Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1902-06-04

breathe, thirty pair of feet waiting,
lots of tobnc, of cold pork, plenty of
cider behind the door and no music!
Well, it's droll. that! pshaw! I'll
stand on u tub and whistle!"
Babette laughed. Look mt Alphonse.
Watch how he shake his black head,
and his eyes dance so All, poor man!
He would give his head for Marie, but
she sits wifi half dozen gallants be-
side her, and she fash her big brown
eyes over at Alphonse. and they drive
him mad. Mon Dleu! Yon think she
care for him. with his purity eyes and
black hair? No, no. You see? You
hear her feet tap the floor. She long to
dance like us nil. and Alphonse lie long
for her."
$50" rejoined Antoine. 81 do not
understand that Marie. Why list all
get OH their knees to her and she care
for no MANI"
you think thatY' asked Babette.
"Ah. you are only man. with n mans
eyes! You think because she not care
for you she care for nobody. That's
like a man. He is so vain. When
woman care not for him, he is SO hap
py when she care not for any one else.
Well, I'm glad I'm not a man."
Antoine hsistled up. Come. come,
Babette. You think care for Marie?
No; only for you. You are the one
great woman in the world"
Babette laughed merrily, her little
white teeth flashing. She tapped him
on the arm.
never see when it is woman. He
thinks her great when she's very little.
He thinks he understands himself, and
he knows nothing. There is Marie.
What do you know? You think her all
coquette. You think Pm better. Mon
Dieul If were i'll the same way as
Marie. I'd be like her,"
Antoine ran his fingers through his
hair. knotted his forehead and smiled
in droll way.
"By the holy, do not understand"
he said. "Who is there Marie loves?
You can see she play the game with
them oil, but there is no one. She has
them = Jacques, Adrien, Jules. AL
phonse and the rest-comme Gu! They
are on their shins, and she put her lit
tie foot on them all. What does she
care? All, Babette. what she care?
There's no onew
Babette suddenly became grave, and
her eyes watched Antoine with Won
dering kind of sadness. She was
younger than he, yet she was wiser,
for every good woman is wiser than
any man. She wondered why he did
not know that when love first stirs in
n woman's heart she begins to be wise,
when In q mans he begins to be fool
fish, for the one becomes unseltish and
the other vain
After a moment she said. with Sc
rious little twist of the head: An
toine,,I do not know who tits, but
there's some one Marie loves Do you
think I'm woman and not know tho
look Of love in another? There Is
some one somewhere, and it is NIL I'M
happy. know that. Do you think IL
1t was all right she would play with
them like that-so cold, so heartless?
No. but she must do something. A wo-
man will go mad unless. Poor Marie!
Perhaps the man does not love her.
Perhaps he loved her and should not.
Perhaps something prevents. Well. 1t
is all the same She is as you see"
Antoine was little nervous, facing
Babette's seriousness. He had not the
care of life, only the shanties in the
winter, the river in summer, the little
farming in the autumn and counting
Babette in happy, irresponsible fash
ion all the time. But take it seriously
-life-loye? Watch how his feet tap
the floor impatiently. He is wild for
the dance.
It was New Years day, the time OF
festivity beyond all others in French
Canadian home, and the young people
of the parish were gathered, ready to
dance until the morning, but to the
house OF Marie's father old Vigord. the
fiddler. had not come. For the last
hour there had been nothing but 'Vi
CORD! Yigord! Why doesn't Vigord
Gomez" Every one seemed troubled
save Marie. She did not worry. Per.
haps that was because she had been
year at school In Quebec city and
therefore had got kind of manner
was playing the self possessed lady, OIL
that II she ca,s enjoy herself ii
one way SIG could IN another. There
was something in her different from
rthe other girls In the room. You felt
that you did not know her as yor
''s them. All that they thought OIL
flashed In their brown eyes, OF
j red, careless lips and In the
,se softness of their hair, but IL
aarie's strong chin, dark coquettisi
eyes and strong brow there hid some
thing which had little to do with the
, life moving at the moment. Perhaps
ms Babette had said, there was maj
somewhere In the world whose low,
or luck of love had given her wisdom
but she said herself that she was onl.
trifler, that she cared for nothin,
save to enjoy herself.
Antoine, to relieve the situation
which was becoming strained, started
q song. That did very well for little
1t was pretty fantasy of love am
wild life, dashed with a spice of devi
try, but it soon lost its effect, for til
spirits which 1t raised sent n ma
sprightliness into the feet of all, whic
only the rasp of fiddle or the breat
of concertina could appease or con
mand. At last tall Medallion, who's
ways were those Of the blessed of TIL
world and who had his fingers on a
the little comedies and tragedies {
the parish, stood up in the middle {
the floor and proposed game. Ever
one was still for moment, for Media
lion had great resources and whimsic
ideas. His was the gift of making me
and women laugh, not so much at hir
selfkas at themselves. Besides, he hu
u heart. Protestant though he wa
even the cure trusted him, and the II
tie chemist worshiped him.
"See, my children" he said, with h
sharp eyes twinkling, "since Vigord