The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1893-06-12
A CUNNING REVENGE.

A CUNNING REVENGE
ChaSayslls 10 . pretty village which ] par
ticularly admire, and 90 would you II you
knew It's little church, . chisslsd jewel, it,
old chateau With III walls cracked and
mossy, but above all tho location Of the vii
lage, which clings to the side OF the mount
ain like . most fallen from I know not
whore. ss4
In this corner Of ths world, not mes.
tionsd In the Biographies, lived some years
ago an old wood cutter and q rich farmsr
Everybody In the country knew old Pis'ro
and his miserable hut in the edge Of the
wood. and when they met him with = bun
die Of fagots on his back, or with his az
raised against the trunk Of . tree. they all
gave him . friendly good day" He was q
good man who had never harmed even q Ay.
10 every one said. and having passed the
greater part Of his life In the solitude Of
the forests, preserved. In spite Of his great
age. . pure and honest heart.
Everybody also knew the rich farmer.
Michael Msrieux. but no one liked him.
HI was avaricious and sull on and, more
over. superstitious like those who are not
sure OF their reckoning. He loved money
passionatsly, and avery means OF inorcas-
Ing his wealth, appeared to him Legitimate
and proper. II is useless 70 say that 10 did
not Is end II freely. No n ever saw him
az tho wineshop. He never gave Z sou to
The beggar who held out his hand IN Sum
day az they came out from mass. and his
door was never opened. or his heart either.
TO the wayfarsr in quest OF a bit OF broad
OF a cup OF vino. i
/, And YET he was the richest farmer near
(yh.so~nnA haviun vip0a A0Id1 Af Wh0AH
and meadows yielding rich forage. which
he always sold ut the highest price. He was
old, without children or family that any
enc knew Of. and 1t was a mystery TO every
body what he would do with the fortune
which he increased day BY day.
head 81 the old woodoutter to 70 and bor-
row some money from tho rich farmer. It
10 true that long ago Msrieux had said TO
Pierre, after a service he had rendered him.
"When you have need Of me do not hest
t~ate--one good turn deserves another!"
Well. now he had need OF his help. ana not.
withstAnding the sordid avarics of the old
farmer the woodouttsr, with the attless
trust that characterized him. went to NeI-
ieux and said:
'You can relieve me of . great trouble.
MY boy writes to me that he III and In mead
October when have finished outing down
She side Of the wood which they have
marked for the new road ! shall be able to
nav YOU. II you will lend II to me to-day"
III have no money to lend" said the far
mer. Chimes are es hard for me a. we'll -
for everybody else."' Q
The woodcutter shrugged his shoulders.
sSsy. rather. that you will not lend itv'
said be. 'for you have plenty. You could
save me a great deal Of tTochle!'
II repeat TO you'll eannot!" said Msrieux
Rrufiy.
"Then Tmust remind you Of what you
said to me ono dn,-'one GOOD turn de-
nerve: another whom you nave need Of
bah. that Is too long seo." said the
farmer. "What ara you talking abeut?"
yes" said the woodcutter. lit was =
long time ago; but. all the sens. rislsea
nv life to save yours whom l oar, lad You
out of Jacauss' house which was bu ming
while you slept. ! do not Say this TO- re-
ploaoh you. l have never spoken of II to
any one. l would not speak of II now II il
were not TO remind you Of your promise,
for YOU SEQ my sons sick, and he relies
upon me to help him. II will DO q great
service to me-" And no added in a low tone,
as il ashamed TO DO pc s,stent. You will
ave his life ue, haps, md / risksd mine to
.Life. life," growled old Merieuz. when
I lend. II ID my money. do not risk 1t nor
And old Pierre won't away without the
money that he came to borrow. Another.
however, had pity on the old man, who for
the frst time in his life felt bitterly toward
q human being.
He souphs ! means Of %avsnaing himself
on Merieux without doing him serious
harm. At last. after matars reflection, one
night when the moon shons az bright As
daylight. he won't out seward the wheat
fields of the rich farmer. II was in March:
the grass was just beginning to ~spront, and
ut the top of the trees we're a few shiverina
buds to show that nature was ready to
oome forth radiant and charming at the
first call of spinR.
The woodoutter went to the middle Of .
field, and there, in the midst of the wheat
which would aoon be ny, he traced With .
stick some light futows OF strange and H.
regular forms. then throwing something
into the burrows he covered them with
earth md quietly returned to his hui. The
following night he did the same thing in
another field of wheat, and for several
nights following that until hs had bsen in
ali Of N eHisux's fields.
And in the morning. being very sure that
he had not been seen by anythinQ bat tho
stars. nor heard BY anything but the criok-
cts. he would 60 to his York in the woods
whe Q the little nestlinRs were just begin
ming to chatter.
Time passed. and the warm season mado
tho wheat and tbs flowers grow. One
morning . great caravan Of people came
from Charavslle and the surrounding vii
lagos to sec Q strange henomenon in the
fields Of Farmer Merisux. who had been i'll
for some time and knew nothing about IL.
What was his surprise, his terror, 10 see.
when he went out for the first time tho
word "miser'' traced In gigantic letters Of
flowers in tho midst of his wheat! Yes,
narQuerites, those beautiful blossoms
which speak 80 sweetly 10 lovers. 1osa upon
their stems in thick clusters accusing the
old skinnint. 'Miaer," again the blue
cornflowers in another field; "Miser," 70.
psat-d tho crimson peoples in another, and
She people he met callede to him, "MlseE!"
"Niaerr"
All night long he seemed to see before his
eyes and to hear buzzinR in his sars that
terrible word. What did IL mean? How
did this accusation. Al first whispered BY
those who know him. spring forth 80 openly
In HE fields? Was IL because he had alvars
refused to give . straw TO the poor Of the
country?
Az he Was very superstitious and not very
strong In his head II same near driving
him CRAZY.
'You cannot defend yourself now" said
the old Wooccutte5, who came to SEQ him
one day, "foE even the flowers. whose souls
ars ~ tender and pitiiui. nave accused you
In the sight nj heaven! Truly. you must bs
. great oulprisf''
tI-I-am not-a miser?'
After all that has been shown you. II some
misfortuns happens to you-aftef shis warn
inR"-
,g~u~~ -l.foptuua2 Ss .aiN Nat{nuv. ssdo