The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1894-11-27
Tale OF A mill.

simple one. They lived honestly and loved
each other with all their hearts. He was
So years of age. She was 30. They lived
in Paris and had no children.
Claire was employed in the Bank OF
France, and Charles worked in the Credit
Foncicr. Their combined salaries amount
ed to 400 francs a month and made posi-
Bile certain Observation-Disclosures des Batig-
nolles, excursions to Saints uen, fried fish
suppers at Autcuil. Sometimes they went
for picnics into the department Seine-et
Disc.
One day they climbed up the heights OF
Montmartre, and from the summit they
caught sight of tho peaks of Chaumont.
Then they went into ecstasies over the
beauties of nature.
1.-THE real mountains must be wonder
full" declared the husband.
Said his wife; what if one day we
were to go and see the Pyrenees? Your
family calne from there, you know, and
you have An unit at Pat"
Charles soon remembered his aunt there,
even recalled her name, Adele Beyries.
He wrote to her to say they would go to
spend a week at Pau during their next
vacation. They at once began to make
preparations for the tip. In order to live
we'll in the Pyrenees they deprived them
selves OF many things in Paris.
At length the month of August came
round. Charles and Claire had their vaca-
tions at the same time, and they left Paris
on a Saturday night.
They arrived in Pau "a hours later and
found the aunt without difficulty. She
was selling bonbons and photographs of
Henry " before the gateway of the castle.
She gave her nephew the name OF a 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 shrouded in heavy
mists.
Never mind" said Charles, ''let Us so
for a walk. The mists are sure to rise be-
fore long"
Unfortunately instead of going in a
southerly direction, where the P%yrenees
were, they turned their faces toward the
north, where lay the fat lands of Pont
Long. They walked for two hours with
confidence. Suddenly ON their left the land
began to rise in low hills.
tThere they are!" cried Charles, and his
awestruck eyes began to search for a sign
of the everlasting SHOWS.
You think those are the real Pyrenees?"
said Claire doubtfully.
"Why, of course, - was his confident re-
ply.
They attacked the hills bravely, and the
sky began to grow clear, the clouds te
break up. Patches of deep blue began tc
show themselves through the mist masses.
Presently the sun itself shone out, and be-
fore his fierce arrows the vapofs rolled tc
one side and fed away like an army OF
ghost and specters in rou
The two Parisians continued to climb.
Suddenly they saw before them a wind
mill. an old windmill whose arms were
slowly turning in the wind on the sum
nit of the hill. Charles was somewhat
surprised.
Did they nave windmills on the highest
peaks of the chain? he thought. Perhaps
the people lave dancing there as they die
at Montmartre.
"Peuh! The Pyrenees don't amount to
much, you know" said Claire, with 9
shrug of her shapely shoulders.
Still they kept on climbing, and in a
QuGIlSi I'll al llOdI O0Lid Iii A'
the foot of the mill. There was not d
suddenly and uttered a loud cry.
"Oh, Charles, look over there!"
Charles turned at his wife's words and
stood in amazement. The real Pyrenees
rose up in tho distance with such indie
scribable grandeur that Charles and Claire
were overcome with emotion.
They stretched away in ing blue ranges,
rising higher and higher into the sky, ever
more and moro indisGinct and blue. And
over all were the great slopes Of everlast-
ing SHOWS standing out white and grand
| against tho deep blue skies. Claire and
Charles had never seen such a sight be-
fore, and their eyes filled with the tears OF
enthusiasm.
They waited there several hours, and
the mex day they came again. And the
day after they came again. How they
longed to see those mountains close! But
they were not rich enough. Perhaps next
year. This time they must DO content
with looking at them from a distance,
They bought plans, photographs and q
| guidebook and looked up the names of the
peaks with eagerness that was almost pas
sionate.
Charles and Claire enjoyed themselves
more and more as tho time passed, and
when the day came for them to leave they
were almost in tears. Oh, the lovely coun-
try they were going to leave! Why were
they not born there? Oh, to live in the
open air, away from the madding crowd,
face to face with the big mountains, and
never to hear the street vendors crying
their ware! 49,
Charles especially was sad.
He was a child of the Pyrenees, because
his parents had lived thereand died there
1t seemed as if their dust was calling te
him, the exile fl d great city, to. return t.
his true homo and4iyc again in the pure
air of the mountains and foreSts!c1e IT
The last day, when he was making his
adieu to the mountains, Charles saw the
miller come out of the old windmill, and
an extravaganza idea came into his head.
GOOD morning, my good fellow" he
said to him.
GOOD morning, sir.
'sTo whom does this mill belongf"
"To me-"
"Do you have any land round it2"
eight hectares"
t'Are you w<sling to sellP''
"Well, that depends, - replied the mill
er, eying his interlocutor from head to
foot.
How much do you want?"
"How much do l want? Oh, $1,000
francsl''
"Oh, you would let it go for 10, 000?"
"No, by my soul, mol ! could not &c
lower than 10, oo0."
And the miller went into his mill again