Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1893-03-23

abe saw him she had no logger In hes
voice the CHEEKY notes with which she
used to greet him, nor did she offer to
send Sister Gabrielle 10 him.
In few sad words sha told him his
sweet nurse was dead, that she had died
as she had@lived, beloved by all who
were privileged 10 be near hor. There
was no positive disease, the doctor had
sad, but some shock or grief of years
before must have undermined her health,
and the life of self-sacri6ce sAe'led had
not been calculated TO lengthcn the frail
strand of her life. Gently and without
struggle it had snapped, and she had
dropped and died with the carly violets.
Touched and saddened, our traveller
turned down the steep street to the lower
town. More than ever he wondered
what had been the history of the brave
beautiful woman who had nursed him
seven years before.
Turning the corner of the Place Cha
teaubriand, he ran against man.
Pardon, monsieur
"Pardon. monsieurr'
The ordinations were simultaneous.
Looking up the two men recognized
each other.
"Ah, my dear. Doctor!" exclaimed my
husband.
"sapristi, my dear Lieutenant! What
are you doing in st. Malo9"
The young man having properly ac-
counted for his presence in the old
Breton town, and made known to DR..
Nadaud how glad he was to see him
again, the two went of together to
lunch at the Hotel de Bretagne, where
Nj. Blout "Max O'Relr1 had left his
luggage.
Having refreshed themselves with q
| light French dejeuner, the doctor and his
former patient strolled out of the long
dining-room into the central courtyard of
the hotel, which the sun had not yet
made too warm; and there, installing
themselves ut a little round table, under
q huge laurel, they smoked and sipepd
their coffee.
II will tell you all know" said the
doctor, in reply to q question from his
companion. 1T seemed almost breach
of confidence to tell you Sister .Gabrielle's
story while she lived, for l knew that
she had come away out of the world on
purpose to work unknown, and to bury
all that remained Of Jeanne D'Alcourt.
| When she first came she seemed not at
all pleased to see me; no doubt because
my presence reminded her of Caen, and
of the scenes that she had turned her back
upon forever"
"Well," continued DR.. Nadaud, ''the
D'Alcourts had lived for generations In
fine old house on the Boulevard de
l'Est, and it was there that Jeanne was
born. Next door lived my sister and her
husband, Nj. Leconte, the chief notary of
the town, and a man well considered by
all classes of his townsDen. 1t Is the
old story of affection knotted together in
the skipping rope, and proving to be Us
unending as the circle of the hoop. My
sister had girl and a boy. The three
children played together, walked out
with their nurses together, and were
hardly ever separated, until the time
came for Raoul to 60 to Paris to school.
The boy was fourteen when they parted !;
Jeanne was only eleven; but the two
childrens's love had so grown with their
growth that before the day of parting
came they had made solemn little COM
pact never to forget each other.
Eight years had passed. during
which Jeanne and Raoul saw little OF
each other.
"rhe first time the boy came home he
seemed to Jeanne no longer boy, and
the shyness which sprang up betweea
them then deepened with each succeed
ing year.
1.-THE boy was allowed to choose his
tprofessioh, and he chose that of sur
gerry. News reached Jeanne from time
tie time, through his sister, of the prom
ising young student who, it was said,
bid fair to win for himself great name
some day,
"At the age of twenty-five Raoul left
Paris. His parents, who were growing
old, wished their son near them; and
steps were taken to establish him in q
practice in Caen.
"Time passed on, and Raoul had been
six months in partnership with old DR..
Grevin, whom he was eventually to sue.
coed, when Nine. D'Alcourt fell i'll OF in
fammation of the lungs, and so it hap
pened that the two young people often
met beside the sickbed, for the cider
partner was not always able to attend
the patient, and his young aide was
called upon to take his place.
by the time that Mime. D'Alcourt was
we'll again, both the young people knew
that the old love Of their childhood had
smouldered in their hearts through all
the years of separation, and was ready
to burst into flame at q touch. But no
word was spoken.
ut was Raouls' fond hope to he one
day in position to ask for Jeanne as his
wife. but he knew that BIZ speaking be-
fore he was in that position he would
only destroy all chance of being listened
to by her parents.
'sThe touch that should stir the flame
soon came.
zone day in the summer following,
hasty summons from Nine. D'Alcourt
took DR.. Grevin to Jeanne's bedside, and
few moments examination showed him
that the poor girl had taken diphtheria,
After giving directions as to the treat
ment to be followed, he said he would
return late in the evening, or would send
NJ. Leconte.
1T was Raoul who came.
"With horror he saw that the case was
already grave, and great p0ng went
through him as he spoke to Nine. DIAL
court of the possibility Of its being nee
essary to perform tracheotomy in the
morning. When morning came, in fact
all next day, Jeanne hoped with deep,
longing, passionate hope.
"Thc day after, however, IL was evil
dent that nothing could save the girl hut
the operation, and was quickly decided
to try the last chance.