The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1894-05-29

prising quietness "The miserable bust
ness belongs to years gone by never
like to stir it up, but as you have been
so kind I would not have you get q
wrong impression Of me, soSlistens md
despise me If you can. Z"
He packed up his implements, threw
his sack over his shoulder and started
on his way.
"I'm bound for S." said 1. care
you going tho Same way!'
'"The same, sir, whichever way you
60 am cverywhcre-or rather, no.
where-at home.
We walked on and soon entered again
the magnificent wood But it's beauty
found me indifPercnt'now. was all alb
sorbed in the mysterious man ut my
side, whose eyes were fixed intently
upon the messy earth.
"You were going to tell mo your sto-
~" said ]. taking up tho conversation
where we had left off.
Il WAS going to-yes. But really,
now, I'm almost sorry said So How
ever, promised. and must keep my
word, for somehow you're different
from tho rest.
He struck match and lighted his
pipe, which he had already filled with
my tobacco
"One wOuld never think, 10 hook at
me now" said no after o. few pulls at
his pipe, "that wns the son cf rich
farmer. All, truly, time can do strange
things with menl My father blessed
be his memouy-was wrong when he 50
often said. nearly 80 years ago, that his
wild boy wouldn't live to sec many
years. I've seen only too many OF theml
''There was my brother Xawier-on
entirely different sort Of fellow-my ex-
net opposite While / wandered the
whole day long IN the woods no would
sit porting over books thick with dust
even i'll our grandfatlias' day which be
found i'll the garrett
GIN the catechism he stood ut tho
head. The pastor had not met so indus
trious a boy in years.
"And I? Oh. was a good for moth
ing, who deserved whipping every
day! 1 got it often enough, too, md it
didn't agree SO badly with me either, for
1 grew to be such big fellow as
couldn't be matched In the neighbor-
hood
81 think for one while there wasn't
village fair i'll the vicinity where 1
didn't play the rowdy. This would have
been q pretty bad state of affairs if it
had lasted long, but al end soon came
to it-nn end which / would gladly
have exchanged for an honest stab in a
tavern brawl. 1t happened thus.
Can you sec, sir, that old tumble
down hut over there between those two
larches? Twelve years ago that was the
home OF all old day laborcr. 1t is easy
to be seen that wealth had no place
there, but the house was kept by Marie,
the old mans daughtcr-a girl SO pref
ty that the angels in heaven might have
rejoiccd to look at her. What wonder
was it that often stopped to chat with
her over the feloe W fasten nosegay
i'll her bodice on my way homer
"Well, the summer passed away, and
when winter came Oh, raw and cold,
and l had no excuse for wandering
among the mountains, still something
drew me irrosistibly to those odd paths,
and l could not lot single day 90 by
without seeing Marie.
''Her father saw how matters were
going, but he made no objections. For
while he knew that 1 was a wild sort
of scamp he did not believe there WIS
anything really bad in me. And he was
not mistaken.
1.-The time came at last when must
acquaint my father with the state of af-
fairs Oh, bnt you should have seen,
sir, the storm it raised! It Ind never
entered into my lovesick lurin that Ma
rie was the daughter of Il poor peasant!
The old man was stubborn, and equal
ly so. For six whole weeks ! did not sit
down to n meal with him. Xa<ier i'll
the meanwhile WINS all devotion. And
he was right-my noble brothcI@fr
was l not making my choice between
Marie and my share of the property,
Just then it seemed as if heaven it
self meant to spoil his calculations. The
dreaded day for the military draft came
on. had the year before drawn the
lucky number which cxmnrated me
from service 1t was now Xavier's turn
to try the wheel Of fortune
HE drew blank. and unlcsss a sub
stitnte should be provided he nr,lst with
i'll few days join the n11ny.
My father was incoIsolablc. A sub
stitute was no easy thins to obtain, csi-
pecially aus the very air seemed full of
luminous portents, and any day might
como the news that war had boon de-
clared.
"a thought flashed through my mind
| swallowed my pride ON the instant
and once more entered the old mans
presence.
"'Father, said l. If you will give
your consent to my marriage with
Marie, 1 will be Xavicr's substitute.