The Press., 1896-08-13

I the picture of astonishment. "Who-
 where-what stories?"
 | "Yon'a ill town on all about. It's
 heap O tale goin roun, yas. They say
 how come you mighty ion O. mulatta.
 You done shoshiate wid de mulatta
 down yon a on de suga plantation, tell
 you can't res' lessen it's mulatta roun
 you.
 Laballiere had a distEWssingly quick
 temper. His fist, which was strong
 one, came down upon the wabbling ta-
 ble with a crash that sent half of Mime.
 Giestin's crockery bouncing and crash
 ing to the floor. He swore an oath that
 sent Mime. Niestin and her father and
 grandmother, who were all listening
 in the next room, into suppressed con-
 vulsions of mirth.
 "Oh, hoi SoI'm not to associate with
 whom please in Natchitoches parish.
 We'll see about that. Draw up your chair, Giestin. Call your wife and your grandmother and the rest of the tribe and we'll breakfast together. By thun- der if want to hobnob with mulat- toes, or negroes or Choctaw Indians ur south sea savages, whose business is it but my Own?"
 ''f don't know. me- It's jis like tell you, MT. Laballiere," and Giestin se- lected a huge key from an assortment that hung against the wall and left the room.
 A half hour later Laballiere had not yet recovered his senses. He appeared suddenly at the door of tho schooIhouse, holding by the shoulder ono of Giestin s boys. Mile. St. Denys Godolph stood at the opposite extremity of the room. Her sunbonnet hung upon the wall now, so Laballiere could have seen how charm ing she was had he not at the moment been blinded by stupidity. Her blue eyes that were fringed with dark lashes re- flected astonishment at seeing him there Her hair was dark like her lashes, and waved softly about her smooth, white forehead.
 "Mademoiselle, began Laballiere at once, II have taken the liberty of bring ing a new pupil to you.
 Mile St. Denys Godolph paled sud denly, and her voice was unsteady when she replied:
 You are too cOnsiderate, monsieur Will you be so kind to give mo the name of the scholar whom you desire to int 'Oduce into this school?" She knew it az we'll as he.
 What's your name, youngster? Out with it?" cried Laballiere, striving to shake the little free mulatto into speech, but he staid as dumb as a num- my.
 "His name is Andre Giestin You know him. He is the sOn''-
 "Then. monsieur" she interrupted, permit me to remine you that you have made a se'ious mistake. This is not school conducted fo' the education of the colored population. You will havo to go elsewhere with yo' protege.
 "I shall leave my protege right here, mademoiselle, and trust you'll give him the same kind attention you seem to accord to the others. Saying which Laballiere bowed himself out of her presence. The little Giestin, left to his own devices. took only the time to give quick, wary glance round the room, and the next instant he bounded through the open door, as the nimblest of four footed creatures might have done
 Mile. St. Denys Godolph conducted school during the hours that remained with deliberate calmness that would have seemed ominous to her pupils had they been better versed in the ways of young women. When the hour for dis mlssal came, she rapped upon the table to demand attention.
 "Chil'ren. she said, assuming a re- signed and dignified mien, 'you all have been witness today of the insult that has been offered to yo' teacher by the person upon whose lan' this school house stans. have nothing further to say on that subjec'. l only shall add that tomorrow yo' teacher shall sen the key of this schoolhouse, together with the school boa'd" There fol lowed visible disturbance among the young people.
 II ketch that lille m 'latta, l make i'm see right, yas,'' screamed one.
 Nothing of the kine, Methurin. You mus take no such step if only out of fo' my wishes. The person who has offered the affront I consider beneath my notice. Andre, on the other han, is a chile of good impulse, an by no means to blame. As you all perceive, he has shown mo- taste all judgment than those above him, f'om whom we might have expected good breeding at least.
 She kissed them all, the little boys and the little girls, and had kind word for each. "Et toi, mon petit Numa, 'espere qu'un autre que moi"-she could not finish the sentence, for little | Numa, her favorite, to whom she had never been able to impart the first word | of English, was blubbering at turn of | affairs which he had only miserably guessed at.
 She locked the schoolhouse door and | walked away toward the bridge. By the | lime she reached it the little 'Cadians ! lad already disappeared like rabbits, | town the road and through and over the | 'ences.
 Mile. St. Denys Godolph did not cross he trestle the following day, nor the 1ext, nor the next. Laballiere watched | Or her, for his big heart was already | |Ore and filled wi&h shame. But more, | t stung him with remorse to realize hat he had been the stupid instrument n taking the bread, as it were, from he mouth of Mile. St. Denys Godolph.
 He recalled how unf1inchingly and her blue eyes had challenged lis own. Her sweetness and charm anne back to him and he dwelt upon hem and exaggerated them, till no Venus, so far unearthed, could in any way approach Mlle St. Denys Godolph. 7e would have liked to exterminate the aiestin family, from the great-grand- nOther down tn tha haha nnhz,rn