Blackfoot news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1891-1902, 1896-01-04
GBABIsRT HARH[sI2

For a man in whose life there had
been tragedy he was cheerful He had
habit of humming vague notes in
the silence of conversation. as il 10 put
you at ease. His body and face We're
lean and arid. his eyes oblique and
small. his hair straight and dry and
straw-colored; and it few out crack
ling with electricity TO meet his cap as
he put il on. He lived alone in a lit
tie hut near his lime-kiln by the river.
with no near relatives. and few com
panions save his four dogs. and these
he fed sometimes at the expense of his
own stomach. He had Just enough
crude poetry in his nature TO enjoy his
surroundings For he was well placed.
Behind the hme-kiln rose knoll on
knoll, and beyond these the yerdant
hills, all converging to Dalgroethe
mountain. In front of it was the river
with IT'S banks dropping forty feet.
and below. the rapids, always troubled
and sportive. On the farther side of
the river lay peaceful areas of meadow
and corn land. and low rooted. hover
Ing farm houses, with one larger than
the rest, having wind mill and flag
stan. This building was almost large
enough for manor. and indeed 1t
was said that il had been built for
one just before the conquest of 1859.
but the war had destroyed the ambi-
tious owner. and 1t had become a farm
house. Garrote always knew the time
OF the day by the way the light fell
on the wind mill He had owned this
farm once, he and his brother Fabian,
and he had loved 1t as he loved Fa-
bian. and he loved il now as he loved
F'abian's memory. And in spite of all,
they were cheerful memories, both of
brother and house.
At twenty-three they We're orphans,
with 200 acres OF land, some cash,
horses and cattle, plenty of credit in
the parish, or in the county for that
matter. Both We're of hearty DISPOSE
tions. but Fabian had taste for
liquor. and Henri for pretty faces and
shapely ankles. Yet no one thought
the worse of them for that. especially
at nrst- An old servant kept house
for them and cared for them in her
honest way both physically and NOR
ally. She lectured them when at first
eA4~tN was AtltiC W III Is
no wonder that when there came a
vast deal to reproye, good Agatha de-
sisted altogether, overwhelmed by the
weight Of il.
Henri got shock the day before
their father died when he saw Fabian
Hft the brandy used to mix with the
milk of the dying man. and pouring
out the third of a tumbler. drink ii off
smacking his lips as he did so al
though it were cordial That aaye
him a cue 10 his future and 10 Fa-
bian's. After their father died Pa
bian gave way to the vice He drank
In the taverns; he was at once the
despair and the joy of the parish: for
Wild as he was, he had a gay temper
humorous mind, strong arm and
was a universal lover The cure. who
did not. Of course. know one-fourth of
his wiidness, had a warm spot for
him In his heart. But there was a
vicious streak in him somewhere. and
IL came out one day in perilous fash
ion
mere was in the hotel Of the I,ouis
Quinze an English servant from the
west called Nell Barraway. She had
been in hotel in Montreal. aud II was
there Fabian had seen her as she
waited on the table. She was splen.
did looking creature. all life and en-
ergy, tall, fair-haired and with charm
above her kind. She was also an OK
cellent servant. could do as much az
any two women in any house. and was
capable OF more airy diabIerje than
any ten in Pontiac. When Fabian had
said to her in Montreal that he wonld
come he told her where he lived. She
came to see him instead. for she wrote
to the landlord of the Louis Ouinze.
enclosed five testimonials and was i'm.
mediately engaged. She came and Fa-
bian was stunned when he entered the
Louis Quinze and saw her waiting on
table, alert, busy, good to see. She
nodded at him with a quick smile as
ne stood bewiidered just inside the
uoor. then said in English, for he un-
derstood 1t fairly: "This way, mon
sieur.''
As he sat down he said in English
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