River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1900-08-02

boaSting, she dWelt with pride on IN;
house that had a hall down the cen
ter (this seemed extraordinary t.
herr. More than that. her sister-in
law kept servant!
As | talked to Miss Celestine, won
dered whether her dream would come
true, whether she would ever go bach
TO that land of delight.
When at last l told her ''good-by'
she had gained an interest for me
! had met just another person with {
''Carcasonne."
1t was three years later whep mex
saw Miss Celestine. Her mother wa:
dead and she had come to live Will
her brothers family.
Although ! was only spending few
days in Pointe des Arbres, intended
to look up my old acquaintance, but
before / had time to do so | met hel
one morning as l was on my way Il
the post office.
She was rolling a baby carriag,
while two cross-looking children
tugged at her skirts and in volubl,
French demanded her attention. She
was just in front of the gaudy little
house-the door stood open and
caught a glimpse of the muchtalked
of hall, while / mentally decided thai
Mime. Telesphore had now virtually
two servants!
1t seemed to me that Miss Celestint
looked much older than when I hac
last seen her and gray threads were
beginning TO show in her heavy blacl
hair. Her eyes had tired, dark lines
beneath them as if she was Otter
weary, but had no time to indulge
in moments of repose.
I wondered if her "Carcasonne" haC
been all that she dreamed it to be
or if the present ever drifted away
and in thought she was back again
in the little Acadian hamlet tending
her flowers and chickens!
AS we stood chatting on the brick
pavement, buggy came rafting
down the street.
When one tarries awhile in Pointt
DIES Arbres, one catches the spirit Of
the place and looks with real interest
upon the most trivial occurrences
The affairs of ones neighbors there
possess an unparalleled Importance;
thus | turned instinctively to catch
aglimpse of the occupants of the buggy
The man would have attracted at
tention anywhere. With his deep-set
dark eyes and singularly classic fea
lures, he seemed a type of the early
picturesque Acadian, and l could not
help thinking what a magnificent hero
Of Longfellow's poem "Evangeline" he
would have made.
| noticed little about the woman at
his side. except that she was of a
massive style of good looks and
seemed much overdressed
who is that man?" | asked Miss
Celestine, seeing that they had ex.
changed bows
That" she said, slowly, SIS Achille
Rodrigue. and that is his wife with
him"
"Achille RODRIGUEZ" I repeated to
myself Why, that was the man
had heard several people discussing
but the evening before as | sat on
the hotel porch. They seemed to@be
much impressed by the fact that
after Is years of answering devotion
10 one woman. he had startled every
one by marrying a widow who had
long been keenly alive to the worldly
advantages of such match.
No one seemed to know exactly why
he and his first love had never mar
ried. Some one suggested that the
girl had sacrificed herself to the sell
fishness of her mother, but whatever
it was, Achille Rodrigue had shown
consistency which his associates al
first regarded with surprise, but aft
erwards learned to accept as part OF
his nature.
His marriage lately, therefore, oc,
casioned no small establishment, and
there were many theories advanced
ON the subject.
Theophile, the blacksmith, who
seemed to know Achille Rodrigut
better than the others did. asserted
loudly that Achilles great, strong
heart had been touched by the wild
ow's open devotion to him and that
he had married her out of pity, per.
haps wishing to bring into some
other life the brightness his own
lacked
Apart from the speakers, sitting in
the gray dusk on the h 1tel porch.
listened idly to the bits of CONVERSE
tion which floated to me on the even,
ing air. My thoughts drifted from
Achille to the girl he had loved in
those other days. | wondered what
had been her fate, whether she had
married some one else, or whether
she still remembered. 4 mere specu
lation on my part. since / never ex
pected to see either Achille or his
first love!
Yes" l said. recalling myself sud
denly and turning to Miss Celestine
Il have heard of Achille Rodrigue be
fore" and all at once | regretted that
l had ever inquired about him.
Miss Celestine was leaning down and
was lifting the baby from his car.
riage, arranging and rearranging the
pillows at his back
Her face was so averted that could
scarcely see it. but there had stolen
over it an expression which made me
feel that l had ruthlessly lifted the
curtain from a human soul and dis.
closed depths which l had no right
to see.
Now l understood the glamour
which had been east about the little
town. After all, the memories which
we treasure most are those which
are gilded with a brush of our own
romance. She had told me that April
afternoon as we sat on the porch to-
gether, she hoped she would go back
TO that enchanted land. Now she had
returned-and il seemed to me that
since fate deals out her favors only
sparingly at best. she is sometimes
kinder in withholding altogether than
in fulfilling in part.-Detroit Free
Press.
HAWAIIAN AGRICULTURE.
To He Made Special study by n Gov
arun,cuf Exnert Annoiuted NV