St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1901-06-01

which stamps the caste of We're dl
| We're, / murmured. as. Jacks tall
1.-THE form went swinging after her
but he raped on the door as gayl,
as if he had not received a snub. /
| more modest Kept back and. did noi
hear the dialogue which took place
when an old woman appeared in an.
swer TO repeated knocks. i saw, how.
ever, BY her gestures and expression
that she wasdeaf. In few minutes
Jack came back to me SAYING
They will give us something K
eaf, but We cannot 60 IN It is .
WreIehed howell, only one room, with
a curtain Of some kind strung across
il. saw an old man inside, and he
said we could get all the meals We
wanted down at the Corners z
l remarked that as soon as we had
lunched we would 90 to the same
Corners, for a mail bag was due there,
and { was anxious to have news Of
my LITTLE girl. Jack looked At me sus-
pieiously and exclaimed.
s'lhe Child is al right. What il
the use Of yonr tramping all The way
down the mountain again fof aletters
lSIlnot 90 withgou. old man.
Ny brother-in-laR looked So de-
termined that I knew persuasion
would be n vain, only strategy would
answer the purpose, 50 answered:
Very well, wait for me here if
you'd rather and at that moment
the deaf woman brought US some
sandwiches on a tin plate, and re-
turned to the cabin without speak
ing. We lunched in thoughtful 81
lenee. and Jack saying suddenly: ssI
want to send a letter, pulled out his
writing materials, wrote hurriedly.
and then handed me a letter directed
to q bookseller in the city.
Whatever is he up to-. I won
dered, as I setof. After long walk
! reached the Corners, a hamlet con-
sisting Of four houses, at one Of which
diminutive mail bag was left twice
a week. Hardly waiting d read my
Wifess letter, which was awaiting me.
| hired a horse and rode at top speed
to the telegraph station. The mes
sage I sent would have seemed quite
simple to most persons. but nv wife
has a wise little head and I trusted to
it. ssls your mother well2 "Tele-
graph, said to her, and in a few
hours | had her answer: Mothernot
well, come at once.
Just what I wanted! Ny Nell
scented danger in the air and rose to
the occasion. She is a wife in a thou
sand. / turned back at once, reached
the Corners before midnight. se-
cured a bed in the farmhouse post Of
fee, and at daybreak went up the
mountain. / found Jack asleep in
a shed near the little cabin, and as
soon as he awoke / discovered that
le had been enjoying himself IN my
absence. He expressed no surprise
1t my having been away so long, but
began talking about that girl as. soon
IS his eyes opened. He had learned
hat her name was Mildred, for some
one in the house had called her. She
lad come ont several times to look
iown the road, as before, and he had
,aught some fish in the brook and
presented them to her, and she had |
cooked them divinely and brought |
ONE out to him for supper, and he
lad thanked her and gazed at her un-I
ebuked, and had talked to her for
everal minutes as. she stood before
lim in the cleaning, while the leaves
n the trees whispered all around |
hem, and the brook gurgled melodi-
usly and the moon came out. Ithad I
been very pastoral and po-
tical, and [ was determined to get
i'm home, so handedhim his sisters
elegram and began packing up our
raps. He was silent for some time.
ut | knew what was passing through
is mind. As soon as his mother cot
ell, he would come back to the maid
t the mountain.
So I was positively glad when, ON
ur reaching home, / saw the doc
or's carriage before our door. Ny
ife had shown the telegram to her
lother and the dear old lady had
orried herself into an attack of
eryes. We all agreed that Jack
lust take her to Europe with some
lends who were to sail the next ]
eek. In the midst Of preparations
n departure, I saw my brother-in-
" directing package TO Miss Mil
red Mason, the Corners, etc, ETC.,
ID Ie3elaimed in surprise
ssHow did you find out her name' !,
's0h, / managed to get it out of
- nanfhar The daaf u,naa, 4, I,