has rendered him,
when the girl shakes her head decid-
eddy.
But no, monsieur, it is not neces-
sary to pay Elise Rigault for doing a
simple duty that costs her no trouble
or pains.
"True, true, +" assents Wilfred, but
Elise will not mind, | hope, taking
some little things from me that will
help to keep the American in mind af-
ter he has left Arromanches. And,
saying this he hands her a small, vel
vet framed picture Of the Sistine Ma
donna which stands on a table by him,
and on which his eyes happen to fall
at that moment.
Elise takes it hesitatingly.
Surely, y she says, monsieur can
not mean for me to have this! And
she looks from the picture to Wilfred,
and from Wilfred back to the picture,
in bewilderment
Yes, that is Just what do mean, =
answers the other with decision,
Elise looks about the room, with its
many little devices for comfort and
luxury-foY Wilfred has something of
the sybarite in his composition-an
then AT the good looking owner OF
them all, and seems for moment lost
in thought
Monsieur is very kind, she says al
! length, "and he may be sure that
Elise will not forget him," And then
she bids the American good evening,
and goes down the steep gallery stair.
case to the inn yard, and disappears
in the twilight holding the velvet
frame fast IN her hard hand
Wilfred is too glad to regain Elean
or's gift to think very much about the
manner of its restoration, but the next
morning, as he sits under his tent, he
sees the fisher girls crossing the sands
not far away from him. Among them
is Elise. Bon jour, monsieur" they
call out as they pass Elise is the last
one, and she turns her head for an.
other look at him. lie waves his hand
kindly, and she smiles and hurries on
to her companions
The days go on quietly at AFRO
manches One day is just like an
other, but the young man does moi
mind that The walk down to the
PLACE after breakfast; the reading anc
writing under the red and white tent
the chats with the occupant of the
other tents; the walks toward BayeuX
or elsewhere in the afternoon; the
evenings spent among the fishermen
and their boats-these things are what
fill up his harmless, if not severely
profitable days Every day the line
Of bare legged fisher girls crosses the
silvery sands, and every day he waves
his hand lightly to Elise and thinks d
her not again till the next time he sees
her.
Elise's memory is longer. Indeed