The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1902-04-18
CHAPTER II-Continued .


went in the morning and discovered
how the strange tints of the water were
produced. The pond was fed by a rum
let, which flowed at the bottom OF the
bank on one side Of the lane called by
the name of Lacroix. This lane, bad
already learned, had been in other days
the private carriage drive OF the first
Lacroix (before Steinhardt had been
heard of from his fine mansion to his
dye works and his model farm. The
mansion, with its noble rookery, had
long ago become the prey OF the omnlv-
orous speculative builder; the model
farm had disappeared, all but the farm
house which, squeezed into sordid
corner of the spreading village, was now
let out in tenements; Steinhardt now
reigned in the Lacriox dye works and,
in his scorn of the past, was in the
habit of Tipping" his aniline refuse
down among the tree roots of the cher
ished avenue, narrowing more and
more the already CONSTRUCTED channel OF
the little stream, and poisoning and
discoloring the once clear flow OF water
in the whole neighborhood. This it
was which washed color into the pond
and gave it its varying tints.
! stood thus in some doubt and great
indignation--doubt whether Miss La.
croix's dream might not after all be
capable OF as simple an explanation as
had found for the tints OF the pond,
and indignation at what saw around
me. had never before ventured into
Lacroix lane; / now passed under its
wretched dying trees, along the brink
OF its cinder mud, ploughed foot deep
into ruts by numbering coal carts and
wagons, and fancied it metamorphosed
back into the private, shady, well-kept
avenue of the first Lacroix. l had
walked almost the whole length of the
lane when / met Mr.. Birley, Mrs.
Steinhardt's brother "Jim."
'Ah, there you are, he called cheer
lily, when he espied me, 81 was just
coming to look you up and take you
round bit; there's not much biz do
ing, and so I've taken holiday" /"
After greeting gave vent to the in
dignation Of which I was full. We re-
turned along the lane.
"Well," said he, laying his hand on
my shoulder, otis not nice of course,
standing and surveying the lane
"But it's not for you or me to mend it
though I'm joint guardian with Man
uel OF Paul's girl" Che meant Miss La
croix), GIVE nothing to do with the
property, and Manuel, you see, cam
bear to spend the brass, and doesn'i
care a--well, button--for Paul's fam
lily history. Poor Paul he was good
chap. suppose the name Lacroix Ii
done for, and it has been what yor
learned fellows would call historical ,
/ asked what he meant. He stopped
and pointed up the lane, away from
Timperley.
"You mightn't believe it," said he
"but II you follow this lane right out t.
the end you'll get to the Bastille.' ;
(The dear old gentleman called il
"Bastile."N
/ looked at him: 1 failed to compre
hend.
"You don't .mean," said, "th'
famous French Bastille2--the fortress
prison OF Parish"
"That's it," said he. You've read
l suppose, in your history books OF thu
taking of the Bastille, and the mar
that was governor at that time, DE-
Lacroix = that's the family. The poo
old fellow was killed in the streets,
believe"
Thus he went on, with much fullnes
OF irrelevant detail. l gathered thes'
fcats of consequence which | here Sc
down:-At the time of the great emf
grafton Of French nobility to this coun
try, member OF the De Lacroix famil,
found his way to Lancashire with on
or two dependents, packet of jewels
and some scientific learning, and with
out his aristocratic prefix "de." H
prospected about little, and at lengtl
invested the money he got for his jew
els in the Turkey red and Indigo dy
works OF Timperley. He prospered
He was one of the first to apply chem
ical science to the manufacture Of dyes
He made large fortune, and becam
the great man Of the neighborhood
He had, however, family of four son
who gave him great trouble. The
almost ruined their father and quit
broke his heart before their severa
courses of extravaganza and debaucher
came to an end. The eldest, Paul
father, drew up just in time, marrie
and settled down to the business
another broke his neck in a steepl
chase; the third died of delirium trem
ems, or worse and the fourth still ex
listed, for he could scarcely be said t
live: he was the tongue and hmb-tie
paralytio, known as old Jaques, who in
habited the little octagonal house nea
the pond, which had been the lodge {
his fathers model farm. Paul ha
wished him to make his house hi
home, but he insisted on settling dow
there.
This sad and fateful story lay heav.
on my mind and heart for the rest c
the day. In the evening took dow
the first volume of Carlyle's Frenc
Revolution, and read with new interes
the wonderful passages in which he de
scribes the taking of the Bastille by tn
mob, and the part which the old office
Of the fortress played in its hopeless
defence.
After that | sat down and wrote to
pair of London friends, asking them t
make certain inquiries concerning MI
Lacroix.
CHAPTER III.