The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1894-12-14
THE TALE Or A WINDMILL.

The story of Charles and Claire is |,
very simple one. They lived honestly
and loved each other with all their
hearts, II, was 81 years of age, she
was 80. They lived in Paris and hil NO
children.
Claire was employed in the Bank of
France and Charles worked in the Credit
Foncier. Their combined salaries
amounted TO 400 francs !, month and
made possible certain Observation-Disclosures
Oucn, fried fish supptrS ut Autctil
Sometimes they went for ricllics into the
Department Seine-et-OiSc.
One day they climbed zip the heights
of Montmarrr. and from the summit
hey caught sight of the peaks of Cala,l-
mont. Then they went into ccStaSicS
! over the beauties of nature.
''fhc real mountains must hr wonders
tut. Declared the husband.
Said his wife: What if ON. day we
were to 80 and So" the Pyrrners! Your
family came from there. You know. AMI
y"u lE'\c an aunt at Pau"
Charles soon remembered his aunt
therc--evrn recalled her name, Adele
Rryric$. He wrote to her to say they
WOULD 20 to spend week ut Pau during
their next vacation. They at once began
I" make preparations for the trip. In
| order t" live well in the pyren,ss they
deprived themselves of many things in
Paris.
At length the month of August cam,
round. Charles and Claire had their va
cation ut he same time, and they left
l'ar;s on Il Saturday night,
They arrived in Pau twcnty-four hours
later. and found the aunt without difficult
~. She WAS selling bunbolS and photo
graphs of Henry ~. before the gateway
of the castle. She gave her nephew the
name of Il good hotel
1T WaS raining when they arrived; and
the mountains were not visible. The next
day the sky WAS still overcast. and the
great mountains were >ilruu,lr,l in heavy
mistS
"Never mind" said Charles ''let us go
tor walk; the mistS arc sure to rise be-
fore long
Unfortunately. instead of going in IL
S"utherly direction, where thu, Pyrenecs
were. they turned their faces toward tile
north, where lay the fiat lands of Point
Long: They walked for two hours with
confidence. Suddenly. on their left the
land began to rise in low hills.
There they are!'' cried Charles. and his
awe-struck eyes began to search for IL
sign of the everlasting SHOWS.
You think those are the real Pyre-
neeS: said Claire. doubtfully.
Nhy. of course" was his confident re-
ply.
They attacked the hills bravely and the
SKY began to grow clear. the clouds to
break UP. Patches of deep blue began to
show themselves through the mist masses
Presently the sun itself shonc out. and
before his fierce arrows the ya,Wrs rolled
20 on" side and fed like an army of ghosts
anl $pecterS in rnt1t.
Inc two l'ari>ills contin,tnd to climb
suddenly they saw before them !, wind
null: an old Windmill whose arms were
slowly turning i'll the wind on the summit
OF the hill. Charles was somewhat sur
prisetl.
Do they have win,lmils on the highest
peaks of the chain? he thought Perhaps
the people have danced there as they did
at MOntnlartrp.
"peuh! The Pyrtnees don't amount to
much. You know" said Claire, with a
shrug of her shapely shoulders
Still they kept on climbing. and in !,
quarter of an hour found themselves at
the foot of the mill. There was not a
cloud in the sky. Claire turned round
suddenly and uttered Il loud cry
"Oh. Charles look over therc!''
Charles turned at his wifc's words and
stood in engagement. The real Pyrcnces
| rose UP III the distance with such indie
s.ribal'le grandeur that Charles and
Claire were overcom" with emotion.
They stretched away in long blue
| ranges. rising higher and higher into the
sky. ever more and more indistinct and
blue. And over all were the great slopes
OF everlasting SHOWS standing out white
and grand against the deep blue skies
Claire and Charles had never seen such !,
sight before, and their eyes fillc. with
tears of enthusiasm.
They waited there several hours and
inc next da! they came again. And the
day after they came again. How they
longe'l t" see those mountains close! But
they were not rich enough. Perhaps next
year. This time they must b,
content with looking at them from !,
| distance. They bought plans, photo
Erlphs and a guide book and looked III,
the names of the pc:,ls with cagcrncss
that was almost passionate.
Charles and Claire enjoyed themselves
when the day came for them to leave they
were almost i'll tears. Oh. the lovely
country they were going to leave! WHY
were they not born there: Oh. to live il,
| the open air. away from the mal,lin9
| crowd. face to face with the big mount
aims, and never to hear the street ven
| ders crying their ware!
| Charles especially was sad.
tic Was Il child of the PyrenceS. because
| his parents had livetl there and die,
! there. 1t seemed as if their dust was call
| ing to him, the exile in II great city, tt
return to his true home and live ag;,j1
| i'll the pure air Of the mountains and for
! eStS.
The last day, when he WAS making hi.
! adicu t" the mountains, Charles saw tho
miller come out of the old windmill am
IN eNtrayagant idea came into his head
'GoHl morning, old fellow" he sal,
to MIN.
'I1po.l morning. sir
10 whom does this mill helong?"
$40 me-
DO you have any land round it,
| Flight bettareS."
Are you willing to sell:"
'Nell. that depends" replied the mill
er. cycling his interlocutor from head t,
| foot.
How much do YOU want"
| How much do | wnnt!'' Oh. 1J,OO(
francs"
'oh: You would let it 20 for 100000
"Al, non monsieur. non BY my soul
no: | could not 80 lower than 12.NW
And the miller went into his mill agai,
to prove that he would go no lower.
But seeing that the strangers were go
ing away, he ran after them, caught III
with them and said:
:, You might leave your address. though
Sometimes, You know, one has need o
money-;nd--even for 10000 francs, per
haps! Well. 10000 francs are Away
10000 frames.
Charles gave Iris address and Wake,
away with his wife III It state of hig
glee.
But you must be crazy declare.
Claire.
"Why?'
You think of buying that mill? You?
Yes: me: that is l~---
And the money!
1--WE shall have it, You'll See WEI
work day and right and cconomize Il
four years we will have our mill: in fo,l
years. perhaps three. And when one
we have got it we will retire and be
come milers. Then we shall be able t
see the mountains every day and enjo
them! Oh! how happy we shall be! Kis
me. kiss me. Mrs. Aliler!'
And Charles embraced his pretty youn
wife rs if he was holding the entire rang
of the Pyrenees TO his breast.
| +
They went back to Paris and worke
| with enthusiasm. In order to realize tlei
dream they economical III every diret
ton. lodgings, clothes and even FOOD
Claire succeeded in obtaining copyin
work and Charles kept books for q sma