Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1902-01-14

! and the suItry, breathless mig. could
! only come back again.
1 felt as if 1 had passed through an
| Unreasonable spell, both of memory and
anguish, before Monsieur Laurentie
| came, though he had responded to my
summons Immediately. 1 then told him
in hurried, broken sentences, what Pierre
| had confessed to me. His face grew
overcast and troubled, and he at once
started for the factory. He returned af-
ter long, long suspense.
MY child" he said, monsieur is ill!
attacked, 1 am afraid, by the fever. /
shall remain with him all this day. You
must bring us what we have need of, and
leave it on the stone there, as it used to
be-"
But cannot he be removed at once?'
I asked.
my dear" he answered, "what can l
do? The village is free from sickness
now; how can 1 run the risk of carrying
the fever there again? 1t is too far to
send monsieur to Noireau. Obey me, my
child, and leave him to me and to God.
Cannot you confide in me yet?"
Yes" l said, weeping, Il trust you
with all nv heart"
$50, then, and do what 1 bid you," he
replied. Tell my sister and Jean, tell
all my people, that no one must intrude
upon me, no one must come nearer this
house than the appointed place. You
must think of me as one absent, yet close
at hand; that is the difference. l am
here, in the path of my duty. Go, and
fulfill yours"
For three days, morning after morning,
whilst the dew lay still upon the grass,
l went down, with a heavy and forebod-
ing heart, to the place where l could
watch the cottage, through the long sui
try hours of the summer day.
Here in the open sunshine, with the
hot walls of the mill casting it's rays
back again, the heat was intense; though
the white cap / wore protected my head
from it, my eyes were dazzled, and l felt
ready to faint. No wonder if Monsieur
Laurentie should have sunk under it, and
the long strain upon his energies, which
would have overtaXed a younger and
stronger man. l had passed the invisi-
BILE line which his will had drawn about
the place, and had half crossed the court,
when l heard footsteps close behind me,
and a large, brown, rough hand suddenly
caught mine.
"Iam'zellev cried voice knew, sis
this <ou?'
"Oh, TardifI Tardifv' l exclaimed. L
rested my beating head against him, af,d
sobbed violently, whilst he surrounded
me with his strong arm, and laid his
hand upon my head, as if to assure me Of
his help and protection.
''Hush, hush! nam 'zelle,' he said. lit
is Tardif, your friend, my little mann
zelle; your servant, you know. am
here. What shall do for you? Is there
any person in yonder house who fright
ems you, my poor little mam'zelle? Tell
me what to do
He had drawn ME back into the green
shade of the trees, and placed me upon
the felled tree where l had been sitting
before. 1 told him all quickly, briefly
all that had happened since 1 had written
to him. l saw the tears start to his
eyes.
THANK God 1 am here" he said. 81
reached me. | will save Monsieur lie
Cure; 1 will save them both, if L can.
He is a good man, this cure, and we
must not let him perish. He has no au-
thority over me, and l will go this mo-
ment and force my way in, if the door
is fastened. Adieu, my dear little man.
zelle."
He was gone before l could speak a
word, striding with quick, energetic tread
across the court. The closed door under
the caves opened readily. In an instant
the white head of Monsieur Laurente
passed the easement, and l could hear
the hum of an earnest alteration, al
though l could not catch syllable of it.
But presently Tardif appeared again in
the doorway, waving his cap in token of
having gained his point.
1t seemed to me almost as if time had
been standing still since that first morn
ing when Monsieur Laurentie had left
my side, and passed out of my sight to
seek for my husband in the fever-smitten
dwelling. Yet it was the tenth day af-
ter that when, as l took up my weary
watch soon after day break, l saw him
crossing the court again and coming to-
wards me.
What had he to say? What could i'm
pei him to break through the strict rule
which had interdicted all dangerous con-
tact with himself? His face was pale,
and his eyes We're heavy as if with want
of rest, but they looked into mine as if
they could read my inmost soul.
(To be continued.l
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