News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1902-02-19

practiced in fasting"
AS the priest rose to follow his host
to the supper table voice came from
without. calling:
Hello, Valsin! Hello! Hellow
The Dogs of the yard set up a furious
barking.
Both men stopped, and valsin. STEP
ping out on the veranda of his house,
responded:
"Hello yourself! Who is it? Come
inw
81 can't until you call your dogs off"
"Wait: will be there in a minute.
Here, you rascal, Jacques; get away!
And you, Rosa; go off! Do you want
me to kick you? Now, sir, they won't
bite. They know am here. Who is it
] see?
"Oakfell, yalsin. have to claim
shelter of you"
"Why, bless my heart. Mr.. Horace!
How do you do? am glad to see you,
sir. Come right in" And he grasped
Oakfelrs hand and shook it warmly.
whats happened? Where's your bug.
gy"
"Never mind the buggy, Valsin. Let
us get out of this rain and mud" said
Oakfell, land then | will tell you what
has happened"
'"To be sure. TO be sure" said Valsin.
SLOW foolish f me to keep you here
at the gate to tell me about it when
you can just as well come inside and
get dry and comfortable and then tell
me and take your own time" And he
led his unexpected guest into the house.
Father Grhe gave Oakfell an affec-
Tomato greeting, but, observing that his
face was scratched and his clothing
torn and smeared with mud, manifest
ed anxiety and asked with an air of
concern:
"Why, my son, you have met with an
accident. Are you hurt"
mo, | believe | have sustained moth
ing beyond a rude shaking up. | ar
rived on the Red Queen at Fort De
Roussy this afternoon and, stopping for
short time at my office in Marksville,
concluded to drive to my plantation this
evening. The big black which was re-
Gently sent me from Cincinnati had
been stabbed in town since l left for
Baton Rouge in the early part of the
session. had him put to the buggy to-
day. Just as was getting out of the
gully beyond ValsN's field the horse
took fright at the upright shafts of an
OK cart tilted on end in front Of old
Grineau's house, which | in the dark
did not see. Before | was aware he
bounded to the left, leaped up the bank
and started on dead run into the Mag
nolia hills. | braced myself to hold
him in, but he was beyond control, and,
positively, expected to be killed. Had
he got as far as the woods he surely
would have dashed my brains out
against a tree: but, fortunately, at the
edge of the field the left wheel of the
buggy struck thorn stump, and every
thing went to pieces. The buggy,
suppose. has been broken into thou
sand fragments. ] was thrown violent.
ly to the ground, the reins left my
grasp, and the horse has gone dashing
through the hills like some mad crea-
ture. So here am, all that Is left of
the cortege that started out so bravely
from Marksville. and may thank my
stars that there is this much left sound
and unbroken."
1.-THE kind God be thanked, it is the
best part which has been saved" said
the priest fervently.
Eyes, yes" Valsin added, 1--WE could
not afford to lose such a one as Mr.
Horace, and we must take the best Of
care of what God has been good enough
to preserve to u.s."
He hurried Oakfell into another room,
calling to his aid the old negro Alonzo,
and the two, after delving into various
cypress chests and armoirs and bus
Ting about like busy housewives, short
ly returned him to the f1reside dry and
comfortably clad in a suit of Valsin's
homemade and clean Attakapas cotton
ade, his feet incased in pair of soft
moccasins of deerskin. The garments
were indeed a scanty fit, but they be-
slowed the desired comfort, and, no
women being present, slight impor.
lduCC was dltdCuGO W hSIG appear
ance
Valsin urged his guests to the meal
that was awaiting them, and after
grace by the priest the three played at
knife and fork in the manner of men
blessed with good health and quiet con-
sciences.
"Who else of Avoyelles came on the
boat, Mr.. HoraceY inquired Valsin.
"Dr. De Roux, Constant Quillebert
and Leonidas Latiolais."
Constant ! hear, has carried to the
supreme court that unhappy lawsuit
between himself and Latlolais," said
Father Grhe. 1T is great pity that
such disputes should arise between
neighbors and greater pity that they
should be prolonged"
st is deplorable," said Oakfell, chat
In a Christian country the very posi-
bility of such a dispute as that should
exist, but there is no longer any law
suit between those two neighbors. 1t
was settled last night in manner both
unique and impressive" He described
how the price of a human life had been
liquidated by the hazard of cards I'M
der the inspiration of whisky.
ffNIOcf Io bl,t nm Cbricfion enid