Waterbury evening Democrat., 1893-12-15
CHAPTER VIII.

CHAPTER VIII.
 AFTER LONG YEARS.
 In all thn department of the Saouc-et- Loire there was no man morr generally liked and respected than M. Dumont, the proprietor of Les Bons Amis. q thriving auhcrgc which stood in the outskirts 1f the village of Simarl, just where the hiGhroLl tu Montrrt passes the end of the lane leading to the old church.
 N. Dumunt was :" wiluwrr. having lost his wife s"m.' 2o .,car~ hcfrrr. They hal ;,rnr tn Mars,iil,s to Ste her father. her only remaining relative. who was dylu.;. The fatigue ut the journey had byvH t.o much for her. and she had died in giving birth to q son. their first and only child.
 Having laid his youug wife and her old father side hy side. M. Dmmuut r,,- turned to Les Bous Ami~ with little dark eyed infant. few weeks old. to be hrnc,turwarl thr great joy and iutcrr~. ut his life, for he never thought of r. marrying. but devoted himself to thr bringing; up of his child and tnr care of his inn and his farm.
 In cuUrsr of time the little d,liuAio baby grow lIp to b. a tall, strong young man. the pride aul joy of his father. the appIr rl his eve. He was general fa- voritc with oli and yuuuE. whiIe h.S -cu- tie manners "nl soft dark eyes made him specially pSPulur among the young girls of the suryouMdinE villages
 Thing had all gone well with V. pU- mont, ;.Ct at the time of which We write be WIS very rrosr'rous man. as ho well deserved 10 be. for he was always eoncr- ous and ready to help his Ih'nr,r Mni-h- bors.
 An air of well h,iu., pcr1 Il'j every thing about the hrv~n auj ..;... The thriving fields of :,oljcn :,raiu. uow all most ready for the sickle. We're a l.vture to behold, while rows uf great pot l"liel yellow Courg,> liE,ri the fuvrows. From trunk In trunk ut the slender puplars were frstoon,rl the carefully cultivated vines, alrra ly showing promise fla good vintage and ;, husy timc for tli.' v,ud8n- gcurs who a Httln later would @l,@.r the purple fruit ami tread it uut in y,udcr barns, with many 8 lHuIh and jest, for in those days when the century Was still but young such simple methods wcre still rracticed, and modern improve ments were quite unknown in that quiet village in the heart If France.
 Tho aubCrEc itself WAs a I:c,"rc5que old huiliiug, with high peaked lopi :,nd quaint little dormrr windows lighting tho Spariou5 rrcmy -..uicr, where the winter store "f fruil was krpt-arI,lcs and pears anl nuts of various kinds. while from lines s;r,tChin. from raltcr to raftvr were hung huurhrS of grapes. each bunch snGEly Cnscnnccd in it7 own bag and carefully separated frrm it's neighbor.
 And the llitch5u-kilcilcn but iu name, for no rough work was ever done there how comfortable it EtHs and how pictur- esquc. with it4 deep fireplace. where in winter time great logs blazed and cracked. its roof hung with well smoked hams and many Q l'unvh of sweet and >avory hcrls and pepper pods, its rows of smnng taSUns and we'll pre- served quaint old china and earthenware, its polished oalen tables and settles, the vivid color of its red tiled floor. In the corner by the fireplace was the picture of the Virgin. with a jug of fresh flowers on the little carved bracket beneath it, for they were piouS thcso simple people, and the Virgin never was without her little offering.
 Up stairs what piles of soft wool mat tresses. with store of snowy homespun linen sheets and cozy blankets! Then the best room. with its arlnOlrc a Slace, its red damaSk covered chairs and sofa in the style of the first empire, the tall gilt framed mirror over the chimney. the groups of Wax anl paper flowers under glass shades. and on tne wall facing the wind>w the portraits of M. Dumont and his wife, taken when they were first mar ried. There was not u girl in the com munc who did not envy the future mis- tress of that room. for Charles, the only son of M. Dumont had made his choice. and the pretty, blond, blue eyed Glenn entine Germenil was 10 be the future mistress of Les Bons Amis.
 NJ. Germenil was wealthy farmer who lived at Brocard, on the borders of the forest of La Marchr, some miles on the other side of Simard. He was an old friend and crony of NJ Dumout-a warm man. too-who could give l>j only daugh- ter nice bit of money. The two old men had long planned this marriage and had watched with satisfaction the grow ing affection between the vuuuS people, and hardly Sunday morning passed that did not see the Carriole of M. ar menil, with its owner driving anC his daughter beside him. arrive at Les | ns Amis just as the bells began to ring .,r the midday service. The carriolc !. then put up, and the four sct off tn..rr r to tho church.
 NJ. Germenil pretende.. tat h,, liked better the preaching of tl:e good curc of Simard than that of the care of Brocari. and that was why he came. But for all that every ono knew quite we'll that it ....s l,..t q ..l,mrtn.c l..ri., L.. .-s....