The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1895-02-07

| face IL. OOmotDluS nau n'aAeio" jill
rnstling in the straw behind him.
.What is that?" he said, his hand on
the table, his face lowering and watch
full
Tho girl had risen also, and as tho
last word passed his lips sprang by
him. with q low cry, and aimed fran
tic blow with her stool at something he
could not see.
sWhat is it?" he asked, recoiling
"a ratr' she answered. breathless.
And she aimed another blow at it.
"Where?' ho asked fretfully. "Where
is it?'' He snatched his stool, too, and
at that moment rat darted out Of the
straw, ran nimbly between his legs and
plunged into colo by the door. He
flung tho wooden stool after it, bnt, Of
course in vain. ''It was rat!' he
said as if before he had doubted it.
''Thank God" she mutterod. She was
shaking all over.
He stared at her in stupid wonder.
What did she mean? What had come TO
her? "Have you had sunstroke, my
girl?'' he said suspiciously.
Her nut brown face was shade less
brown than usual, but she met his eyes
boldly and said, mo" adding an ex-
planation which for the moment salts
fed him. But he did not sit down again.
When she went out, he went also. And
though, as she retired slowly to the rye
fields and work, she repeatedly looked
back at him, il was always to find his
eyes upon her. When this had happened
half dozen times, thought struck
him. "How now?' he muttored. "The
rat ran out of the strawr'
Nevertheless he still stood gazing aft
or her, with cunning look upon his
features until she disappeared over the
edge of the rift, and then he crept back
to the door of tho barn and stole I'm out
OF the sunlight into the cool darkness of
the raftered building, across which
dozen rays Of light were shooting, laden
with dancing notes. Inside no stood
stock still until he had regained tho uso
Of his eyes, and then he began TO peer
round him. In q moment he found what
he sought. Half upon and half hidden
by the straw lay young man in the
deep sleep Of utter exhaustion. His face,
which bore traces of more than common
beauty, was now white and pinched.
His hair hung dank about his forehead.
His clothes were in rags, and his feet,
bound up in pieces torn at random from
his blouse, were raw and bleeding. For
a short while Michel Teller bent over
him, remarking these things with glis-
tening eyes, Then the peasant stole ont
again. "It is crownsv' he muttered,
blinking in the sunlight 'Ha, hal Five
crownsl"
He looked round cautiously, but could
see no siNn of his wife, and after hesi.
tating and pondering a minute or two
he took the path for Carbaix, his ma
tive astuteness leading him to saunter
slowly along in his ordinary fashion.
After that tho moorland about the cot
tage lay seemingly deserted. Thrice. at
intervals, the girl dragged home her
load Of straw, but each time she seemed
to linger in the barn no longer than was
necessary. Michel's absence, though it
was unlocked for, raised no suspicion in
her breast, for no would frequently go
down to the village to spend tho after
noon. The sun sank lower, and the shad-
ow Of the great monolith, which, stand
ing on the highest point Of the moor,
about mile away, rose gaunt and black
against roseate sky, grew longer and
longer, and then, as twilight fell, tho
two coming home met q few PAGES from
the cottage. He asked some questions
about the work she had been doing, and
she answered briefly. Thon, silent and
uncommunicative, they went in togeth-
er The girl set the bread and cider ON
the table, and, going to the great black
pot which had been simmering all day
upon the fire, poured some broth into
two pitchers. It did not escape Michel's
frugal eye that there was still little
broth left in the bottom of tho pot, and
this induced new feeling in him
anger. When his wife hailed him by
sign to the meal. he went instead to tho
to the corner and picked up the wood
chopper, and. armed with this, camo
back to his seat
The girl watched bis movements, first
with surprise and then with secret ter
ror. The twilight was come, and tho
cottage was almost dark. and she was
alone with him, or, if not alone, yet
with no ono near who could holp her.
Yet she met his grin of triumph brave.
ly. "Whnt is this?" she said. "Why do
yol want thatg''
"For the rat, he answered grimly,
his eyes ON hers.
why not uso your stool?' she strove
to murmur, her heart sinking.
Not for this rat. he answered. "It
might not DO, my girl. Oh, know all
about il, " ho continued. II have been
down to the village and seen tho mayor,
and he is coming up TO fetch him. f"
He nodded toward the partition, ard
sho know that her secret was known.
"It is Pierre, she said, trembling
violently and turning first crimson and
then white.
81 know II, Jeanne IL was excellent
Of You! Excellent IL is long since you
havc dono such days work. 4"
ftNpt, N ,,g+ ,fv-. l,f,,,