The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1893-09-28

1.-THE secret Of the stranger ! name, With
various degrees Of confidence, they
should expect to find IN their listeners
an equal degree Of surprise, and it was
only natural also that they, being sim
| pier people, should have expressed ia
words their sense Of disappointment.
Thus it came to pass that, in the yillase
OF. Charmcnt-sur-Po nt the name Of Rob
ert Macaire came to be regarded as one
fraught with an honor all it's own. and
that the importance of the owner Of It
grew with an ever increasing rapidity.
Macaire remained at the house az
Beaumont, and by borrowing a reason
able sum Of money from his host as a
personal favor to him and by various
purchases of clothing effected in the
neighboring hamlets on his account-for
he would not leave the place even for
few hours-he began to make better ap-
pearance.
Hitherto the rustic youths had regard
ed Marie with distant love. They had
not ventured to lay their stricken hearts
at her feet. Eat had ccntented or rather
discoateated themselves by adnairine
afar off the beauty which they dared not
approach. Tow, however,, wit, the
sight of a r.val-fo. as such they of
course re gar6 ed him-!overs regard ev-
cry enc ss a rival. and rightly SO, when
they have rot the courage TO speak out
for themselves before them installed in
the house, and their possible chances
fading into nothing, they began to grow
more courageous and to come closer to
the object of their alteration. although
they did not dare to speak.
There was one important exception to
this rule, bright eyed, keen witted
young fellow called Pierre Lamar, the son
Of well to do farmer. He was some
what younger than the rest of Marie's 81
lent suitors, and he had hitherto refrain
ed from speaking to her of his love from
the natural difhdence of youth, but for
some time it had been half understood
between the old folk that if the young
people should care to make it match
there would not be any objection expe-
rienced from the seniors.
Pierre became more ardent in his WOO
ing, and although Marie had all wom-
ans natural gift in the way of protec-
ton by keeping declaration away it
took her all her time to prevent the
young man from declaring himself.
Robert Macaire did not like the constant
attention which was involved in the
young mans passion and tried to keep
him away, but all in vain, until by his
delaying to declare his own intentions
Marie prompted Cupid with little jeal-
ousy.
AS Pierre's hopes began to grow Rob-
ert awoke to the necessity of the case,
and as preliminary asked Marie to give
Pierre his congo. This she did, protest
ino that cha did not know whv she should
do so. Pierre was therefore kept strict
ly among the crowd who in the evening
were permitted to come to the foot of
their idol.
This was very pleasant for Marie, who,
like all her sex, loved admiration, and
also for Robert, who, like all his sex,
loved company, and who, by this time
confident of his success with the village
beauty, could afford to be easy in his
mind and to enjoy the company undis-
turbed. -,
There was a very general impression
that Farmer Beaumont was possessed of
great riches. For many generations his
family had been prosperous and thrifty,
and the hamlet was so small and so re-
mote from any great center that it had
always escaped lightly from the 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 mono 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 the 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 a IA
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 the 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 be son-in-law, but he was over
ruled by his wife, whose sympathy with
her daughter-after the manner of moth
ers-blinded her eyes to the danger she
was mourning.
The SWANS were inconsolable, to the
indignation of the 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-
ton 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
well under the old lime tree. This pub
Lefty brought some of the young men to
book, and some Of the others, recogniz-
ing from Marie's attitude that their hope