The Dupuyer acantha. [volume] (Dupuyer, Mont.) 1894-1904, 1896-11-02

SSGssS:
A Singular, DnrE-Faced Old Man.
Clad In Loose b
mistakable and restless lOok of the
daft. On his head was q crown of but
tons, silver, bone, pearl. presumably
sewn together on cardboard, and
making a headgear of remarkable bril-
liancy. Behind him walked a gray
haired, gIay-eyed woman in ordinary
garb. Her look was clear and steady.
Her demeanor in every way sane.
Yet though it was plain to see II was
a commonplace, rustic woman, there
was sometl ing august in her carriage,
~unaccountably so, perhaps, out as nat
ural as the studied pose of the other
was constrained and unnatural. lie:
eyes were set fairly upon the fantasti-
cal figure before her with a meek, pa
tient look and an eviden mt interest be-
| You'd his ludicrOus pomp and preoccu-
| patton.
1t was not surprising. then, to the
notary that this apparition, emplfa-
sized in the magic atmosphere of the
summer twilight, should have made
Brabon cry out with establishment:
Gallons! What is this monsieur! L
have been in st. PyX many times be-
fore, but l declare this is new"
"A very pathetic affair it is, Bra
bon" said the rotary, taking a chair
and looking ut his watch, to be assured
he had time to tell the tale before go
ing for his customary evening chat
with Nj. lie Cure in the prcsbytery rose
garden.
"There is a taleY'
well, as you villa history, moth
ing absorbing, but very human. very
touching. Old CeSaire MoissOn, a man
with a large family. a thrifty, sober,
.God-fearing man., Cnce owned the mill
by the River of Angels
YES. | see it fro here-the Suat,
white building near h cluster of will
lows yonder."
"JExactIy. Well. he was a man with
q considerable family, l said-did |
not?-and when the epidemic of small
poX occurred in the village-that was
many years ago monsieur-pOor MolS-
sons family was attacked, and one
after another. his wife and children,
passed away, and he himself, indeed,
till there was only left his son Leph-
rin, whom 0 saw go by a moment
since
at left him so-the small pox?'
"No. He was not ut home when he
epidemic occurred; he was at college.
Old Ccsaire managed to put by enough
silver to educate the lad-the brightest
of his brood-and NJ. lie Cure also con-
tributed, for he had hopes that Leph-
rim would become a priest"
"Then, l presume, the shock of the
great calamity unbalanced h young
mans mindf'
THAT may be pretty true, monsieur,
though for a long time after the affair
he was thought to be perfectly sound
mentally. Well, Zephrin was obliged
to leave college and take up the bust
ness of the mill-a lonely task it must
have been for one who had tasted the
sweets of knowledge. Then every
dusty timber of the mill must have
seemed to him like a ghost of the hap
py days when the place was brimming
with laughter and good cheer.
lie was not liked by the villagers
Oh account of his silent and arrogant
manner he was unlike any other mill
er who had evcr been known. When
the inhabitants came with their gristS
he received them with the grand air OF
a seigneur of the old days, who, annie
his courtly encourage, received the
: feifs of his dependents. It's like tina
always grumbled the croneS 'pool
parents fill their children's minds will
foolish notions of greatness! Poor oil,
Cesaire himself-rest to his bones
: was not like this peacock. Cesair'
knew his place bon vieuX! A miller i
a miller, if his head be cTImmed witt
Latin OIL flour dust'
f., EVERY II pitied Zephrin, o
2 course, on account of his great be
rcavemcnt. and the business of tn
mill suffered no great rctrOgreSSion il
90 1., cin,,,1 .. Il np,np n
/, This eXclusiyeness. this hauteur, how
ever, was taken lightly by the youni
folk of the village, and often of a sun
: mer's evening, like this one, for In
e stance. they passed by the mill cryin
II up at Zephrin, who invariably pore
over his books in the little dorme
' window. 'Eohold the king of the mill
Then, with gestures of mock gravit,
Think of him mighty empire of rats
" quite So said Barbon, 'the
tainted him into insanity with thes
gibes. The crown. the robes! l sc
now how they Gamer
"Indirectly these taunts may hay
! affected his mind, monsieur. His cur
Gus attire and mien are obviously SUI!
r gestive of the fact; but it is my opll
r. ion his sad arrangement is only part
w due to them.
es "Night after night the little dormt
!" window of the mill was light till daWl
vet the earliest conner did not fail
u find Zephrin up and about. No oil
t could understand. for not another ligl
m save the miller's might be found in q
Is, Saint Pyx, not ever at the presbyter
L. after 10 o'clock. AT length the tongu'
IL of the gossips began to wag. 1t we
Al. abroad that he was clOseted each mig
with the Old Mantle evil one-d
batting upon the sale of his soul f
4 riches and power to satisfy his sinf
= pride. Again, others said 1t was n
Zephrin's light at all; but only I
q Glowing of the Ghosts of his FAM