The morning call., 1893-10-15

eS, DO Saius Win easy grace, III dn-
swer to Laure's amazed questioning. Il
have taken Michel Bares' place. How
many yards did you say, Aunt Betty
Rose?
"Lawed-a-mussy, neb' min me, Marse
Octave" said Aunt Betty Rose hurriedly,
backing away from the counter. "Jes
you wait on Miss Cecile. Well. den, If yer
is pow full shame ter have Marse Octave
waitin' on er ole niger lax ez ef he wuz
po' white trash-eight yards tu'ky-red.
Marse Octave"
"Micnel Bares' place." continued Octave
placidly. measuring off the gaudy stuff
with deft and graceful fingers; true. II is
not very lucrative posltion-wbat else.
Aunt Betty Rose? Oh, apples" he dived
under the counter and reappeared with
scoop full of dried apples, which he placed
upon the fly-specked scales-"you see.
Laure, have grown tired OF being idle. |
have made up my mind to stand alone"
(he glanced furtively at Cecile's compressed
lips and angry eyes and STUN bled little
in his speech)-"I mean am going to try
and make my own living"
.But, Octave" began Laure.
II toak the first thing that offered" he
went on gravely. ''reaIly fortunate thing
for me-MichePs frisson. Bacon. Aunt
Betty Rose, how much?"
He came around the counter and deX-
terously unlocked piece of bacon from
the ceiling-''five pounds, eh?-that was
better than being idle"-he was weighing
the greasy stuff now and wrapping it in
piece of brown paper
Cecile up to this moment had not spoken.
She had been standing apart, now pale
with scorn, n ow red with some feeling she
dared not define, her blazing eyes follow
ing Octave's movements. Suddenly her
face softened; half f-pleading, hali-impe-
rious light came into her eyes; she took
step forward. and her lips opened as if TO
speak. just then. however, a little door
in the rear of the cabin opened and girl
came in. She was about Cecle's own age
brown freckles and lighted by a pair of
wide-Open gray eyes. a mass of yellow
curls nestled against her neck and
crowned her forehead; the sleeves of her
blue cotton gown were rolled up to the
elbow, displaying pair OF white, we'll
rounded arms. She came forward smiling
and smoothing her check apron with
plump floury hands.
"Mr. Gaston.' she said in a soft, drawl-
ing voice, Captain TraveT, he says fer
yer ter come in ter the tent ter dinner, I'll
ten the sto' tell you're done eatin'."
''Dinner?" said Octave. staring at her a
moment in bewIlderment, while a vision
rose before bin of the round table at
FeTme aux Ifs, with its array Of crystal
ana silver; Uncle Joseph Marie at one end
and slipping his claret and denouncing the
new tangled boiling-kettles; himself at
the other, and the open windows. with the
sunset streaming in, and away over the
tops OF the trees the steep roof OF 81.
Denys, where Cecile-
Dinner. Oh, certainly" he cried, COM
Ing suddenly TO himself. And he smiled
down into the pretty face lifted to his. "as
soon as l shall have served these ladies'"
But the ladies were gone. Ceelie was
flying across the gangway aad up the
steep leyee, with an angry spot on either
cheek and dangerous nre IN her blue eyes.
Michel Bares, who stood in the narrow
pathway at the top OF the levee, beat a
rapid retreat at sight of her, dnGgng into
his little cabin, where he betook himself TO
bed and shook with real frissOn until she
was we'll along the rOse-col0red lane.
But Ceclie had not even seen him. She
sped on, blind and speechless, followed hy
her protesting, wondering cousins and the
grumbling old bonne.
what in the world does 1t mean. Ce-
cile?' cried Laura. at last catching up
with her ana laying hand on her arm.
"And isn't it too fu0ny!
II dun't know what it means" replied
Cecile, hotly. land l thiuk it is perfectly
disgusting"
1t was hard enough TO bear the persist
ent questions and the amazed comment of
Tante and Uncle Marcellus and the know
ing silence of Laure and Jeanne. But in
the evening. when Joseph III arie CASTOR.
the small, DARK. shrveled, cholerlc old
Fiepchman and lifelong friend and neigh
Dor, cane over to scold and gesticulate
and gr0an and to launch scarcely veiled re-
proaches at herself. roor Ceclle was angry,
indeed, and very wre.ched.
THE tradin'-boat has gone on TO the
next landing, six or seven miles down the
river. and Octave las gone with it, sir. l
commanded. l even begged him, 10 come
home, but lie swoIe he would not. And
who is going to keep my accounts and look
after the place?" walled the good uncle.
There never was such head as Octave's
for business. These three years he has
managed everything. And now that these
new-fargled boilers"
But nothing of this last plant reached
Cecile's ears. She had stolen silently up
to her own room at the mention of the de-
parture of the tradin'-boat. She did not
care-of course she did not care-where he
went or what he did ! she said to herself
fiereely; why, indeed. should she be held
responsible for the foolish escapades of
Octave Gastonl Perhaps, after all-and
here little chilly sensation crept over her
as vision of pretty, plump girl in blue
calico gown arose unbiduen 10 her mind.
and she remembered, with a start. the
smile in Octave's eyes when he looked
down on that fair freckled face! At this
point, like many other heroine before her,
she sat down on the edge of her bed and
cried; and then stood up, wrathfuly,
brushing the tears from her eyes.
She tossed fevershly from side to side
In her white little bed for a long time, and
thought she would never go to sleep. But
sleep is very friendly to all young crea-
lures, and long before midnight the soft
fringed lids had closed over the slightly
reddened eyes, and she was dreaming that
Octave was wrapping bit of bacon ln
that long coveted white China crepe shawl
in Tante's big armoir. When
DID anything happen? She found her
self standing in the middle of the room,
shaking from head to foot. The white
moonlight streamed in through the win
dow across her little bare feet, and the
wind futtered the folds of her snowy
white. dress. What was it? Her heart
was beating violently, and she could hardly
restrain an outcry. But the house was
perfectly still. and In the honeysuckle
vines outside the window mocking- bird
was thrilling softly.
After time she crept back to bed, with
her rosary on her wrist, and lay there
trembling and counting her beads. A long
time after-she never could tell how long
there was a sudden tumult out In the lane,
a rush up the avenue. a banging of doors,
bur Oh rte oh ha haIlo In