Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1901-01-24
NJ. de yernenil returned to his seat,


experiencing a delightf=. sensation
which he rarely feIt-the pleasure Of
having rendered a service 10 others
and, as he resumed his seat in the cor
ner. he began to study the child, WHIT
during all the connection had re
manned quitely sleeping. The study
fascinated him, and he fancied he had
never before seen a boy quite s:
beautiful; the slim, patrician nose
and mass of yellow hair resemble6 !
the fair young mother, who from time
to time. bent over him with an inter.
ested expression of suffering on hei
pure, sweet face, as the baby chest
was shaken by a dry cough, which
even in sleep did not desert him. De
Nerneuil felt that he vas growing |
desperately interested in the boy
and, as these thoughts fitted through
his mind, the child tossed one of his
Roman blankets on the floor, when he
rushed forward, picked it up, an6
tucked it around him. He was amazed
at his own tenderness, and began &c
wonder where it would eventually
lead. The ladies again expressed
their appreciation in hat soft, sweet
English voice so much admired on
the continent.
At Dion, De Verneuil left the COM
partment, and when he returned he
brought with him a large box of bon
bons, which, with the mothers per-
mission. he offered TO the child. The
candy delighted the little fellow; he
grew animated and the color came
again into his pale, snaciated little
cheeks as he smiled with pleasure and
fixed his great blue eyes on Edmond
de Verneuil with that profound depth
of expression which children's eyes
alone possess and which seemed to
hide a world of thought. The bon
hons had opened the way for a con-
versation between NJ. de Verneuil and
the ladies; naturally the child's health
became the absorbing topic, n the
interested bachelor learned that
madame had lost her husband three
years before. and that some weeks
previous to their journey to France,
little Arthur had had a severe attack
of bronchitis. which up to date had de-
fed the assiduous nursing of his
mamma AMI grandmother. Therefore
he had been ordered by his English
doctor to spend the winter at Nice.
AT Nice,' exclaimed De Verneuil,
amazed to find the pleasure which the
coincidence gave him. "Why, l am
going there myself" he said. Just
then the train drew up in the Lyons
depot, De Verneuil alighted and soon
returned laden with picture books for
his little chance acquaintance. Ar
thur was delighted with the colored
prints, and after looking at them for
some time, suddenly brew his books
on the floor and jumping on De Yer
neuiT's lap, put his slender little arms
around his neck and kissed him.
Monsieur is good" he whispered,
'and l love monsieur very much, and
want him to come and stay at the
villa where we are going"
This spontaneous outburst of af-
ection touched a strange chord in the
bachelors egotistical nature. The
boy really loves me-" he said to him.
self: and so, instead of going to a
little hotel, as he usually did. he
stopped at the same pretty villa as
the B~arringtons, and every day the
handsome Partisan and the pretty lit
tie English boy, with his blonde curls
flying in the breeze, spent hours to-
gether in the warm, sunny beach
and the bachelor was obliged to ac-
knowledge, in spite of his prejudices,
that he had never before found Nice
quite so pleasant. Though he had not
visited the Casino, the theater, or any
places of amusement, the days and
weeks had flown by pleasantly and
almost imperceptibly, and with the
mild air and warm southern sunshine
his pretty protege, Arthur Barring
ton, had regained his health. and his
little legs had grown strong and
round.
A romp was now the order of the
day, and one morning as De Verneuil,
Mrs. harrington and Arthur sat in
the pleasant sunshine, on the vine
covered veIanda. the boy suddenly
sprang up from his toys and began to
scream and dance. "You see, mamma"
said he, bursting into a loud. merry
laugh. this is the way 1 play Amer
lean Indian with monsieur"
But nv dear little son." protested
the mother, you are making such a
dreadful noise"
Let him alone, my dear madame"
~interposed De Verneuil, 81 love to
hear him scream and laugh, for these
are the privileges of childhood" But
scarcely he'd the words escaped him
when he recalled his portrait of chill
dren to Duvivier-and possibly
through shame to eface the unpleas-
ant remembrance he caught the boy
up in his arms and kissed him passion
ately.
Arthur laid his pretty dimpled. face
upon his shoulder, and his piping,
child-like voice begged monsieur to re-
main always with his mamma and
grandmother. De Verneuil, usually
so self-possessed, felt The color mount
ing to his face as he cast a furtiye
glance at Mrs. Darlington, who sud
denly appeared to be absorbed in her
book. Then in the t~wiukling of al
eye he ran down the garden path,
closely followed by Arthur.
That evening a quiet walk beneath
the stars settled the entire affair to
the satisfaction of all. The child had
won, and FOR this reason Edmond de
Verneuil returned to Paris in the
bright month of May, accompanied by
a fancee, q prospective son, and a
! future mother-in-law, as an ardent
= - ii &c. ,~,,oI- a-I H.