The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1893-11-23
CHAPTER VIII.
AFTER LONG YEARS.


liked and respected than M. Dumont.
the proprietor Of Les Bons Arnis, a
thriving auberge which stood in the
outskirts OF the village of Simard, just
where the bighroad to Montret passes
the end of the lane leading to the old
| church.
NJ. Dumont was a widower, having
lost his wife some 20 years before. They
| had gone to Marseilles to see her father,
her only remaining relative, who was
dying. The fatigue Of the journey had
| been too much for her, and she had died
| in giving birth to a son. their first and
only child.
Having laid his young wife and her
old father side by side, M. Dumont re-
turned to Les Bons Amis with a little
dark eyed infant, a few weeks old, to be
henceforward the great JOY and interest
| of his life, for he never thought of re-
marrying, but devoted himself to the
bringing up of his child and the care Of
his inn and his farm. l.
| In course of time the little delicaue
baby grew up to be tall, strong young
man, the pride and JOY of his father, the
1
vorite with old and young, while his gen.
tie manners and soft dark eyes made
him specially popular among the young
| girls of the surrounding villages.
Things had all gone well with M. Du-l
mont, and at the time of which we write
he was a very prosperous man, as he well
deserved to be, for he was always gener-
Gus and ready to help his poorer neigh
bors.
An air of well being pervaded every
thing about the house and farm. The
thriving fields of golden grain, now al
most ready for the sickle, were picture
to behold, while rows of great pot bellied
yellow courges lined the burrows. From
| trunk to trunk of the slender poplars
were festooned the carefully cultivated
vines, already showing promise of good
vintage and a busy time for the vendan-
geurs who little later would gather the
purple fruit and tread it out in yonder
barns, with many laugh and jest, for
in those days when the century was still
! but young such simple methods were
still practiced, and modern improve
ments were quite unknown in that quiet
village in the heart of France.
The auberge itself was a picturesque
old building, with high peaked roof and
| quaint little dormer windows lighting
| the spacious roomy grenier, where the
winter store of fruit was kept-apples
| and pears and nuts of various kinds,
while from lines stretching from rafter
| to rafter were hung punches Of grapes,
each bunch snugly ensconced in its own
bag and carefully separated from its
neighbor.
And the ldtchen-kitchen but in name,
for no rough work was ever done there
how comfortable it was and how pictur-
esque, with its deep fireplace, where in
winter time great logs blazed and
cracked, its roof hung with well
smoked hams and many bunch Of
sweet and savory herbs and pepper pods,
| its rows of shining fiagons and well pre-
served quaint old china and earthenware,
| its polished oaken tables and settles, the
vivid color of its red tiled foorl In the
corner by the fireplace was the picture
Of the Virgin, with jug Of fresh flowers
on the little carved bracket beneath it,
for they were pious, these simple people.
and the Virgin never was without her
| little Offering.
Up stairs what piles of soft woof mat
tresses, with store of snowy homespun
linen sheets and cozy blanketsl Then the
best room, with its ar1noiro glace, 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 and paper flowers under
glass shades, and on the wall facing the
window the portraits of II. Dumont and
his wife, taken when they were first mar
ried. There was not girl in the COM
mune who did not envy tho future mis-
tress Of that room, for Charles, tho only
son Of M. Dumont mad made his choice.
and the pretty, blond, blue eyed Glenn
entine Germenil was TO be the future
mistress of Les Bons Amis.
M. Germenil was n wealthy farmer
who lived at Brocard, on the borders OF
the forest of La Marche, some miles on
tho other side of Simard. He was an old
friend and crony of NJ. Dumont--a warm
man, too--who could give his only daugh-
ter n nice bit of money. The two old
men had long planned this marriage and
had watched with satisfaction the grow
ing affection between the young people,
and hardly n Sunday morning passed
that did not see tl-o carriole of NJ. Gar
menil, with its owner driving and his
daughter beside him, arrive at Les Bons
Amis just as the bells began to ring for
the midday service. The carriole was
then put mp, and the four set of together
to the church.
NJ. Germenil pretended that he liked
better the preaching of the good cure Of
Simard than that of the cure of Brocard,
and that was why no came. But for all
that every ono know quite well that IL
was but cunning device TO give the
young folks an opportunity OF meeting
Charles was n little shy, but at last
took courage and spoke as he and Cleif-
entine walked homo from church side by
side under the tall poplars which bor-
A a. Al Il Il a