The record-union., 1893-06-03

! SCClACO " illO do IL LlAC ICpOlG w dio
/ but the echo of his own fast-and-loOse
| talking, and when l saw him look de-
I lighted at the chaff he got on the subject,
/ and heard him limiting at the footing on
which he and Pauline stood, l longed to
/ hit him such blow straight in his hand
some face as should teach him to shield
her name from gossip in the future. At
last | made up my mind to try and find
out from Pauline herself how the land
/ really lay.
II was the end of September, and my
! tobacco crop was all cut and dried. This
| gave me an excellent pretext for visit to
the Cafe Pochet, where l had not been for
some time. When | reached the cross
/ road in the forest where the house stood
/ it was dusk. walked in; the bar was
! empty. Pauline, in the kitchen, was
| getting the children's supper.
Good evening, Pauline l said.
Good evening, Jules" she replied,
going on with her work.
! sat down and tried to take the smallest
child on my knee, but it screamed and
! struggled away.
SILLY little thing" said Pauline, as it
ran and hid behind her; that's how she
| is with strangers"
Then she'll ind it hard" I replied,
! when stranger takes your place."
| "A Stranger she exclaimed. "What
/ do you mean? Who is TO take my placer"
Well" | said tlmidIy, "pve heard you
mean to leave home"
| And who have you heard that from?"
she asked sharply.
From Leon Regnault," l replied, land
by what he said, it seemed he had the
right to put the news about"
/ She was silent for moment, then she
said in her usual quiet way:
HE has no right to say any such thing.
/ 1t Is not true"
! Il thought not l replied. More than
/ that | could not find courage to say; then,
after a silence, l drew out my sample OF
| tobacco. "Pve brought this for your
father" began.
Fathers not here" she said. 81 don't
expect him tonight"
Never mind,' l went on. "You can
tell him Pve got about nalf a hundred
weight, and ask him to send over word
about the price"
No" she replied bluntly. 81 won't.
! Pll have nothing to do with it."
But, Pauline" l cried, why ever
not? L did not mean to veX you. You
see we've so often had disagreeables
about prices, and it's best to make sure
! beforehand"
Il know all that" she replied. That's
not why | refuse. It's because | WON'T
have anything 10 do with 'traude.' Pm
sick OF it, Day after day, nothing but
plotting and bargaining and suuabbling
! II.
when father is out, as he is tonight, get
/ ting lot of contraband over-that is the
| worst OF all. am no coward, but oh,
| the horror of 1.-THE long hours of wait
ing and listening for his signal or for
something worse, which must come some
day."
| 1 had never heard Pauline make such
a long speech before. My heart thrilled
at the thought that she had spoken so
! freely, and with pity for the lonely watch
she was about to keep. Pauline" l
said eagerly, you need not watch alone;
l will stay"
She shook her head. mo, thank you,
jules" she replied.
I did not venture to repeat the offer, for
she had recovered her usual calm. Still |
did not offer to go. She gave the children
their meal. Presently she turned to me
suddenly:
why do you mix yourself up with
these dealings?" she asked.
"How could we all live," l asked IN re-
turn, ''if we did not follow the customloi
Sugny?"
"And what about that great system OF
bookkeeping that some one told you
about?" she said. Weren't you going
to make your fortune out OF some grand
patent hives? You talked lot about il
last year"
81 know I did; but 1 can't find time
properly. Besides, it's risky business. d
OF so risky as 'fraudei' Besides, it's
a risk no honest man need be ashamed to
rum"
But, Pauline" I replied, Pm as
| honest as any man in Sugny."
That's not saying much" she re-
Joined; tits not the sort of recommends
.tion I should expect in the man who
comes counting me. Many time, when
I've sat watching for father, I've sworn
to myself never to listen to a word of love
from a man who's mixed up with SNUG
Cling"
Her words explained much that had
not before understood, though they
sounded strange from the lips Of Pochet's
daughter.
For a moment We LOOKED into one an
others eyes. Then l took my sample and
returned it to my pocket. ''Pll send it tC
Liege," l said.
You'll do WE'LL" she reioined simply
Then l babe her goodnight, and walked
home through the dark forest feeling as
if the winning of Pauline had become
quite possible thing to me.
All the next day went about in a kind
of dream, my thoughts full of what had
passed the night before. Why, asked
myself repeatedly, if Pauline had not
some regard for me, had she spoken tc
me so frankly? Had she not as good as
If ! gave it up for her sake, what then? ]
did mean to give it up, and how should ]
prove my meaning to her? II it had moi
been the end of summer, l should have
straightway invested all my savings in
bees and Dee-hives; as it was, L could
only make up my mind TO do so the fol-
! lowing spring. In the meantime | would
read, and study, and learn all I could
| about agriculture. Before evening nv
hope had grown so big that | felt that |
must see Pauline and get something to
feed it on. The anxiety she had ex-
| pressed about her father seemed to me
unfounded, still l made it the excuse tc
myself as l started once mere across the
forest, and as | went, l thought of all ]
would say TO her if by good luck | got the
chance of a few minutes alone with her.
But when l reached the crossroads, |
saw that something was amisS. A knot
of men stood there talking eagerly, and
some gendarmes were on guard at the
cafe door.
"Have you heard the news?" cried one
of the men to me.
"What news?'' l asked.
about Pochet. He was trapped last
night: some one turned intormer. He
made grand fight, but none the less the
sly OLD fox is landed in Sedan Jail"
went on; at the door the patrol ex-
amined me before / was allowed to enter
Pauline came forward at the sound Of
my step; the tears were rolling down hel
pale checks.
Pauline" 1 SAID hesitatingly, Ppm
glad l happened to come this evening. l
have heard outside. What can 1 do for
your"
Nothing" she said hopelessly. 81
eau only sit still and wait for the worst"
But" l began, you must not lose
courage; it is only his first conviction"
That won't help him much" she re-
piled. You know that as well as | do. u
He was betrayed, l hear" went on.
ssN pS - she said ga man nj (bairia~ac