Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1897-09-23

M%yM / saw y thenv wnat
the blue summer sky, and one gray
angle of the keep, from which a
fieecy cloud was trailing like the
smoke from a chimney. could see no
moro because was lying on my back,
my head resting on my hands. Marie
and Croisette, my brothers, were lying
by me In exactly the same posture, and
a few yards away on the terrace, Cath
crime was sitting on stool Gil had
brought out for her. It was the second
Thursday in August, and hot. Even the
jackdaws were silent. I had almost
fallen asleep, watching my cloud grow
longer and longer, and thinner and thin
ner, when Croisette, who cared for
heat no more than lizard, spoke up
sharply: "Mademoiselle,' he said,
why are you watching the Cahors
road?"
had not noticed that she was doing
so. But something in the keenness of
Croisette's tone, taken perhaps with
the fact that Catherine did not at once
answer him. aroused me; and turned
to her. And loI she was blushing In
the most heavenly way, and her eyes
were full of tears, and she looked at us
adorably. And we all three sat up on
our elbows, like three puppy dogs, and
looked at her. And there was a long
silence. And then she said quite sim
ply to us: "Boys, am going to be
married to NJ. de Pavannes.'
l fell fat on my back and spread out
my arms. "Oh. mademoisellel" L cried
eproachfully.
"Oh, mademo1selle!" cried Marie.
And he fell fat on his back, and spread
out his arms and moaned. He was a
good brother, was Marie, and obedient.
And Croisette cried: "Oh, made
moisellel" too. But he was always
ridiculous in his ways. He fell fat on
his back, and Topped his arms and
squealed like a pig.
Yet he was sharp. It was nc who
first remembered our duty, and went
to Catherine, cap in hand, where she
sat half angry and half confused, and
said, with a fine redness In his cheeks:
mile. de Caylus, our cousin, we give
you joy, and wish you long life; and
are your servants and the good friends
and aiders of NJ. de Pavannes in all
quarrels, as"
But I could not stand that. Not so
fast, ST. Croix de Caylns," said, push
ing him aside-he was ever getting be-
fore me in those days-and taking his
place. Then, with my best bow, I be-
gan: ''Mademoiselle, we give you Joy
and long life, and are your servants and
the good friends and aiders of NJ. de
Pavannes in all quarrels, as-as-"
las becomes the cadets of your
house." suggested Croisette, softly.
''As becomes the cadets of your
house." l repeated. And then Cathe-
rine stood up and made me low bow,
and we all kissed her hand in turn, be-
ginning with me and ending with Croi-
settle, as was becoming. Afterwards
Catherine threw her handkerchief
over her face-ehe was crying-and we
three sat down, Turkish fashion, just
where we were, and said: "Oh, Kit"
very softly
But presently Croisette had some
thing to add. What will the Wolf
say?" he whispered to me.
"Ahl To be sure!" exclaimed,
aloud. had been thinking of myself
before; but this opened quite another
window. ''What will the Vidame say,
KitP"
She dropped her handkerchief from
her face, and turned SO pale that L was
sorry I had spoken-apart from the
kick Croisette gave me. rs NJ. de
h ha
iously.
YES" Croisette answered. HE came
in last night from ST Antonin. with very
small attendance"
The news seemed to set her fears at
rest instead of augmenting them, as L
should have expected. l suppose they
were rather for Louis de Pavannes than
for herself. Not unnaturally. too, for
even the Wolf could scarcely have found
it in his heart to hurt our cousin. Her
slight, willowy figure, her pale. oval
face and gentle brown eyes, her pleas
ant voice, her kindness, seemed to US
boys, and IN those days, 70 sum.up all
that was womanly. We could not re-
member, not even Croisette, the
youngest of us-who was II, a year
junior to Marie and myself-ue were
twins-the time when we had not been
in love with her.
Bullet me explain how we four, whose
united ages scarce exceeded 20 years,
came TO be iounging on the terrace in
the holiday stiffness of that after
noon. 1t was the summer of 1872. The
great peace. It VIII be remembered, be-
tween the Catholics and the Huguenots
had not long been declared; the peace
which in a day or two was to be SOL
emnized. and, as most Frenchmen