Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1901-12-31
speaking, and stood before us bare head
4

speaking, and stood before uS bare heau.
ed, and bowing profoundly.
Madame" he said, in a bland tone, "to
what town are you going?"
I'VE are going to Granville" l an
swered; "but l am afraid l have lost the
way. We are very tired, this little child
and l. We can walk no more, monsieur.
Take care of us, l pray you.'
l spoke brokenly, for in an extremity
like this it was difficult to put my re-
quest into French. The priest appeared
perplexed, but he went back and held
short, earnest conversation with the driv-
er, in subdued voice.
Madame" he said, returning to me, Il
am Francis Laurentie, the cure of Vile
en-bois. 1t is quite a small village about
a league from here, and we are on the
road to it; but the route to Granville is
two leagues behind US, and it is still far
ther to the nearest village. There is not
time to return with you this evening.
VIII you, then, go with us to Nille-en-
bois ?-and tomorrow we will send you
on to Granville
He spoke very slowly and distinctly.
with a clear, cordial voice, which filled
me with confidence. l could hardly dis
tinguish his features, but his hair was
silvery white, and shone in the gloom, as
he still stood bare-headed before me,
though the rain was falling fast.
Take care of us, monsieur" | replied,
putting my hand in his; 1--WE will go with
you.'
"Make haste, then, my children" he
said cheerfully; 'the rain will hurt you.
Let me lift the mignonne! BAIL How
little she is. Now, madame, permit me-"
There was a seat in the back, which
we reached by climbing over the front
bench, assisted by the driver. There we
were well sheltered from the driving wind
and rain, with our feet resting upon a
sack of potatoes, and the two strange
figures of the Norman peasant in his
blouse and white cotton cap, and the
cure in his hat and cassock, filling up the
front of the car before US.
''They are not Frenchwomen, Monsieur
lie Cure" observed the driver, after a
short pause.
mo, no. my good Jean," was the cures
! answer; "by their tongue l should say
they are English. Englishwomen are ex-
tremely intrepid, and voyage about all the
world quite alone, like this. 1t is only a
marvel to me that we have never encoun-
tered one of them before to-day"
Monsieur" 1 interrupted, feeling al
most guilty in having listened so far, 81
understand French very well, though
speak it badly"
Pardon, madamep' he replied, 81 hope
you will not be grieved by the foolish
words we have been speaking one to the
other,
After that all was still again for some
time, except the tinkling of the bells, and
the pad-pad of the horses feet upon the
steep and rugged road. By and by vii
! lage clock striking echoed family down
the valley; and the cure turned round
and addressed me again.
! | There is my village, madame" /" he said,
stretching forth his hand to point it out;
ssit is very small, and my parish contains
! out four htlndred and twenty-five souls,
some of them very little ones. They all
know me, and regard me as father.
| They love me, though / have some rebel
sons"
We entered narrow and roughly paw
ed village street The houses, as l saw
afterwards, were all huddled together,
with small church at the point farthest
from the entrance; and the road ended at
its porch as if there were no other place
! in the world beyond it.
We drove at last into square court
yard, paved with pebbles. Almost be-
fore the horse could stop I saw a stream
of light shining from an open door across
causeway, and the voice of woman,
whom l could not see, spoke eagerly as
soon as the horses hoofs had ceased to
scrape upon the pebbles.
| ITO be continued.)