Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1895-01-10
CHApTER n-Cnntlnucl.

over heard before, sounded like the
tongue Of the angels,
And when, in the duet, after Mile
Reynier had sung q few bars, there
broke in, like lark in the dusk OF the
morning, q clear, fresh soprano, the
very voice he had heard behind him in
church, Roderick felt himself literally
trembling. He was impressionable, 1t
was true-almost as much so rs a
woman; there was q deal Of the woman
in him for all his manliness rather, |
should say, with all his manliness,
since the best woman has always some
what of mans strength, the noblest
man a woman's gentleness; but no i'm
pressionability could account for the
de ight-nay, the ecstasy with which
he listened TO the song.
1t was not much of u song--the girls
voice made it all; but when it ceased
he awoke, az out OF dream, and
looked round as for something he had
been in search of all his life long.
Mamma" she said, still in French
and cree ing, French-girl fashion,
close to her mothers side, II shall
We ve happy to speak English to
monsieur, whom I think | have seen
before-on the Terrasse at Berne to-
day. 1t is he, mamma who, as told
you, did US the honor to be so charmed
with our beautiful mountains
Then she, too, had observed him.
But she had come home and told the
incident at once to her mother. He
now could not have told 1t to any NOR
tai soul.
1t Is mademoiselle who honors me
by even pa sing remembrance, an
swered Roderick, striving hard to in
fuse into his blunt speech-how rude
and blunt it seemed even q 1.-THE of
her gracious courtesy. May / claim
you a a country-woman? Your father
was Engl sh?"
mo, Scotch. There is q difference,
Is there not? though | fail to make
mamma understand it. Papa was a
Highlander" She said this in En-
glish, speaking slowly, but with great
purity and correctness, pronouncing
all ner his" and "ths.'
"Mademoiselle has u perfect accent
she must, OF course, have visited our
country" said Roderick, eagerly.
mo: | have never left my mountains.
] am entirely viss; only papa used
sometimes to talk to me of Scotland
and tell me | looked almost like a
Scotch lassie, DO II"
Heaven forbid" the renegade was
near eXclaiming but contented him
self by explaining in u very eccentric
and confused manner that she had GER
tainly the fair hair and blue eyes of
the North.
80 had papa; but he was little, and |
am tall-very tall--for q Swiss girl.
That was why he thought | resembled
the girls Of his country, and especially
cousin he had whom he loved-liked
is not that the right English word?
very much, But here am going on,
talking of ourselves and our affairs,
which is Q y impolite, you know. But
we are always so glad to meet any
English person, mamma and ]; ! must
20 and tell her. She will be so pleased
that you think me u litt,e-just little
like papa cOuntrywomen.
He would have told her that the
thing she was mos like was an angel
but OF course such point-blank truth
was quite impossible, and, besides, she
hal already flown away on her invisi-
BILE wings aud hid herself among the
crowd OF ordinary girls There was
nothing for him, poor man! but to go
and make love, or rather politeness, to
her mother with all the skill and the
best French of which he was capable.
"Mademoiselle has a most beautiful
voice and sings charmingly," said he
at last.
"Ah, monsieur is too kind. But in
deed it is true And she does every
thing charminglv, If mother may be
pardoned for saying so. But she is the
last of seven, and her father is dead.
We are alone together, she and l."
Then suddenly changing into bright
ness, Perhaps monsieur is of numer-
GUS family"
mo, have only three sisters, and
my father too is dead my dear
father"
All" with a quick intuition and
after o glance at his face, kindly
hand was laid on the young mans arm.
"But monsieur has his mother still liv
ing? an a happy woman in possessing
him is Madame -; pardon, but did
not catch the name.
Northumberland Jardine,
The Swiss lady drew back with
surprise tn he could not have failed
to observe, had he not been wholly
preoccupied in the difficult task Of try
ing at once to he polite to her, a1d to
see and hear all that was pass ng at
the far end OF the room.
MADAME, perceive your daughter
is going to sing again, and am so fond
of music May GO and listen?"
He was off as If there were wires to
his feet. Poor fellow 1t was very
bad case, but not the first, nor proba-
bly, the last, that has happened in this
world.
However, he maintained his compos-
ure very creditably, talked courteously
to all the Demoiselles Reynier at once,
turned over their pages, examined
their music, French, Italian and Ger
man. and at last, lighting upon an En-
glish song, he asked If any OF them
sung it.
The girls all shook their merry
heads, pointing to the one whom he
had not adore sed, scarcely even
glanced at, though he knew exactly
how she looked, sitting there at the
piano with her blue eyes cast down,
and a faint color, like China rose, on
her soft cheek.
She sings 1t; ask her"
"Will mademoiselle do me that
honor?" said Roderick, quite humbly,