The indicator., 1894-12-29

muttering to herself. She paused on
the cliff and looked down at the calm
sea. moving her head painfully from
side to side.
The chevalier and his daughter ap-
preached her.
"Good-day. mother" said the for
mer. "Were you offering up prayer
for some one out yonder on the sea?"
Tho old woman looked at him from
head to foot, then at tho fair girl by
his side:
my son is not a fisherman," she
answered; she is soldier"
"Well, it is the same thing. There
are perils on the land as well as on
the ocean. and just now worse perils.
Where is your son at presentP"
"At the 'front.'" was the reply.
"The good God only knows if he lives
STILL" She added savagely, 1.-The ac-
cursed Germans! have heard that
out there in Lorraine, where the Prus
slams came, our folks poisoned the
spring wells. 1t was well done-well
done!"
NAY, mother; it was wickedly done,
if done at ALL" cried Blanche, indig-
uantly. But I'll never believe it Of
our brave countrymcn"
The old woman looked at her bale
fully.
alt is all very WE'LL" she returned.
'.for fine folk like you to talk like
that! You aristocrats look on while
we poor folk are driven out to die.
My son was a peasant; could not buy
him substitute; ho had to go"
LET 1t comfort you" said the girl,
THAT he is hghtin. in n noble cause. :"
ga noble cause What caro- for
the cause. / want my son. Had he
been fine gentleman like him beside
you. he would have stayed safe at
home; but he was poor, as have said,
and they took him from me-my Jean,
my only son! All, it is an intamy!
There is one God for the poor and an
other for the rich; and it is the poor
who must suffer for all the evil our
rulers dot"
So saying, and once moro subs iding
into broken mutterings, the crone
moved feebly away. Father and daugh-
tor turned sadly and walked slowly
along the summit of the cliffs.
blanche, my child. you heard
what the old woman said? Sho was
right. In these sad times OF war the
evil falls only upon the poor, while
the rich are spared. God knows that
1t is not 1ust!"
She gazed at him earnestly, as if
not quite gathering his meaning, be-
fore she replied,
"But 1t is not only the poor who ara
fighting now for tho Fatherland. The
journals are full of the names of those
who are ilocking to take service
against the enemy, and the flower OF
our old nobility is among them. Many
have gone even as common soldiers.
All! But they are brave"
After following for about mile the
footpath along tho cliffs they turned
inland, and crossing tho plateau of
grass and thyme, came upon open
fields, whore all the summer the yell
low cola had been growing. Pres
emily they approached the shadow of
fir woods. A modest gate opened to a
narrow avenue winding through the
trees; and following this avenue for
some distance, they came in sight of
the old chateau, which for many
generation had been the dwelling of
the old family.
1t was an old-fashioned house, with
a grand old porch and terrace facing
THO oouuli, ana purrouuuoa oroI,y
side by woodland and belts of pasture.
The garden in front of it was arranged
in terraces and shady walks, and be-
hind it were several orchards con-
nected with the home farm. Seen in
the subdued light of the autumnal day,
the place looked somewhat forlorn
and little neglected; for the Cheva-
lier de Gavrolles, though of old descent,
was not rich man, and found it nec-
essary for many reasons to economize
his income. One gardener, with occa-
sional assistance from Houzel the for
ester, had to keep the flower beds and
parterres in decent order; one old
mans servant or butler. in addition to
the serving maids, had to superintond
matters within the house.
A certain picturesquenoss was added
to the chateau by peacock in full
plumage. who was strutting on the
terrace and spreading his irised tail
in the rosy sunset light. As they ap-
preached, Blanche lett her fathers
greeted her with its harsh discordant
cry.
She stood with one white hand out
stretched, smiling brightly. and the
glory of the sunset fell upon hcr, il
Illuminating her young beauty with the
light from another world. Her deep
blue eyes sparkled with joy and love,
and her golden hair cleaned softly
under her white straw hat. Her
father stood looking at her, and for
moment his owes grew dim.
Poor Blanche!" he muttered; ..she
is SO happy now!"
He sat down on the terrace and
lighted q cigar. His thoughts were
travelling back to the day when his
beloved wife had died, leaving him
lonely widower, with that one child.
Since then Blanche had been the joy
and comfort of his life, and they had
dwelt together In solitude, seeing
little or no society, and seldom quit
ting their country home. A student
almost bookworm-he had belied
all the traditions of his house by de-
clinin9 at the very outset u military
career, for which he had neither
taste nor inclination. He had held a
commission during his youth, and
seen some active service abroad; but
when the empire came, he had left
the army, married, and led the life of
a quiet country gentleman. Thus it
came to pass that he found himself,
at middle age, quite without busy oc-
cupation or worldly ambition.
Father Andre came according to up
pointment, and the three dined to-
gether In the largo sale q manger of