The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1899-02-22

OlQ, Q1ldplQdUeu 1ulll, listened TO lu(
drops of water falling over the great
iron wheel, and when she heard Jouanir
closing the door as he left the house tt
return home by the alder grove, alcns
the murmuring brook, she thought hel
heart would stop beating in her breast
and she prayed to God aloud. as if she
had been in fear of death.
The following week Jouanin left the
country. With his clothes tied in q
handkerchief he went off during colo
twilight. when the last leaves seemed
shivering on the trees. He entered the
alder grove and went along the brook
of Espibos. The young mistress Of the
mill saw him coming and remained
standing motionless at her door,
"Good evening, Noeline" he said
slowly.
Good evening, Jouanin!" she re-
piled, lowering her eyes.
Then as be went on she ventured to
ask:
$50 you are going to leave the coun-
try?"
He seemed to stumble little on the
path covered with leaves.
eyes; I have found a place at
Orthez.
She said nothing. Unconsciously SIZE
turned and twisted between her fingers
small silver cross that hung at her
throat, and with dim, troubled eyes she
watched Jouanin as he went in the in
creasing darkness through the silent
woods.
A small, slight person, bent, with the
lean body and limbs of a wornout old
woman, but still possessed Of a pair of
expressive eyes far younger than the
face of which they formed part-such
was Noeline Fargues, the mistress Of
the mill of Espibos 25 years after the
departure of Jouanin Lacaze. The peas
ant women Of the south Of France fade
rapidly
A-straddle cf the brook, as of old, the
mill still held its own, thanks to several
supplementary crutches, and its clatte1'
was as merry as that cf new one.
Noeline Fargues had not married.
Jouanin gone, no other lover had sue
ceeded in touching her heart. Aristide
Larrieussec ardent though he was, had
been discarded like all the rest The
young farmer, long inconsolable, had
finally married girl from the neigh
bcrhood At the present dav he visited
his old sweetheart only for the purpose
of selling her his grain. They had both
probably forgotten the delicious fruit
they had eaten together by the mill
stone long ago while the white -four
fell silently, dusting every object
around them.
Jouanin, for his part, had never re-
turned
Many time Noeline had wandered
along the brook in the innocent hope of
seeing the young shopkeeper appear be-
fore her. She had thought of him near
ly every day, and almost every night
when the cricket sang she grew sad and
sat dreaming by her lonely fireside un-
til the resin candle had burned itself
out.
Alas, Orthez was SO far away The
people of Espibos never go to that town.
At the shop in the village no one had
heard anything about Jouanin. What
had become of the fair haired young
appentice2 Noeline still prayed for him
from time to time when her poor soul
was sadder than usual, and by degrees,
in the hollow breast of the lonely peas
ant woman. the beatings of her heart
became cold and monotonous, like the
clatter of her poor old mill.
One moonlight evening Noeline, who
was then A. years old, was expecting
Larrieussec, Jouanin S former rival He
was coming to sell her his corn and to
discuss the price. Noeline had offered 10
francs and 5 sous for the bag. The
farmer had asked 12 francs and Is sous.
1t was nearly 9 o'clock. The night was
warm the moon cast its white light on
the winding path through the grove.
Noeline, standing on the threshold of
the mill, saw some one approaching.
"That is not Larrieussec, she
thought. "He does not come that way"
The unknown had square box on
his back. he walked slowly, seemed
fatigued, and, as if he were stranger.
looked closely at the brook. the mill.
the trees of the grove.
"Good evening, my good woman!"
he said as he stopped. "Would you like
to see Our Lady of Lourdesf'
He was evidently peddler from the
Bearn or the Bigourde, one of those
travelling salesmen from Pau or Bag
neres, who, under the pretext of show
ing statuette Of the Virgin, which
they carry at the bottom of their box,
sell to the country people rosaries,
medals, as we'll as needles and thread.
"My poor fellow, it is rather dark
for looking at your Virgin.
However, as the peddler voice sound
ed gentle and as the Virgins interces-
sion might possibly induce Larrieussec
to lower his price to IL francs S sous.
Noeline continued:
"Come in, salesmanl 1 will look at
your Virgin by the light Of our resin. y
So the peddler followed her into the
mill. When Noeline could see his face,
she felt the blood rushing to her thin
cheeks, and when the salesman looked
at her he seemed equally disturbed. At
last in rather plaintive voice the man
asked;
$50 you still live here, Noeline?"
"Oh. heavens" replied the mistress
of the mill, her heart throbbing vio-