Middletown transcript., 1898-12-31

young lady and her admirers, and plen-
ty Of gnessea were made as to who would
be the man. Some said itwas M. Henri,
while others declared that, having been
brought up together like brother and
sister, they would never think Of each
other in any other way. Most people
were for III. de Mericourt, and indeed it
wouldn't have been easy to find hand
somer or bolder man If he only had
not been 90 terribly wild, but just then
thing befell which gave us all some
thing else to think about.
1t was terribly hot all over France
that summer Of 1888, and the older men
shook their beads and said that if we
didn't get some rain soon it would be
all over with the harvest. This was bad
news for us poor folks, who had little
enough to live on anyhow, but upon it
came another piece Of news that we
liked still less-namely, that several
dogs of the neighborhood had gone mad
and were running about. the country Bit
ing every one whom they met.
Now, one evening about that time
Mile. Adela went out to stroll among
the trees by the riverside, which was
favorite walk of hers. All at once there
came bursting through the bushes a
| huge black dog, raving mad, with it's
tongue lolling out and the foam flying
from its open jaws. She shut her eyes
and sank helplessly to the ground, too
much terrified even to scream.
II
from behind tree (where he had been
reading all the afternoon) sprang Ar
mand de Courval, the scholar, the
dreamer, the man at whom every one
laughed. He ran right at the savage
brute, weaponless as he was, flung his
coat over its head, SO as to blindfold it
for an instant, and then quick as light
ming seized and hurled it bodily into
the river.
When the other gentlemen heard
what had happened, they were greatly
amazed, as you may think, and praised
his courage up to the skies, but he only
said: "Why do you extol me? Give the
praise to God, who helped me" And
then he slipped away, as If he didn't
want to hear any more Of 1t.
But the next day Mile. Adela came to
him as he sat In a nook of the great
eastern window and said very earnestly:
"M. de Courval, I can never thank
you enough for your bravery. ! think
few Of these gay cavaliers who make
sport Of you would have faced such a
death half so we'll.
But De Courval only smiled sad,
sweet smile, such as one might fancy
on the face Of martyr when the flames
are rising fast around him.
"Ah, my child" said he in his soft,
low voice, it is better to be doing
good than to live doing nothing"
And for several days after that our
young lady was strangely silent and
thoughtful.
The summer passed, and the autumn
passed, and az winter began to draw on
every one made his preparations for the
Jour de IAN New Years day., which,
as you know, is our great day in France
There used to be a great fete every year
at the chateau of Mortemar, and this
time it was to be even grander than
usual, for monsieur the marquis had
invited friends from all parts and had
announced that he should give feast
on New Years eve to all the tenants on
his estate, Of whom my mother was one
So then the young gentlemen began
to talk about getting up some kind of
show to amuse the tenantry, and M.
Henri, who was always foremost in ev-
cry kind of fun, cried out:
'Hark ye, gentlemen, these good peo-
pie say we're wild as devils, 80 suppose
we take them at their word. Well
dress up as demons and treat them to q
demon dance. !"
The others shouted with laughter
and said it would be just the thing; but
Armand de Courval shook his head.
"For heavens sake, my friends"
said he, "don't make a jest Of such
thingsl You know
"We know that you have right to
be shocked, my dear abbe," broke in
N. Henri, laughing, "but it can't mat
ter much for poor sinners like us. I'm
sure if satan himself likes to come and
head our dance he'll be heartily well |
come"
New Years eve came at last, and |
the tenants were there in their best |
clothes. my mother and among them.
The great courtyard had been covered |
in with canvas and warmed by big
fire at each end, and there we had our
supper. Monsieur the marquis and our !
young lady went out among us to see
that we had enough, while the rest sat |
at the windows and looked on.
When supper ended, there was sud- |
den burst of wild music. Up went a |
curtain at the end Of the yard, disclos-
Ing stage painted to represent the
depths OF a forest, and out came M. |
Henri and his two friends, dressed an
demons, and began dancing and halloo- |
ing and waving burning torches till |
they scared us children so that we cried |
as loud as they did.
The fine folks at the windows clapped
their hands and applauded Justify, but
all at once somebody cried out:
II thought there were only three Of
them. Who's the fourth?''
And when we looked, there, sure
enough, where there had only been three
dancers minute back, there seemed
now to be four. But no one could tell
exactly what the fourth was like, for.
ne fitted about like a shadow, now
here, now there and sometimes seeming
to be everywhere at once
Then strange horror fell over the
whole assembly, and every one saw in
his neighbours face the terror that was
upon his own. The lights burned blue,
and the air suddenly became foul and
sitting, like the air of charnel vault.
And as the courtyard grew darker
pale, dismal light, like half quenched
fire, began to rise over the stage, show
ing Us that the faces of the dancers had |
grown haggard and CHASTITY and that
their dancing was like the writings of
men in mortal agony. Many of the
great ladies, who had always Knocked
at such things and believed neither in
God nor the devil, tainted outright.
Mr.. Harix, after reading letter from