Evening star., 1898-05-21
CHAPTER VII-ContInued.


moment later Red Riding Hood entered,
removed her small wooden shoes and pat
tered up to him in noiseless chaussons, say
ing seriously. Bon jour, Monsieur Hare
wood; peut on entrer. sill vous piait?''
Indeed. you may he said, smiling.
Have you come TO pay me another little
visit?-
Red Riding Hood shook her head and
stood looking up at him, waiting for the
kiss that was to her the most important
event in her daily life. He laughed and
held out his hands She put both frail arms
around his neck and raised her face. This
solemn rite accomplished, the child sighed
and nestled closer to his shoulder.
Il have finished the dishes. she ex-
planned. Il then played with Scheherazade.
Then 1 learned my lesson. 1t was arith-
metic. l was perfect.
Are you sure. Red Riding Hood?'
Yes l repeated it to Mile. Hide. She
said il quite perfect. i then played
with Mehemet Ali, the parrot, who is my
friend. am fond of the parrot"
suppose" said Hardwood. that some
you eat Mehemet Alp
No. monsieur
The parrot Is my friend. 1t would be
shameful
Hardwood laughed aloud, and Red Riding
Hood. looking anxiously at MIN, laughed
too-a timid, joyless little laugh, sadder
than tears.
You are right. That would not do at
all, would it? We must never aid ourselves
at a friends expense-even parrots"
Here ended the lesson. for HarewOod
found that loyalty and unselfishnesS were
virtues which Red Riding Hood would never
need to learn from him. AS for lies, the
child apparently had never conceived the
idea of telling one. That lesson. too, had
ended with a laugh and a kiss. But alas,
appropriating pastry was Red Riding
Hoods besetting sin, and it took all of
Hlr4yyAA1'S f.lA n in IN her
the difference between mine and thine. She
did comprehend at last. and gave him her
promise for future abstaining, and with this
was accc mplished the moral regeneration
of Red Riding Hood-whiC h, after all, Was
very difficult undertaking.
Il came" said Red Riding Hood, ito tell
you several things. Shall I?''
b all means, replied Hardwood anx-
iously.
Then will. The first is that was per-
feet in arithmetic; l have already told you
that The other is that Mile. Iolette has
gone out She has gone to the market, /
think. The third is that Mile. Hide is
quite alone in the parlor.'
Harewood looked her suddenly faint
color under his eyes.
Why do you tell me that, Red Riding
Hood?''
Because" said the child "I think she
would like TO have you come down.
Did she say so?"
''Then why do you think SOP
II don't know SAID Red Riding Hood
looking up into his face. Harewood out
one arm around the child: his eyes were
ahsently fix ID on hers. After a few mo
ments ne said; DO you love Hide Red
Riding Hood2'
Yes-and you also. monsieur"
"Me?"
"If you do not mind"
Harewood smiled and said:
Il want you TO love me, too, Red Riding
Hood-Gnd Mile. Yolette and VI. Bourke-
Mile Hide best of all. viii you?'
ssxt-ha+ +har
love you or Mile. Hide best. l must
think for a day she continued sedately
and then l will tell you. Goodbye l am
Goodbye. Red Riding Hood" said Hare
wood and will You please come again."
''Ees-tomOrrOw."
She trotted over to the door put on her
wooden shoes. turned and said, "Adieu.
Monsieur HarewOodr' and vert away
downstairs, tap. tap. tap. over the tiles.
HarewOod ShCOk out his coat, washed the
ink stains from his hands, brushed his
hair. settled his necktie. then took dozen
turns up and down the room. Presently
he went to Bourke's door and opened it,
but that young man was again asleep, fists
doubled up Ike an infants, buried in
the pillow. Earewood watched him for a
moment preoccupied by his own thoughts;
after awhile he turned away down the
stairs, stepping softly, on Bourke's ac-
count.
The door Of the parlor was open. sche-
herazade lay On the sofa. eyes closed tail
trailing on the floor. The lioness opened
one eye when Harewood entered i'm
mediately closing 1t, however, when she
saw who 1t was Hardwood had never
taken any notice of her; therefore as a
self-respecting lioness she snubbed him.
Hide was not in the room, but he heard
her yeiee not far away, probably in her
own bed room She was singing to herself
as she often did, over her needlework:
OF all :he saints in Brittany
Sante Hide,
sainte Hide,
Is
He dropped Into a chair. smiling at sche-
herazaGe and listening to Hides voice:
Pach!k; pachik. fach bihan
kes d he saludn dhe champr
Tia tach de houd ober complainant,
Hide" he called suddenly; ''salud
d'ac'h. ma doUsig HiIde"'
There was Il silence; then Hides voice in
utter astOnishment:
Breton2''
The next instant she was at the door,
flushed and wondering, her needlework in
her hands
''Saludan ma dous a diabel." he said.
laughing 4 learned Breton in Morbihan,
mademoiselle.''
"Hennez 20 cum den a galiter she an
swered sauctly. also laughing" Who
ever would have believed that an American
could speak the Breton tongue?"
Il heard you singing about ute-Hflde
and the little page, and all tnat, SO
thought Ia like to hear more OF II. Could
JNd VIII JUST dS wen mere nauenOiSeiie-
and sing. too?'
Il don't know" she said. seating herself
and passing her needle through a bit OF
flannel. She looked up at him once. then
dropped her lids. and began 10 sew After
silence she looked up again, saying:
"Yolette and 1 are Bretonnes Did you
know it?''
Il think l suspected" he replied. smiling.
why. MONSIEUR
Aolette's eyes-they are the rare Breton
bloe- Besides. your songs are always Fin
lsterre songs-and you know how few
french people can speak the Breton Ian
suage You and Iolette often speak it
when you are alone together"
She watched him. shyly. a little indignant
that he knew so much more than she
could have expected
Really. she said. 'it would be only just
II understood English-when you and NJ
Bcurke talk together rapidly-tr-r-r-r-rr
C-r-r-r in your English tongue, am dis
pleased, monsieur. 1 shall talk no yoora
Breton with Yoette."
viii ecu sing something in Breton for
me II J. sing you a beautiful little English
song, Hide?'
Hide laughed outright.