Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1895-02-21
WOLF-SOLANGE.

WOLF-S OLANGE.
Stick in hand, our bags slung over our
shoulders, we three had been walking all
the afternoon in the beautiful forest Of
Tronsays, which covers half the Saint
Armand district and half the Movers dis
trict. The end of our tramp for that day
was the village of Ursay, near the bank Of
the Cher, little place huddled up in an
arm Of that valley which divides the forest
in two. There we dined with an old friend
of mine, doctor, whose small connection
was scattered over five or six neighboring
parishes. Dinner over, we seated ourselves
in the open In front of the house and
meditatively smoked our cherry wood
pipes.
The shadows we're gathering upon the
tall tree tops all around us with tho slow
ness of June evening Here and there
cloud of swallows was to be seen. From
little steeple just visible above the roof
gelus in slow, measured tones, an inter
val of silence between each stroke, and in
the distance could be heard the barking Of
the farm dogs as they called to and an
swered each other.
A youngish woman, dressed in a short
skirt of red material, with white bodice,
came out of house close by and went to-
ward the river. She was carrying baby
In long clothes on her left arm and hold
ing with her right hand the chubby fist Of
a little boy, who in turn was grasping the
hand of younger brother. When she
reached the bank of the river Cher, the
young mother sat down on big stone and
nursed the baby, while tho two boys
quickly undressed and tumbled into the
water, where they splashed about and
threw water over one another with shouts
of laughter.
"There's picture which would have a
tremendous success in the salon." said
one of my companions, who was an artist
"See how the light falls upon her! And
what a splendid pose! How we'll the red
skirt shows up on the dark background"
''Are you looking at Wolf-Solenge,
young gentlemen?" asked voice behind
u.s.
It was our host, who had been detained
inside by tho arrival of a patient, and who
now rejoined us. Of course we asked him
who Wolf-Solange was and how she came
by such a strange name, and in reply no
told us the following story:
wolf Solange, whose proper name is
Solange Grillet, maiden name Tournier,
was the prettiest girl all around Tronsays
ten years ago Hard work in the fields
and maternal cares have left their mark
upon her, but she is still pretty for q wom-
an of 80, as you can see.
''At the time the adventure happened
which earned for her the nickname of
Wolf Solango she was still single. Her
parents were tenants of the small farm Of
Rein-du- Bots, about eight or nine miles
from here, near LurceyLevy. Although
poor, she had no lack of suitors, even
among the well to do young men of the
neighborhood, but the only one she en-
couraged was certain Laurent Grillet, to
whom she had taken a fancy whep she was
a mere girl and they used to tend sheep
together.
Laurent Grllet was a founding. His
fortune consisted Of his strong arm only.
Solange's parents, not seeing the advisa-
bility of marrying their daughter to man
just as poor as they were, especially when
she had several much better chances, for
babe Solange to meet her lover, but the
parents injunction was unheeded and as
they lived in the same village and the for
est was close by the opportunities of meet
ing were numerous and easy. When the
Tourniers discovered that the lovers still
saw each other and perceived that neither
soft words nor blows had any effect upon
Solange, they came to weighty decision
they would send her out to service at Ur-
say, on tho model farm Of M. Roger Du-
flos, our deputy.
Perhaps you think that this step put
a stop to the lovers meeting? If SO, you
are quite mistaken. The only difference
was that they had to sec each other at
night. AS soon as it was quite dark the
young people slipped away from the re-
spective farms on which they worked, and
taking short cut to save time and to
avoid the high road met in the forest, un-
known to any ono
1T was in 1879. The summer and au-
tumn passed in this way; then came the
winter-and terrible winter it was! The
Cher was full of pieces Of floating leo, and
finally it froze right over. The high trees
of Tronsays bent under the weight Of the
snow, the forest was deserted, the roads
having become almost impossible, and we
saw what had not been seen for many
year-wOlves!
Eyes, young gentlemen, wolves. They
prowled about the outlying farms of Lur-
cey-Levy and Ursay, alarming the good
people who lived on those farms, and were
even seen in the streets of Saint Bonnet
le- Desert, an out Of the way little place
close to the forest. Wolf hunts were Or
ganized to kill them, and 30 francs wero
paid for VOLTS head. l myself saw three
two full grown ones and young one
on the opposite bank Of the Cher one
morning when was on my wayt Saint
Armand in my cart
"But neither the hard winter nor the
wolves prevented Laurent and Solange
from meeting at night in the forest. In
spite Of all dangers they continued their
nightly expeditions Every evening Lau-
rent left Lurcey-L Levy, his gun under his
arm, and walked through the snow Gov
cred forest with blithe, fearless step
Solango, on her side, slipped away from
Ursay at o'clock, and they met at a glade
called The Walk, about mile and half
from here.
ION Christmas evening they met as
usual, but just as Laurent reached the
glade he slipped upon the frozen ground
and fell in such an awkward way as TO
break his right leg and sprain his right
wrist. Solange tried to lift him up, but
was unable to do so. She could only drag
him to young elm tree and set him up
with his back against the trunk.
'''Stop there, my poor Laurent she
said, wrapping her cloak around him,
and will run to the doctor at Ursay. He
will come and fetch you in his cart
"She started of on. her way to the vii
lage and had turned the bend in the road
when she heard the report Of gun and