The true Democrat. [volume] (Bayou Sara [La.]) 1892-1928, 1897-03-06

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the lake, q woman is standing. He
gray hair IS smoothly drawn in kno
on the back of her head. She is cla'
in peasant costume and there is
strange minslins of youth and az
about her. Fer face is a strangel,
pathetic one, and there is. q look o
terror in her eyes OF times which
comes and goes, awakened by thu
least emotion. The villagers call hel
Andres mother.
Above her two gentlemen are in tht
terraced garden, and the elder crie
to the peasant woman: "Good even
ing, Nine. Engermann. Are you ex
pecting Andre? When he Games bacl
with his COWS and goats from thu
mountain he will be staying will
you
'I wish it were so," said the WON
an. "But he stays at home only (
short time. lie has to go back again
Then-then he will remain home unit
the springtime," and Audre's mother.
bowling, went on her way.
The gentleman friend then asked
his comrade: "Who is that woman
She must have been beautiful once.
What wonderful, far.searching eyes
she has! They haunt me. Has she &
q story? How account for that sem
blance of terror in her face?"
"Poor soul! She was married four
teen years ago, and had good hus
band, the handsomest man in the
canton. He was the most famous
guide, with passion for scaling
mountains, and he was well-to-do, and
once he went on his last trip-that
was just before Andre was born. He
never came back. He was buried in
the snow
'And the shock his death gave her
has left its trace on the poor woman's
facet"
''That is it. They say Andres
mother heard her husbands voice call
ing-and calling for her. Loud OF
first, then more and more faint. She
was awakened from her sleep. She
came to me-told me her alarms-she
had heard her husband cry for help.
Three days afterward came the sad
news. Her husband had been covered
by an avalanche. Then I heard that
Elisa had gone to the mountain. I
followed her. In a mountain chalet I
found Elisa-and by her side was her
new. born son. Her hair had turned
gray in single night. Then there
was stamped on her eyes that look Of
horror. 1t is sad story. The telling
of it is depressing. Come, let US finish
our cigars by the lakeside. ="
Andre had come home for couple
of days. He was so brown and healthy
looking that his mother cried for joy.
He would be gone soon, that was true,
but would return in October for the
whole winter, and then be should read
his fathers book. He was not an idle
lad, had no bad ways, if only she could
get out of his head the idea of becom.
ing guide like his poor father, and
when this thought came to her, her
heart would stand still, and that
strange look Of horror filled her eyes.
In the little house everything was
in absolute order. On wooden bench
sat the mother and her sor. she busy
with her knitting, and Elisa was
silently worshlpping her son. He was
fifteen now, and so like his father.
And now they talked, and the boy
said: "Mother. what with your knit
ting and the chickens to care for, and
housework, you never can be lonely. "
The mother started. ''Lonely-
lonely!" She would not tell him how
she longed for him-her boy-and
then at once that dread look started in
her eyes. The fear born with her
child had never for moment left her.
Would her Andre, living on the noun
tain top, get IN idea that he could not
pass his days in the low]ands? Would
he become guide, like his father? 1t
was in the blood.
II had better go to the mountains, u
Andre said; "the air down here feels
close and heavy. 1t is nice to be with
you, mother. but I could not work sc
we'll down here"
The mother started in terror, rose
from her seat, and covered her face
with her hands. How had it hap
pened? These were almost the very
words Andres father had spoken when
be started on his last trip--the ;our'
ney from which he had never returned.
Was it so ordained that Andre should
share his fathers fate? When the two
days were up, Andre left for the
mountain.
There camc night never to be for
gotten in the villages beside the lake.
Old people shivered in their SLEEP
and dreamed they had ague. It was
later on that came booming sound
across the lake.