The Dupuyer acantha. [volume] (Dupuyer, Mont.) 1894-1904, 1900-01-04

CIITN9N MI very various sizes
W. rs WN for the Doctor and
GgNM N Jean-Marie; and for
M MlIM the remainder of
D. ): ): s.: !: : :: !: !: e.: :: e: &: i: !: !:
a. derland of hyster-
les, her husband sat
beside the fire Inc held forth to the
adm1ring neighbors. He showed them,
at length, the causes of the accident;
for years, he explained, the fall had
been impending; one sign had fol-
lowed another, the joints had opened.
the plaster had cracked, the old walls
bowed inward; last, not three weeks
ago., the cellar-door' had begun to work
with difficulty in it's grooves. ''The
cellar!" he said, gravely shaking his
head over a glass of mulled wine.
THAT reminds me of my poor vintages.
By a manifest providence the Hermit
age was nearly at an end. One bottle
/ lose but one bottle of that incom-
parable wine. 1t had been set apart
against Jean-Marie's wedding. Well,
/ must lay down some more; It will be
an interest in life. l am, however,
a man somewhat advanced in years.
My great work is now buried in the
fall of my humble roof; it will never
be completed-my name will have been
writ in water. And yet you find me
calm-I would say cheerful. Can your
priest do more?"
BY the first glimpse of day the party
sailed forth from the fireside into the
street. The wind had fallen, but still
charioted a world of troubled clouds;
the air bit like frost; and the party,
as they stood about the ruins in the
rainy twilight Of the morning, beat up
on their breasts and blew into their
hands for warmth. The house had en-
tirely fallen, the walls outward, the
roof in; it was a mere heap of rub
bish, with here and there a forlorn
spear of broken rafter. A sentinel
was placed over the ruins to protect
the property, and the party adjourned
to Tentaillon's to break their fast at
the Doctors expense. The bottle cir
culated somewhat freely; and before
they left the table it had begun to
snow.
For three days the snow continued
to fall, and the ruins, covered with tar
paulin and watched by sentries, were
left undisturbed. The Desprezes mean
while had taken up their abode at Ten
t%aillon's. Madame spent her time in
the kitchen, connecting little delica-
4 osoc rrfAb +La l~aIri~o 80. ia 80 REodo~oo
Tentaillon, or sitting by the fire in
thoughtful abstraction. The fall of the
house affected her wonderfully little;
that blow has been parried by another;
and in her mind she was continually
fighting over again the battle of the
trousers. Had she done right? Had
she lone wrong? And now she would
applaud her determination; and anon,
with a horrid flush of u~navailing peni-
tence, she would regret the trousers.
No juncture in her life had SO much ex-
ercised her judgment. In the mean
time the Doctor had become vastly
pleased with his situation. Two of the
summer boarders still fingered behind
the rest, prisoners for lack of a remit
lance; they were both English, but
one of them spoke French pretty flu
emily, and was, besides, a humorous.
agile-minded fellow, with whom the
Doctor could reason by the hour, se@
cure of comprehension. Many were the
glasses they emptied, many the topics
they discussed.
"Anastasie," the Doctor said on the
third morning, take an example from
your husband, from Jean-Marie. The
excitement has done more for the boy
than all my tonics, he takes his turn
as sentry with positive gusto. AS for
me, you behold me. l have made
friends with the Egyptians; and my
Pharaoh is, l swear it, a most agree
able companion. You alone are hipped
About a house-a few dresses? What
are they in comparison to the 'Phar-
macopoeia'-the labor of years lying
buried below stones and sticks in this
depressing hamlet? The snow falls;
7 shake it from my cloak! Initiate me
Our income will be impaired, l grant
l it, since we must rebuild; but m0der'
alton, patience, and philosophy will
. gather about this hearth. In the mean.
while, the Tentafllons are obligings thu
table, with your additions, viii pass
: only the wine is execrable-well,
shall send for some to-day. My Pha
roah will be gratified to drink a decen
e glass; aha! and l shall see If he pos
sesses that acme of Organisation;