The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1902-07-21

"Ciel, ciel, how beautiful she isl''
he thought, as he walked along the
narrow street in the dreamy sunshine.
But she is not for me, not for me-"
He shook himself and tried to be
cheerful In fact he hummed a creole
ditty. something about
La belle Jeanette, qu' a brise mon
occur"
Days passed, and at last the time of
the great event arrived. 1t was a
, frosty night, clear. sparkling with
stars, keen breath cutting down from
/ the northwest. NJ. ROussillon, Madame
ROusSillon, Alice and Lieutenant Bev-
erley went together 10 the river house,
whittier they had been preceded by al
most the entire population of Vim
cennes- Some fires had been built out
side: the crowd proving too great for
the buildings capacity, as there had
. TO be ample space for the dancers.
Merry groups lowered around the
flaming logs, while within the house
fiddle sang its simple and ravishing
! tunes. Everybody talked and laughed:
it was a lively racket of cIashing
voices and rhythmical feet.
You would have been surprised to
find that Oncle Jazon was the fiddler:
but there he sat. perched on a high
stool in one corner of the large room,
saving away as if for dear life his
head wagging, his elbow leaping back
and forth, While his scalpless crown
shone like the side of a peeled onion
and his pickering mouth wagged gro
tesquely from side to side keeping time
4 TO his tuneful scraping.
When the Roussillon party arrived
| 1t attracted condensed attention. Its
/ Importance. naturally or the greatest
| in the assembled popular mind. was
enhanced-as mathematician would
say to the then poverty the gown
of Alice. 1t was resplend-
/ ent, indeed in the simple unac-
| customed eyes upon which IL flashed
with a buff ssilken glory. Matrons
| stared at it: maidens gazed with fas-
/ cinated and jealous vision; men young
and old let their eyes take full liberty
| 1t was as if queen, arrayed in a robe
| of state, had entered that dingy log
4 edifice, an apparition of dazzling and
\ awe-inspiring beauty. Oncle Jazon
caught sight of her, and snapped his
! tune short off. The dancers swung
J together and stopped in confusion. But
/ she, fortified by q woman's strongest
| bulwark, the sense of resplendency, ap-
peared quite unconscious of herself.
Little Adrienne, hanging in blissful
| delight upon Rene's strong arm, felt
the stir of excitement and wondered
| what was the matter, being too short
1
her.
what is it? what is it?" she cried,
| tiptoeing and tugging at her compan-
ions sleeve. Tell me, Rene, tell me,
/ say"
Rene was gazing in dumb admira-
ton into which there swept a power
full anger, like a breath of flame. He
recollected how Alice had refused to
wear that dress when he had asked
her, and now she had it on. More
/ over, there she stood beside Lieuten-
ant Beverley, holding his arm, look
! ing up into his face, smiling, speak
! ing to him
Il think you might tell me what has
happened" said Adrienne pouting and
still plucking at his arm. L can't see
| a thing, and you won't tell me-
"Oh, it's nothing" he presently an
swered, rather fretfully. Then he
| stopped, lowered his voice and added
It's Mademoiselle Roussillon all
dressed up like a bride or something.
She's got on a buff silk dress that
MO'sieu' Roussillon's mother had in
/ France"
How beautiful she must look!" cried
the girl. Il wished l could see her. -
Rene put hand on each side of her
slender waist and lifted her high, SO
that her pretty head rose above the
| crowding people. Alice CHANGED to turn
her face that way just then and saw
the unconventional performance. Her
eyes met those Of Adrienne and she
gave q nod of smiling recognition. II
was rose beaming upon gillifiower.
| NJ. Roussiilon naturally understood
that all this stir and crowding to see
| was but another demonstration of his
| personal popularity. He bowed and
| waved a vast hand
| But the master of ceremonies called
loudly for the dancers TO take Their
place. Oncle Jazon attacked his fiddle
again with startling energy. Those who
| We're not to dance formed a compact
double line around the wall, the short
er ones in front. the taller in the rear
And what a scene it was. but no per-
son present regarded ii as in any way
strange or especially picturesque. save
as to the gown of Alice, which was
now floating and whirling in time u
Oncle Jazon's mad music The people
outside the house cheerfully awaited
their turn to go in while an equal mum
Der went forth to chat and sing around
the fires.
Beverley was in a young mans sew.
enth heaven. The angels formed
choir circling around his heart, ani
their song brimmed his universe from
horizon to horizon
When he called at ROussillOn place
and Alice appeared so beautifully and
becomingly rcbed, it was another mem
/ orable surprise. She flashed a new
and subtly stimulating light upon him
The old gown. rich in subdued splen
dor of lace and brocade, was Orna
mented at the throat with a heavI
band Of pearls. just above which cOuiC
be seen a trace of the gold chain tina
supported her portrait lOcket- There
too. with a not unbecoming CLEAN o
barbaric coIors. shone the string o
porcupine beads to which the Indian
charm-stone hidden in her bosom wa
I attached It all harmonized with III
time. the place, the atmosphere. Any
where else il would have been prepoS
ferrous as a decorative presentment, bu
here. in this little nook where tn
coureurs de bois the half-breeds. tn
traders and the missionaries had found
ed a center of assembly. il was the bes
POSSIBLE expression in the life so fOrme'
at hap-haZard. and so controlled by tn
coarsest and narrowest Influences. Il
/ Fitzhuch Beverley of Beverley hail IN
picture conveyed Immediately swee
and peTvading influence.
Alice looked superbly tall. stately an
| self possessed in her Transforming cos
| tune. a woman OF full stature. he
countenance gravely denure yet re
serving near the surface the playful
| di.,1ples and miSchievous smiles S
Characteristic of her more usual man
; ner A sudden mood of the yarium G
nutabi semper fennina had led her I
wear the dress, and the mood still il