Condon globe. (Condon, Gilliam Co., Or.) 189?-1919, 1902-01-02

were travelling alone" he continued, smll.
lngl French dcmolsollos never travel
alone. Yon are mademoiselle, no doubtT'
mo, monsieur" said frankly, Il am
married
Where. then, Is your husband r be To-.
auirad.
"He IL In London" I answered. Mon.
sIsur. II IL dlficult for me TO explain II:
| cannot speak your language wei
enough. ! think 10 English, and can
not fad the right French words. am
very unhappy. but am not wicked"
Good he said. smiling again. very
good. my child; believe you. You will
learn my language quieklyi then you shall
tell me all. IL you remain with rs. But
you said the mlgnonne il not your Sis
ter"
mo. she Ia not my relative at ALL" !
replied; 1--WE were both In school al
Noreau. the school OF Monsieur Emile
PerrIer. Perhaps you know IL. mon.
ulenrT
Certainly. madame" he said.
"He has failed. aud run away" con.
tinued; "all the pupils are dispersed.
Mlnima and | were returning through
Granville"
II understand, madame" he respond.
ed, ''hut Il Is yillainOns, this affair!
Listen. my child have much TO say TO
you, DO | speak gently and slowly
enough for yeuf'
Yes" answered. II understand you
perfectly"
I'VE have had the fever In Ville-en.
bois for some weeks" he went on; ''it Is
now bad. very bad. Yesterday | went 10
Nolrean to seek doctor. but could only
hear OF one. who Is In Paris at present,
aud cannot come Immediately. At pres.
cnt we have made my house into a hos.
pltsl for the sick. Ny people bring their
sick TO me. and we do our best, and put
our trust in God But this little house
has been kept free from all infection.
and you would be safe here for one night.
20 | hoped The mignonne must have
caught the fever some days ago. Now
must carry her into my little hospital.
But you. madame. what am | 10 do with
your Do you wish to so on to Gran
vile. and leave the mlgnonne with me!
We will take care OF her rs little angel
OF God. What shall do with you, my
chiidT'
'donsIeur." exclaimed, eagerly, take
mo into your hospital. too, Let me take
care OF Minlma and your other sick peo-
pie. | am very strong, and Ia good
health; | am never ill--Rever, never.
will do all you say to me. Let me stay,
dear monsieur"
"But your husband. your friends"
he said.
~ have no friends" interrupted. "and
my husband does not love me- II have
the fever and dle-good! very good! am
not wicked am Christian, hope
Only let me stay with Minima, and do all
can In the hospital"
"Be content, my chld." he said "you
shall stay with u.s."
felt a sudden sense OF contentment
for here was work for me TO do, as well
as q refuge. Neither should | be com.
PEELED to leave Minima. wrapped her
up warmly in the blankets, and Monsieur
Laurentle lifted her carefully and ten
derly from the low bed. He told me TO
accompany him, and we crossed the court
and entered the house by the door had
seen the night before. A staircase led
up to long, low room, which had been
turned into hastily fitted-up fever ward
for women and children, There were
already nine beds In 1t, OF different sizes,
brought with the patients who now occu-
pied them. But one OF these was empty.
In this home-like ward took up my
work as nurse.
Madame" said Monsieur Laurentie,
one morning, the eighth that had been
in the fcyer-smitten village, you did
not take promenade yesterday"
Not yesterday, monsieur"
"Nor the day before yesterday" he
continued.
mo, monsieur" answered; 81 dare
not leave Minima. fear she is going
to die"
Monsieur Laurentie raised me gently
from my low chair, and seated himself
upon it, with a smile as he looked up ut
me.
Madame" he said, II promise not to
quit the chamber till you return. My sis
ter has little commission for you to do.
Confde the mignonne to me, and make
your promenade In peace, 1t is neces-
sary, madame; you must obey me-"
The commission for mademoiselle was
to carry some food and medicine to
cottage lower down the valley; and
Jeans eldest son, Pierre, was appointed
to be my guide. Both the cure and his
sister gave me strict charge as to what
we were to do; neither of us was upon
any account to so near or enter the
dwelling; but after the basket was depos-
tied upon fiat stone, which Pierre was
to point out to me, he was to ring
small hand-bell which he carried with
him for that purpose. Then we were to
turn our backs and begin our retreat.
before any person came out of the in
fected house.
: set out with Pierre, a solemn looking
boy Of about twelve years OF age. We
passed down the village street, with its
closely packed houses forming a very
nest for fever, until we reached the road
by which had first entered Ville-en-bois.
Above the tops Of the trees appeared
tall chimney, and sudden turn in the
by-road we had taken brought us full in
sight of small cotton mill, built on the
banks of the noisy stream. A more
mournfully dilapidated place had never
seen.
In the yard adjoining this deserted fac.
tory stood a miserable cottage with
mildewed thatched roof. The place bore
the aspect of pest house, Pierre led
me to a large fat stone, and laid down
my basket upon it. Then he rang his
hand-bell noisily, and the next instant
was scampering back along the road.
But | could not run away. The DESC
late plague-stricken place had dismal
fascination for me, l wondered what
manner Of persons could dwell in It; and