Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1900-09-07

Sne nau gained an interest Tor me.
l had met just another person with n
"Carcasonne."
1t was three years later when next
saw Miss Celestine. Her mother was
dead and she had come to live with
her brothers family.
Although was only spending few
days in Pointe DIES Arbres, ] intended
TO look up my old acquaintance, but
before i had time to do so i met her
one morning as l was on my way to
the post office.
She was rolling n baby carriage
while two crosslooking children
tugged at her skirts and in voluble
French demanded her attention. She
was just in front Of the gaudy little
house-the door stood open and
caught n glimpse of the much-talked-
of hall, while l mentally decided that
Nine. Telesphore had now virtually
two servants!
1t seemed to me that Miss Celestine
looked much older than when l had
last seen her and gray threads were
beginning to show in her heavy black
hair. Her eyes had tired, dark lines
beneath them as if she was often
weary, but had no time to indulge
in moments of repose.
wondered If her "Carcasonne" had
|
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 Pointe
des 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 ofthe 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 type of the early
picturesque Acadian, and | 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" l repeated to
myself, Why, that was the man ]
had heard several people discussing
but the evening before as I sat on
the hotel porch. They seemed to be
much impressed by the fact that
after 10 years of answering devotion
to one woman, he had startled every.
one by marrying 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
constancy 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, ant
there were many theories advanced
on the subject.
Theophile, the blacksmith, who
seemed to know Achille Rodrigu'
better than the others did, asserted
loudly that Achilles great, strong
heart had been touched by the wild
owls open devotion to him and that
he had married her out of pity, per
haps wishing to bring into som'
other life the brightness his owl
lacked.
Apart from the speakers, sitting il
the gray dusk on the hotel porch,
listened idly to the bits of converse
ton which foated to me on the even
ing air. My thoughts drifted from
Achille to the girl he had loved il
those other days. / wondered wha
had been her fate, whether she hat
married some one else, or whethe
she still remembered. A mere specu
lation on my part, since / never ex
pected to see either Achille or hi
first love!
yes" I said, recalling myself sud
denly and turning to Miss Celestinc
81 have heard of Achille Rodrigue be
FORE" and all at once l regretted tina
l had ever inquired about him.
Miss Celestine was leaning down an
was lifting the baby from his car
riage, arranging and rearranging tn
, pillows at his back.
Her face was so averted that coul
scarcely see it, but there had stole
over it an expression which made m
. feel that ! had ruthlessly lifted tn
{ curtain from a human soul and dis
closed depths which / had no RICH
{ to see.
5 Now / understood the glamou
{ which had been cast about the littl
town. After all, the memories whic
E we treasure most are those whic
. are gilded with a brush OF our ow
' romance. She had told me that Apr
. afternoon as we sat ON the porch tt
: gether, she hoped she would go bac
' to that enchanted land. Now she ha
/ returned-and it seemed to me thu
since fate deals out her favors onl
sparingly at best, she is sometime
4 kinder in Withholding altogether tina
o in fulfilling in part.--Det1oit Ere