The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1900-01-20

not thought on them these many years;
yet the story Is clear in my mind from
start to finish.
II.
"IIe was Breton-b born, old Jean. and
his mother before him; his father--nay.
he knew naught OF him. save that he
was some say nobleman from the court
Cfor It was In the days Of kings. who.
being few idle weeks ON the coast,
made a pastime of love and won the
heart OF her whom Jean called mother.
uesd her FOR his pleasure, and then lstt
her to be the mock OF The country round.
Wen. she would believe no III Of him.
for she loved hlm-soIne women are
fools like that! But when two years
had passed. and he did not return as he
had promised. she took her little one
and wentto find the father In that Won
derful city he had told her of-the pulse
Of France. An this was long ago, be.
fore this century was born. you UNDER
stand. She was many months in maxi
Ing her journey and she never came
back again. M. She found him she
sought, but he pretended that he knew
her not. ,,nd laughed her TO scorn be-
fore his companions when she aceosted
him at his door so she crept away
with her child and lIved-God knows
how--ln that strange city Those were
hard days. bitter days then. 1t was
time OF oppression throughout the land
and riots and turbulence such as never
had been before. but child eats little,
and a mother who works for his bread.
eats Legs. Moreover. they were together
and one was happy. Is not that
enough?
so they lived until the boy. Jean,
was nine years old: then there came
change. The mother sicksned and died
without struggle, went out like q
lamp that lacks oil. He did not under
stand: here one day, gone the next; his
crying could not wake her. They tore
him away from her and carried him to
her brother who was in the same city.
II was her wish. He had not been good
To her in her life. he had tainted her
with her shame. but what would you?
lie was her brother after all. In death
one forgets many things. and the child
had TO live Besides the mother had
said: There Is nobody like my little
Jean: he has face like one of Gods
angels-so pure-hls uncle VIII love
him for that Imbecile, AS II she
could tell. The uncle was busy man.
and had no time for loving. He was
soldier and belonged to the National
Guard. which made him of much i'm
portunce. as any one with sense would
have known. And when Jean went to
him he had just been appointed TO keep
watch over a woman in prison-this
Veuve Capet. for ii was She
'.Veuve Capet in prison! Mother OF
God. what wicked woman she must
have been What had she done?"
Nay, know not, nor did Jean
know. Something wrong, of course,
else she'd not have been there. But let
that pass; It's not our concern. As
have said the soldiers kept guard night
and day: there were three of them-the
uncle OF Jean and two other men. 1
leave you to think how busy they were.
The boy himself met with not much I'M
kindness. save when his uncle was
drunk which happened sometimes and
when the uncle perceived that the little
lad could be OF service TO him. then he
was indeed. made welcome. It became
his duty often TO bear pitcher OF wa
ter to the prisone
THE first time Jear saw the woman
his heart ceased beating in his breast.
he said. The three soldiers with the
boy. entered the little room, and he
shouted. 'Hola. Veuve Capet" as his
uncle had taught him. 1t was so SIN
that the walls seemed to give back his
hooking cry and the laughter Of the
men-ha- ha- ha. He was all agog with
curiosity. like u child vt fair; he
looked up eagerly And what do you
think he saw? He had expected-he
knew not what--a monster at the very
least But there. fronting them. she
whom he had called stood with her
head flung back and her eyes blazing
out of her white face. an old. old wo-
man. with hair like snow, and fraii. so
that you could have seen through her.
almost, As her glance fell on him Il
little culver. Ike the trembling Of
leaf in the faintest breeze OF summer.
passed through her, gone in moment,
and her face was stone again as she
looked at them as though they were
made OF air.
suddenly Jean was filled with i
great serse o! shame that came whence
h. knew not. and he bent his head. and
another feeling came also, making him
think ha was in some holy place, so
that he would have dropped TO his knee
only that he did not dare. II was as II
he was in the presence Of a sorrow as
deep ~ that or the CrucIfed One, Then
his uncle stepped up behind him and
pat his hand on the boys curls-soft.
golden curls they were. that the young
mother had Kissed again and again, so
thu, Jean did not like any one to so
much as touch them, but the man. un-
caring. gathered them away from the
iltue throat laughing the meantime in
tine woman's face Now, why he did
that thing Jean did not understand. no
more than understand to this day. but
only he knew that twas done to hurt
the woman In some wise. And she