The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1893-11-18

picture in front of her; she could only
think of her boy-of her young soldier,
Marcel-and of the sorrow that lay be-
fore him. She walked slowly to her
cottage which stood back in the gar
den, sideways from the steps.
Mime. Dupont was small and thin,
but she was usually very bright; to-day,
however, her pleasant face was sad,
and she bent forward till her chin
touched the strip of white collar that
showed above her lilac cotton gown.
The breeze had roughened her fair
hair, slightly streaked with gray; her
large blue eyes and her red. firm lips
made her look surprisingly young for
her age, yet everyone in Come called
her Mother Virginie." Pierre Dupont,
standing just within the cottage, was
as dark as his wife was fair-a tall,
gipsy-looking fellow, whose keen, red
veined eyes gave him fierce express
sion.
'Come, mother" he said, kindly,
''why should you be troubled with the
talk of that peacock? Why need she
put on all that finery to come and see
us? What has she been saying?
That Marcel will not come. She said
that two weeks ago. What can she
know about it, eh?"
Virginie put her hand on her old
mans arm; he was fifteen years older
than she was, but his Judgment was
apt to be impulsive, rather than we'll
considered She smiled at him as she
| spoke.
1T is not that, my man. Marcel
will come because he has written to
say so-when did our boy ever deceive
us, husband? But am asking myself
why Marie Trobe Is so faithless?"
"Faithless, you say, old girl? BAIL
she is full of fancies; she meant moth
ing-nothing except to contradict you. +"
Virginie sat down on rush bottomed
chair near the door, put her veined
brown hands on her lap, and sh ook her
head; she dared not at once tell her
husband the truth.
mo, my man; Marie does not mean
to keep faith with Marcel That aunt
of hers has been over from Bayeux, and
she brought with her an oldish man
from Paris, M. Bourget Ali Pierre,
we were SO eager for this mar
riage, because Marcel wished it and be-
cause Marie has enough to keep herself
and her husband too; but more than
once since have asked myself whether
our boy might not have cause to repent
his bargain"
"Follyl It is not bargain on Mar
cells SIDE" Pierre said, angrily. HE
| loves the woman-he told me so; though
what he can see in her hard face, and
her sham body stuffed with cotton wool
is past me. Bless you, mother, be easy;
when Marie sees Marcel's handsome
face again, do you think she will throw
him over for an oldish man from Paris?
Not She"
Mother virginie sat silent. struggling
to make up her mind. Did she really
want Marcel to marry this insolent
woman five years older than he was?
If she did not why was she so disturbed
by Marie's want of faith? She knew
why: it was SO terribly hard on Marcel.
He had not at first cared for the stylish
dressmaker. who six months ago, when
the young soldier came home, was o
new arrival at Come.
The mother remembered that when
Marie had once seen Marcel, she was
always meeting him. In fact, she
never let him go. Then Marie's
aunt, Mme. Trobe, met virginie one
day in Bayeux, and proposed that she
and Nine. Dupont should arrange q
marriage between the young people;
she told the devoted mother that Marie
had inherited nice little income from
her father. and that in herself she
would be treasure to any man. Hon.
est, simple Virgipie took the aunt's re-
port for truth, and went home and
| sang Marie's praises to Marcel, who had
great faith in his mothers Judgment.
Then came the annual festival at
Bayeux. Marie Trobe was an excellent
dancer. and at the ball she kept her
self almost entirely for Marcel The
young soldier came to his mother next
morning, and insisted that she should
call with him on Mile. Trobe and wit
ness their betrothal.
Virginie thought he was tyrannical,
but she made excuse for HIM, and hoped
he was going to be very happy. What
visions the loving mother called up!
1t would cost her much to part from
her dear, dutiful Marcel, but it would
be comfort to her to know that he
had some one he loved to take care of
him, and that he would be able to
leave the army earlier than he had ex-
pected.
This was to have been his last visit
home before the final one, when he was
to come back for good and marry
Marie. He had been promised the post
of gamekeeper at Chateau Tracy, so he
would not be dependent ON his wife,
and, although virginie and her husband
lived in a stone-floored, one-storied cot
tage, and rarely ate meat, they had put
by a store of savings which would
greatly helm in furnishinu Marcsps