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

Bruno, taciturn, always at work, .rusted
by the sun. The wife, Olympic, a dried
plant of the mountain, burned up like
a cinder, like her husband, forever at
work, sewing and tending the flowers
and vegetables; then the daughter. q
tall, brown haired girl, sweet as the
grass about a spring, the pure. and
caressing growth of the peace OF the
fields. :. ,
This was Justine, the sunshine of
TIE hearth, the pride of her parents.
For her sake Bruno put off his taci-
turnity after the days work, and on
Sundays went to the town and to the
fetes, exhibiting his heiress dressed IN
bright colored gowns, with gold chains
about her neck-the jewelry of a long
forgotten grandmother. Justine was
not yet twenty, and there had been no
thought of marrying her.
Michel and Jnstine had grown up
together on the same soil. They re-
parded each other as if they had been
old people, talking and laughing to-
gether without restraint, their con-
versation always turning on the same
subjects, their labors and the seasons.
Non the evening OF the day following
that on which he had been with his
father on that strange excursion to
the town and the adjacent villages,
Michel met Justine; they looked at
each other, then suddenly flushed, and
their eyes grew moist with fondness.
They walked side by side.
When they were near the farm, al
ready dim amid the shadows that
were creeping to the brow OF the hill,
Justine asked:
"You and your father were away
from home yesterday-why?"
"Oh, yes! Fancy!'
And with laughter Michel related to
her the story of the pilgrimage in
search of wife.
1T was all nonsense" he added !;
ST don't know what my father has
been thinking of lately. I have con-
stantly seen him, spade in hand, re-
moving his treasure from one place to
another. And now he wants me to
marry-a thing I never thought OF. "
a look of dreamy helplessness in his
eyes. ,
"Wel, don't worry yourself about
it, stupid!" cried Justine. "One
would think you were going to cry !.
"Do you want to get marrled?'
Michele" asked Bruno.
The young man blushed redder still,
shrugged his shoulders uncomfort-
ably, and replied:
.'My father has Observation-Disclosures
that come into his head-and insisted
on going about the villages"
ssBut--what need was there to
search so far away?"
And Olyme, with her large hands
widespread, boldly indicated her
daughter. It was Justine's turn to
blush.
"Why note" continued Bruno.
"We are fond of you, Michel. But it
was not for US to say anything; your
father has money"
"Ohw
This question of money'shamed the
young man.
"My father would have it so," he
said, resolutely.
Justine raised her eyes to him, took
his hands between hers and extended
them on the table. It seemed like an
oath taken, and a bright vision passed
before all of them in silence. Justine
moved nearer to her lover, pressed
closely against him and encouraged
him to trust and to will.
He went away filed with regrets,
tormented by rsmorse. All accom-
panied him to the threshold, Bruno in
advance. Then, with movement OF
courage and will, Michel said to the
master of the farm:
"My father esteems you; he will
only do what I wish"
And he departed. Justine saw him
through the shadows mounting the
hill path. He walked quickly, agitat-
ed by his new suffering. For the first
time in his life he thought things no
longer appeared to him as they had
hitherto appeared.
A voice spoke to him confusedly,
awakening dreams in his soul. He
tried to drive away the memory of
Justine; but this memory clung to
him, went before him, shining like a
tender light. In his absorption he
went by the gate of his fathers in
closure.
On discovering what he had done
he ran back, entered the cottage hur-
riedly, and, face to face with his
father, felt as if he had suddenly been
turned into a block of ice. Roch
scolded.
"Where have you come from-from
Bruno's Oho!" and bursting into a
loud laugh he added: "By your hang
dog look one would imagine that you
had been up to some mischief. What
ails you?"
The old miser then TRANQUILITY seated
himself at table and helped the stew.
While they were eating Michel eyed
his father furtively, watching for the
moment to explain himself.
"Well-what's the matter with
you?' repeated the old man.
81 daren't-"
81 know; you need not tell me. 1t
is this marriage business that worries
you, and you have some notion OF
your own"
Michel nodded.
'Justine pleases you then?"
The young man looked at his father,