Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1898-11-24

successful. She was a lovely little
Italian girl whom Claude picked up in
the streets of Florence and brought
home to paint. Esperance liked her
much better than the artistic Beppo
more especially when she found that
she was homeless and without belong
ings. They kept her with them while
they were in the place, and afterward
sent her to an orphanage where she
was happy and well cared for, and
every year sent letters of grateful
remembrance to the dear signora, y
as she called Esperance.
The third waif was an old half
! blind and half-starved artist whom
Claude found out in Rome. He was
German, with a long, ragged, gray
beard; but Esperance forgot his ma
| tionality in his misfortunes, and was
very kind to him. He dined with
them every day, and grew perceptibIy
fatter toward the end Of the time.
After Easter they left Rome and
spent several quiet weeks in the most
lovely parts of the Engadine, and
| Claude found Switzerland so beguil-
ing that the weeks passed to months,
and summer changed to autumn be-
fore return to England was thought
of. At last they spoke of really set
| thing down in October, and Esperance
began to think how she should ar
range her rooms at st. Johns Wood.
! But great surprise was being pre-
pared for her.
One day Claude came in with an
open letter in his hand, and his face
trimming over with delight and
triumph.
"Cherie," he said, brightly, what
do you say to spending the winter in
Auyergne?"
She gave little cry of joy. They
had always talked of going home
through France, but to spend the
winter there had never occurred to
her.
You would really like it, then?"
said Claude, with satisfaction. 81
have been thinking of it for weeks,
but the tiresome proprietor of the
chateau was so long in writing, and l
did not want you to be disappointed.
What! we shall really be at the
dear old chateau?" exclaimed Esper-
ance, joyously.
eyes, the present proprietor is
away from home, and he has agreed to
let it to me for four months. Now at
last I shall be able to make good that
promise [ gave you so long ago-to
paint your dear mountains of Au-
vergne."
And so it happened that on a lovely
October evening Esperance found her
self once more in her old home. The
return might have been painful to her
in other circumstances, but with her
hand in Claude's she could look with
happy recognition, and tender but
not regretful memories of the past,
at all around her, from the beautiful
Mont dor itself to the dear old gray
chateau, with its ruined walls and
cinging ivy. 1t was all wonderfully
little altered-the tiny village in the
valley; the convent where she had
spent long afternoons; the grassy ter
race on which she had so often
walked with her father; the half
ruined pgeonnier, to the top of which
Gaspard used to carry her to the i'm
minent peril of both their necks
lastly the great door itself, with its
rough-hewn stone steps, and a little
crowd of old friends with an eager
welcome.
There were great many tears and
embraces in spite of appearances
newly acquired dignity Mere Bon
nier hung about her in an ecstasy Of
happiness; Marie was scarcely less
demonstrative, and Pierre, poor old
JavOtte'S son, now married man with
two little black-eyed children of his
own, was eager to kiss "madame's"
hand. Claude was amused and touched
by the little un-English scene, and
saw plainly enough that Esperance
was not the only one who would be
gratified by his scheme for passing the
winter in Auvergne.
Nor was he inclined to accuse her of
eXaggerating the beauties OF her ma
tive place-the rich pasture-land, the
fertile valleys, the Wild grandeur of
the semi-volcanic mountains, all filled
him with admiration, while the beau
tiful autumnal tints lent fresh
glories to the thickly wooded land
scape. He worked hard for the next
two months, and Esperance watched
the progress of each picture with a
delight and pride greater than that
which she had taken even in the most
enchanting Italian view.
| full and happy; she used to take her
needlework and sit beside him while
he painted, wandering about when she
| pleased among the woods in search Of
| late flowers, or resting when tired in
cleyerly contrived hammock which
Claude used to rig up for her.
Then, when the light began to fail,
and the ranz des vacnes echoed among
| the mountains from the clear voices
OF the village girls, Claude would
pack up his easel and his painting
| apparatus, and they would go back to
| the old chateau through the rustling
fallen leaves and the golden-brown
| woods. 1t was not until the trees were
! quite bare and leafiess that Claude
was obliged to go out alone to his
work; and the painting did not pros
! per half so well then, for somehow
there was always good excuse for a
| speedy return to the chateau-either
the lights were not favorable or it was
too cold, or he had forgotten some
| very necessary implement. But per-
haps this was not very blameworthy
! for in one of tho Quaint rOuch roo-or