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

N i'''Hei SaNc MN plenty or PROD
able preteXts and Noeline escaped from
the room to hide her grief She went
and sat down by the milestone in the
old, dilapidnted mill listened to tho
drops of water falling over the great
iron wheel, and when she heard JouGr;u
Closing the door as he left the house TO
return home by the alder grove, along
the murmuring brook, she thought her
heart would stop beating in her breast.
and she prayed to God aloud. as if sho
had been in fear of death.
The following week Jonanin left the
country. With his clothes tied in a
hanukerchlef he went off during cold
twlhSht. when the last leaves seemed
silvering 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. Noeinc!' he said
slowly
Good evening Jouanin" she re-
Piled. lowering her eyes
Then as lie went on she ventured to
ask:
$50 you are going to leave the coun-
try!''
He seemed to stumble little Oh the
path covered with leaves.
Yes; have found place at
Orthez'
She said nothing. Unconsciously she
turncd and twisted between her fingers
a 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 pair Of
exp. ..siye eyes far younger than tho
face of which they formed a part-such
was NCcline Fargucs, the mistress of
the mill Of Espibos % years after the
departure of ,Jouanin Lacaze The peas
ant women of the south Of France fade
rapidly.
A-straddlc Of the brook, as of old, the
mill still held its OWN. thanks to several
supplementary crutclcs, and its clatter
was as merry as that CT Il new one.
Noelinc Fargues had not married.
Jouanin gone, no other lover had sue
ceeded in touching her heart Aristide
Larrleusscc. ardent though he was, had
been discarded like all the rest. The
young farmer. long inconsolable, had
finally married a girl from the neigh
bcrhood. AT the present day 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 tho mill
stone long ago while the white -four
fell silently, dusting every object
around them
Jouanin. for his part. had never re-
turned.
Many a 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 tireside un-
til tho resin candle had burned itself
out.
Alas, Orthez was 30 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 4: 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 . sous for the bag. The
farmer had asked 12 francs and 1 5 sous
1t was nearly 9 o'clock The night was
warm; the moon cast it's white light on
the winding path through the grove.
Noellne, 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 womanl'
he said as he stopped. tWould you like
to see Our Lady of Lourdesf'
He was evidently peddler from the
Bearn or the Bigourde. one Of those
travelling statesmen 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 10 francs sous.
Noeline continued:
"Come in, salesman I will look at
your Virgin by the light Of our resin"
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