The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1892-04-21

God save mel He is going to ask her
handr' exclaimed Luke And he gazed at
/ the pine tree with savage eyes
| Louise sometimes 10 the evening" when
the wind was hsping tender things up
yonder in the slender boughs of the pine
! Louise, pensive and pale, would look IN
utterable things in Luke's direction But,
| 10! Luke would look at nothing but the
patriarchal pine tree, and he would enter
his dwelling again shivering as if the snow
had fallen upon his heart He no longer
slept He grew thin. The i'll cultivated
lands yielded but scanty harvests.
The young man-his rival-was constant
" going to the carpenters house. One day
Luke said to himself:
What if it be true after all that / am
but simpleton?"
He grew thinner. he became rough and
spoke ungentle words to the oxen. When
Louise's voice reached his ear he started as
if he had heard the cannon thunder.
One night, as he lay awake, he heard
Louise weeping in the orchard. Another
time he heard-yes, distinctly beard-she
sound of kiss.
"Ah, the other young man is leaving!''
LIKE leaped up His eyes were starting
! out Of his head and he was blowing Like
northeast wind
'Now, then" he said, running to the car
penter's house, ''cut it down if you will !
give it to you" And thus saying he sank
down into chair.
1t was not too late And Louise wept for
joy. Yes, she would be Nine Luke La
borde Luke wept Also
And the pine tree? 1t was laid low Q
few days afterward, and it was Cazade,
the carpenter, who managed the affair
Four stout ropes were fastened to the top
of the tree; and two men, with naked
arms and barred Threats, breathing tenn
pestuously, attacked it with dreadful
force, setting at it with their broad iron
axes, keeping time as they struck.
Luke, trembling, stationed himself
hundred PAGES from the tree, and looking
on at the monstrous murder. he started at
each blow of the ak as if they were strik-
ing into his flesh. The tree still stood
erect, with scarcely a tremor. And the
fragments of wood which few from its
open sides came forth yellow, came forth
bleeding while diffusing over the murder
ers their invigorating and resinous odor.
One hour--two hours-three hours, and
the axes ate their way. The tree resisted
still. At the sight great drops of perspira-
ton stood On Luke's brow. Yes, he had
seen his father die, and his grandfather
and an uncle, but never had he suffered
anguish like this.
All of sudden the tree sent forth its
complaint. 1t was an indistinct cry at first,
brief and almost inaudible. But gradu-
ally increasing in length and gathering
force it grew mournful, causing Ons to
shudder with horror.
Oh, the cry of the pine! Luke stopped
up his ears. Bitter was the cry; and at
each stroke its whole bulk throbbed mourn
fully, like dying man gasping for breath.
In the agony of death it sent forth cry,
and was already leaning over.
'tFleel feer' shouted Luke; sit will
crush US allp'
And he ran-ran instinctively, fearing
that the tree in it's fall would stretch forth
it's Infatuated branches like elastic claws
and crush in last embracesall the pyg-
mics who were causing it's death. On he
ranl
Suddenly long drawn out moan-a
moan in which one seemed to hear the tear
ing away Of a plant soul. Luke terrified,
beheld yonder the vanquished pine totter
on it's base and making a great wind with
its despairng branches fall staggering,
with crash as of shattered bones
'Well, thou simple onep' put in the car
penter, with a loud laugh. thou seest
plainly that it has not revenged itself"
And Luke discovered with amazement
that the dwelling and its inmates still
existed.
And on the day of the wedding the pine
tree lay PROSTATE. with russell boughs and
motionless trunks-nor yet did any cacas-
trophe happen. And year later. when
Luke found himself the father of d pretty,
rose colored doll of babe, whose artiess
glances seemed to make stars dawn in his
heart, the lfeless body of the pine, which
was drying in his father-in-law's timber
yard, no longer interfered.
But three years after-powerful saws
had cut up the old tree into goodly beams,
fragrant with perfume-a strange runlor
suddenly ran forth. A Stsaniard bad
brought the cholera into the land. There
were already three victims in the village.
Luke felt his very locks moist with ter
ror. Where is it now-the protecting
tree? The tree which, with its compas-
sionate boughs of foliage. dispelled the
noXious miasma of the skies?
Still another sufferer from cholera, quite
close to his dwelling Luke shudd ed
ooh, God!' he stammered out. "save Us
from the pine treer'
An inspirationI He ran to his father-in-
laws dwelling.
Give me some of its planks," he said
81 will make a bedstead of them-it viii
protect u.s."
Il have no more" replied the carpenter.
''See, this is all have left"
Luke observed certain pieces of white
wood, out of which Cazade was construct
ing kind of long box.
And with these you are making
asked Luke, very pale.
"Canst thou not see, A coffin"
Luke uttered great cry.
Twenty-four hours later the last Of the
Labordes was laid in this box.
Cholera" said the doctor.
But this was not at all believed yonder
in the region which the Pyrenees, like
barrier of blue marble, border on the south
Translated from the French of Jean
Rameau by Lillian Slack Davis for Pitts /
burg Bulletin.
An pertinent Ouery.