The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1894-11-14

cowardice came back; he was afraid
of offending the miser.
"Don't be uneasy" said the old
man. "Justine is to your taste, but
what dowry will she have? Her par.
ents are not rich, believe, while you
will have money and rich lands, you
know"
eyes"
"Ohl + know that they are honest
people, and with them my vines have
nothing to fear"
Filled as he was with anxiety,
Michel knew not what to say; his heart
was overfowing with love and en-
treaty.
"You are an odd fellow, but we'll,
after all, why should I not accept
Justine? I prefer people who have
surmounted privation and poverty"
And with decided tone and gesture
he added: "Well, we'll see about it
that will remind me of past happi'
ness and of your poor mother"
He scratched his forehead, dried his
eyes, big tears were running down hla
cheeks.
srll have it so-but on one condi'
ton. It's fancy of mine.
Michel turned pale and his lips
ouivered and he leaned back a little IN
his chair, as if terrified by these
strange exuberances.
sWhat is this condition"
"You will marry--that is settled;
but I'll not give you the money Till i
have a grandson-an heir to my name"
And he laughed boisterously. Michel
observed him obviously.
$50 be it, father-I accept!
They struck hands on the bargain
made.
Three mouths afterward, Micheland
Justine were married and living at
Bruno's farm by the torrent. Michel
still worked at his fathers vines, but
Justine never went beyond the IN.
closure. All were happy. The mlser's
fortune slept TRANQUILITY underground
in some unknown nook.
But near all this happiness and hope
fulness death was keeping watch.
One evening the miser, while doing
something in the interior OF his cot.
tase, slipped, felled on his head and
expired. When he was found--the
next morning-his body was cold and
rigid. Naturally, the old mans treasure
occurred to the minds Of all--had ne
been murdered by somerobber? Every,
body on the farm, including Olympic,
set to searching the whole OF Roch'a
land; but nothing was discovered.
The cottage, with its barred door,
! would speedily have fallen into ruins
under the beating of the rain; but
they kept it intact, as sacred altar.
The spring arrived, and Justine be-
came a happy mother. With the
spring, too, came a long and heavy
downfall of rain. Michel, Bruno and
] the women, who sometimes tremblingly
entered the dead mans domain, went
to see what effect the deluge had had
upon the empty cottage. They opened
the door; breath as from the tomb
exhaled from the deserted dwelling.
They sounded the walls; the rain had
eaten into them on every slde--the
shattered building of stones and reeds
was ready to fall at any moment.
Michel sadly and vaguely gazed on the
ruin.
But the clouds had passed to the fa1
end of the plain the sky cleared, and
suddenly a food of sunlight spread
over the lands of the departed miser,
Then from the highest part of the
roof of the desolate cottage broken
tiles began to fall, and shapeless
something was laid bare to the sun-a
coarse canvas bag, which moved and
burst-the miser's treasure! The
peasants sprang back, and pieces OF
money, white and yellow, poured
down in torrent.
Ah!-old Roch might we'll have
laughed to himself! Vainly the do.
main might have been searched till
doomsday! Doubtless he met his
death in the act of forming that final
hiding place for his beloved treasure.
And still the shower of gold continued
SLOWLY now-now at intervals-now
drop by drop.
Michel collected the whole-thou.
sand upon thousands of gold and silver
pieces. Silently he and Bruno heaped
the treasure upon hand barrow, GOV.
cred it with blouse, and wheeled it
to the farm through the livid half
light of the evening.
Nothing was said of the dead miser,
but thoughts of all turned to him-a
little more lovingly.
Their wealth was great enough for
them to have enjoyed ten years of lux
urious life in the great cities far
away; but Michel and Justine, in
spite OF their opulence, determined to
live on the farm, to change nothing in
their way of life-in the peace OF their
love, and il the delight of dreaming
of amassing great fortune for their
children. Who shall say what con-
stitutes the summum bonum of hu-
man happiness.-The Strand Maga-
zine.