The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1893-11-21

that Farmer Beaumont was possessed Of
great riches. For many generations his
family had been prosperous and thrifty,
and the hamlet was 50 small and so re-
mote from any great center that it had
always escaped lightly from tho cruel
exactions Of the tax farmers. In those
DAYS there were few banks, and in such
spots as Charmont-sur-Pont they were
quite unknown. Those who had any
money to keep-and they were none too
many-preserved it by the simple expe-
dent Of locking it in a strong box, hid
ing it in their houses or burying it in the
ground.
Robert Macaire knew well enough
that tho riches which seem great in the
minds Of village lads may be only poor
when measured by the needs of idleness,
but he was satisfied that there was some
money, great deal to a man who has
nothing at all. The talk of her fathers
wealth decided him, and he took fa-
vorable opportunity Of declaring his love
for Marie. The poor girl had little to
say, except to tell him tearfully and
with full heart that she had loved him
from tho first.
The farmer, after the manner of ia
theirs, would have questioned the wis
dom Of the step, for he would have liked
to have known something more Of his
would DO son-in-law, but he was over
ruled by his wife, whose sympathy with
her daughter--aftert the manner Of moth
ers--blinded her eyes to the danger she
was incurring.
The swains were inconsolable, to the
Indignation Of tho other girls, who could
not see what there was in Marie-al-
though they loved her very dearly, of
course--to merit such an absurd atten-
tion on the part Of the young men.
Some Of them did not hesitate to speak
their minds pretty openly, and there
were several unpleasant scenes by the
we'll under the old lime tree. This pub
licity brought some Of the young men to
book, and some Of the others, recogniz-
ing from Marie's attitude that their hope
was but small, gave up the chase and
betook themselves to solitary wander
ings in the forest and carving initials on
the trees-such of them as could write
and such despairing devices in the way
Of hearts transfxed with arrows as their
imaginAtions could evolve.
Robert did not lose any time in hav-
ing the date Of tho marriage fixed. "The
girl was willing" he said, 'the mother
was satisfied, and the father did not OBJ
ject; therefore what was the necessity for
delayr For reasons Of his own, on which
he did not choose to enlighten them,
Robert did not want any formality about
the marriage which could be avoided.
he told Beaumont that he did not trust
lawyers, a speech which pleased the old
man, who did not trust any one, and quito
won his heart by saying when they came
to discuss the betrothal:
at do not know whether Marie is to
expect any dot from you, and l do not
care. am quito content that you will
do what is best for her. want nothing
except to be allowed to live here with
you, my dear father and mother. so that
i need not take Marie away from the
homo where she has been so happy"
This Of course made everything
smooth for all parties, and not the least
for Robert himself, who thus escaped
any dealings whatever with public Off
cials, whom he Stunned, and won COM
pletely to his side the old farmer, who
found indeed that he chad not lost
daughter, but gained son."
The wedding was great occasion in
the village. The oldest inhabitant could
not remember such doings, not even
when the crowning Of Louis Ky filed
the whole of France with such rejoicing
that people were found who believed
that there would never be hunger any
more.
But there are always people to be
found who will believe anything.