The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1894-03-10

| return it. when the fash and CLEAN
of beautiful article met his
eye. He hesitated, awkwardly offered
it, then remained staring at it in 81
lence.
| 1t was a handsome gold dagger.
sheathed in a curiously wrought and
yaluably jeweled case of ancient and
foreign design. The head of the dag
ger was carved golden image of the
Virgin Mary, with a row of small jew
els just below, and the point of the
sheath finished with the setting of
large black pearl.
He had seen this same dagger dropped
at the BARRIERS, where the priest had
happened in and opened conversation.
He had dropped it before in the fort,
the first time they met
| He returned 1t.
| 'You are struck with the beauty of
my dagger. 1t is a rare gem-a curl
Gus memory of an old French court,
and covering more than one tragedy,
no doubt, in its sheath. You have never
seen anything like it before! 1t has
given you an uncomfortable sensation
to look at it, and now you are wonder
ing how / came by it," remarked the
priest, with voluble speech
His companion remained silent, look
ing at him with new, quizzical in
terest.
Il never saw you before" he said.
slowly.
NO" returned the priest; ''you never
did"
"Who the devil are your
"a servant of God-and student of
human nature You are an easy sub
iect 1 am an apt interpreter of sor-
row."
rs that ALI" exclaimed the other,
with a relieved smile of forced good
humor 81 would like to know what
you read 'sorrowfur in my life. 1t is
late dinners, with strong cheese and
bad wines, which make up the recipe of
my sourcd visage," said he, giving the
first puff to his Havana.
They walked on by the beach. and
the priest knocked the ashes carefully
from his cigar.
Eyes" slowly; you have wined and
dined somewhat injudiciously, yet not
over and above what your profession
might require But those indulgences
thoroughly selfish ones, my dear sir
have caused nothing more than tenn
porary physical indigestion. There is
a worse indigestion-of acute mental
recollections-which lines and under
lines the face, so to speak"
The blase looked quizzical again.
what do you imagine my profess
sion is?" he inquired.
THE law, if am not mistaken" re-
turned the other, quickly.
The blase pulled away in negligent
manner of easy interest, and said:
"Well, without saying more, you are
entertaining. What more do you
think of me? Now that you have
sought me, speak to your purposel'
II think" said the priest, as they
turned at the end of the pier to retrace
1t again, shat you are man with
troublesome past which you cannot
drown-even though covered by the
waters of yonder Hampton Roadsi"
''That is propitious! You are a reg
ular old woman at fortune telling.
What else do you think?"
II think you would like to know how
l came into possession of this French
dagger You shall look at it again.
Though the recital of its history since
it has been in my charge will not be
easy nor pleasant, l will give it to you
"Tell me, did you not visit the Point
in the early eighties? But mol will
tell you of the man who did-perhaps
you have heard of him. He was the
defendants lawyer in very celebrated
case over in our quiet little village of
Hampton. 1t was the trial of Nina
Bretonne. the beautiful Indian girl
who was tried for stabbing one of the
institute teachers who accused her of
falsehood and cheating"
81 remember" interrupted the other
Ibid you attend the trial?"
NO" replied the priest. II was not
in the diocese then have not been
here long, but have heard many par
ticulars of it and Of the interest it ex-
cited. The girl is said to have been of
French and Indian extraction, and had
the fiery characteristics of both races
She was sent to the school for training
from the western states. where she had
been among some western Indian tribe.
1t is said she had bright mind, but
was opposed to study and close confine-
ment and had most ungovernable
~ -
rs