The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1899-05-06

Mansel led me INTO tne garuen,
where we caught sight of little bald
man gliding down the path like a
phantom. He was SO frail and slight
that he looked as if the wind would
blow him away. His uncertain gait,
his long, thin neck craned forward.
his head no bigger than your fist, his
sidewise chances, his hopping steps,
his short arms raised like wings, gave
him quite the appearance of some new
sort of fowl. Ny companion told me
that it was his father, but chat we
must let him go. to the poultry yard,
which he Infinitely preferred to all the
rest of his domain; he lived among
his hens and had almost lost the
habit of talking with human beings.
The odd little figure at this moment
vanished, and loud cackling rose in
the air.
During the short stroll we took in
the garden, Mansel told me that at din
ner would meet his grandmother;
that she was good old soul, but that
must not pay much attention to what
she said, as she was often little ont
of her mind.
The bell rang for dinner. NJ. Man
sci followed us into the house, carry
ing q basket of eggs. Eighteen to-
day." he said, in clucking voice.
| A delicious omelet appeared.
was seated between Nine. Mansel,
signing under her diadem, and her
mother, round-cheeked, toothless,
old Normandy woman, who smiled
With her eyes. She seemed delight
fnl to me. While we were eating our
roast duck and crsamed chicken the
old lady told us amusing stories that
showed no signs of weakening facul-
ties. On the contrary, she appeared
/ the merriest and sanest member OF the
family.
After dinner we went into parlor
furnished in black walnut and yellow
Utrecht velvet. Under the globe OF
the gilt clock on the mantel lay a
purple egg that at once drew my at
tention. With q child's inexplicable
curiosity could not take my eyes Oh
it. But must add that the egg was
of a strange and splendid color-a
ROYAL purple, not in the slightest man
| ner recalling the wine-colored Easter
! eggs, dipped in beet-juice, that de-
light the children at all the fruit.
, stands. 1 could not resist making
| remark about it.
} M. Mansel replied by an admirine
: cackle: ''My young sir. that is not
: dyed egg, as you seem to think. i
. was laid Just as you see it there by {
r Cingalese hen of mine. It is phe
e nomenal egg"
8 DEAR" sighed Nine. Mansel, ''that ]
: was laid the very day our Alexandr
: was born"
Q Gust So" returned the father.
d The old grandmother, in the mean
}. time. looked at me with mocking eyes
n and with an expressive movement Q
q her lips betrayed her skepticism.
d "Hum!" she mursured, 'shens some
v times hatch what they haven't laid
d and if some miscellaneous neighbo
:. should happen to slip into their net
le A."
is Don't listen to heri'' broke in he
70 grandson, violently. "You kno
what I told you'll Don't listen
ht her!'
IN sTt's a fact" repeated NJ. Manse
70 fixing his round eye on the purp
s, egg.
to Not long after I lost sight Of Ale
andre. My mother sent me to Par
ID to finish my studies. I entered ii
,'s School of Medicine. About the tin
as that I was preparing my doctors tn
1 sis. received q letter from N
Ill mother, in which she told me that N
o. friend had been very i'll; he had b.
l's some strange seizure, ON recoverir
Vi from which he had become exceedin
ae " timid and suspicious; but he W
"a. quite harmless, and. in spite OF b
I'll troubled health and reason, he SHOVE
lis a remarkable gift for mathsmatit
This news did not surprise me. MAJ
ur q time, while studying diseases OF =
,el nerve centres, had called mp me
ais tally my poer friend from St Juli
lr- and, in spite Of myself, had made
IN prognosis of general paralysis three
nd enina this son Of neuralgia moth
and 4 microcephalic,r rheumatic faith
nv A first / seemed to be on :
IL wrong scent Alexandra Mansel,
he reaching manhood, regained norm
- health and gave unmistakable pro-
20 81 his 1ine intellectual gifts. He Q
30 ried ON sxtensivs mathematical stud.
nd he even sent to the Academy Of 8