New-York tribune., 1901-04-07
JACQUOU j LIE FOLLET.


dress Of turquoise blue heliotrope: when
they have dOnned this finery they "endi-
manchts.' No one. seeing them. he dubious
as - the day; the heotrope puts end To ali
exity-instantly you can safely wager. you
may swear. even if you have been an invalid for
months 0r traveller for years even if you have
lost all count OF time that it is Sunday But in
the village OF Santos-haf hour from the
Care 81. Lazare-the few hundred inhabitants
"endimanches'' three times week. on
Wednesdays and Saturdays well as Sundays
The "Wednesday and Saturday finery Is the same
as the sunday finery. a trinket has been held
ever: and if the church bells do not summon the
Villagers TO high mass those common days.
other bells from the cObbed square call them
merrily TO the market. And the aristocracy ot
SANTOS a petite bourgeose thar has retired and
raised six rooned villas after thirty years eco
Monies" has also dressed Stlll oTr moon
syruity is noticeable: each person carries has
ket: and not a fancy thing not the little pannier
in which the heroine of a rneloirama might pack
fresh eggs and honeysuckle; but stout basket
a veritabIe market basket. All foods are housed
in il enough food % last from "Wednesday until
Saturday As Santos holds its biweekly con-
yersazione the baskets become laden. heavy
The villagers disperse smilingly bear on thelT
burdens ami then the aristocrats look a"out
for an idler a neer-3o-WeII ,Santois. like ali
villages has ne'er-io- ellsl To carry the baskets
to the six roomed villas in exchange Tor sous
Many idlers come forward, and are engaged
Most of them are scrubby clumsy. but thr
readiest the most agile II them all = Jacqu'u-
.le FolIet' as they can him. ne likes u be
called: shockhealed with tow-c1lored hair. light.
restless eyes loose mouth a lean face. thr
lank figure Of a boy II seventeen. the brain ~ A
child of seven but in reallty-SO me villagers
afhrrn-thirty years OF ase or more H. l. named
as Jacquou and he laughs. H. laughs again a.
he takes the basket. and a. H. ra.ses H. anu
when ne rests il his shoulders. H. laughs
s,apidly ard his mouth tsvitch-s when he laughs
.'Tiens Jacquou," says his patron Va. Jac-
quou." cry the idlers ami "Tas de Ia veine
Jacquou." and, laughingly. Que tes beau au-
jourdhui. Jacquou,' And Jacquou continues t.
laugh and only pauses in his laughter 70 reply;
.,oui. moi Jacquou Moi Jacquou le Follet
..Ngais oui rptort the idlers. -tes Jacquou le
Fonet Monsieur Jacquou l. Folet." And Jac-
quou le FoIet bearing off his basket, laughs.
laughs laughs
80 one feared JacqUou i FoIet when Ne en-
countered him the market-piaca six months
ago. ca est maniaque." SANTOS admitted: !
''rnais ca est bon. bon: ca ne - fache jamais;
ca rit continuellement." Ana il true-Jac-
quou laughed continually: and his laughter was
50 familiar that villagers did not even shud-
der when il rang out suddenly. eerily. at night /
.JacquOu is returning from the station was ali
they said; for JacquOu was hired sometimes by
the Santos aristocrats u light them with ms
lantern 70 the station. - light them home, as
the way was rough and dark They trusted
Jacquou. and Vt h. uncauny Spectacle
in the moonlight with has lantern and his laugh.
often he wandered abroad all night and the
earde cfaup-tre described how h. on more than
one occasion. had come suddenly spon JacquOu. /
Laughing a. thu ~indms but laughing
mon cher . in spit" II The mud ana the /
mist. And the gaTde champ1tre also trusted
Jacquou: trusted him 50 implicitly that he al +
lowed him 70 carry knife-a long, sharp knife
with which he dug out mushrooms and made
sticks.
SANTOS in fact @as kind u Jacquou le Follet; !
lpt his parents rarely humored h,l. They Were
the hardest workers IN the village. and Il crossed
them u see Jaoquou Incompetent and half .
,.ifted whereas they themselves We're healthy
and strong Thy farned. and they grew vines. !
,in4v were never idle; ircessantly and all to-
e-ther they toil.d, father mother and two stall
vart sons And they scarcely spoke u Jacquou. /
and Jacquou never spoke to them. He ate his
meals in silence whereas they reviewed the Ia
i.ors of tb. dav and they never asked. Where Is
gacouoil9 Never inquired. What have you been
3oing Jacquou2 Never gave him his beloved. bet
- e,a,ndr., title JacauOu Il FOct. Consequent |