New-York tribune., 1903-04-12


aqueducts.''
Frankly" continued de Broussard, is there
not in your America a better place for you
than here; a better vocation than that of model
ling miSshapen rustics out of clay: higher
duty that you violating every day you re
main in France? Oh! Miss Van Zant go back
to your parents whose only child you are; go
back 10 your own country that never needed
more than now its best and nobleSt citizens
keep your little AIT for distraction. but do not
let it blind you to things more important and
more peremptOry
Leslie began to drape the figures again with
the sheets.
Don't say another word she said "or
Monsieur de Broussard. l shall hate you
After this, in their morning walks together,
the subject of art was tacity dropped Leslie
gave good deal of thought however, TO what
the engineer had said; and though rejecting the
personal application, she could not fail to see
it's justice in respect to many of her comrades
1t did seem better to return at night with a
colossal undertaking carried one step further
toward completion than to bear, under ones
arm, a sticky sketch of undeniab.e demerit
Without being aware of it herself. she began TO
undergo a curious revulson of mind. At night
as they all sat about the table d'hote She would
find herself contrasting de BrouSSard S face
the face of man accustomed to power, to de-
csiop. to enno5ng responsibility-With the
mild more or less weak altogether unauthor
itative countenances of her fellow artists. The
man of action appealed to the American in her;
she felt irresistible affinity with the doer, ana
with ii u growing contempt for the mere dream
er; and the engineer, in spite of his middle
age, his graying temples, his big nose, became
for her by degrees the most striking fSure III
the room. GriSw0ld, with his almost Greek
features: Stanton. with his fine eyes and curly
hair; Shayne. the athlete-they all seemed to
pale in the half unconscious comparison she was
constantly making-
One Sunday rcorning. as Leslie and de I3rous-
sard happened to be drinking Their coffee to-
gether in the arbor. he asked her II she would
care to go to church with him.
'Churchr' she exclaimed.
It's nothing very much he said. No in
cense, no stained glass windows, no music.
Nothing Maden.oiselle, but rows OF white cots
with little helpless children lying in them
A Eospitalr' she cried.
The engineer nodded
THAT is my church., he said.
Il don't know that one could find better"
said the girl looking at him with curious in
tensity
Tenderness and compassion" said de Brous-
sard: those are the two great lessons.
Il should be glad to GO she said.
She fully expected the engineer would engage
an open carriage for their little adventure, and
was surprised she ran downstairs after max
ing some trifling alteration in her toilette, TO
find him holding open the door of the numbering
omnibus that made daily trips between MOrny
and Fontainebleau. She concealed her disap-
pointment however, and squeezed in with him
amid the peasant women and farmers that
crowded the vehicle. 1t was a beautiful morn
ing and the road, after they reached the forest,
afforded them on each side wonderful gllInpSes
Of woodland and rock which atoned In some
measure for the discomfort of the OMNIBUS
De Broussard, usually so reserved and silent,
seemed quite different man in that Jovlal com
pany of peasants. He Joked; he PAID compn-
mentS: he had a mock alteration with the
driver that convulsed every one. 1t became in
creasingly plain to Leslie that the engineer,
however unimpOrtant at the painters table, was
a very great parsonage indeed in the countryside
itself: and it caused her a little pang to hnd
She must needs divide her admiration Tor MIN
with so many. He had never seemed SO charIn-
ing to her. never so gay, so engaging, SO dls-
tine1Iished even. as in that crawling omnibus
with al its homespun occupants hanging on ms
words He held them up shamelessly for his
sick C,,lldren; he took eggs, butter, piuInS ana
PENNIES indiScriminately from them all; ne eX-
celled in those little audacitieS that go to win
the hearts of rude or common people, once even
stopping the vehicle and calmly keeping every
one waiting While he Satnered dh diAioi VI
ferns , :.
When at last Leslie and he were dropped in
the main street of Fontainebleau, there was an
affecting farewell all round. The lady with the
eggs went six better than she had proihlseu'
the driver brought up four sous from the re
luctant depths of his trousers; the snuffy OLD
gentleman in the stock and chocolate colored
coat who had obdurately held out to the very
end produced amid acciamation, dead RABBIT
from bag A.
sn1Iffv old gentleman, but for yourself, Mister
+ba Engineer to give according to the dictates
of YOUR noble and well doing heart
Laden down with ferns. bracken ana conIrl-
buttons de Broussard smlingy led Leshe INTO a
I,atisserie where he laid out ten francs of his
ou-n in cakes and candies. Then. calling
facre they drove off together to the Hospital OF
the Franciscan Sisters.
I eslie had never been in hosptaF before.
c.bn exnected to see unpleasant sights; TO be
ra,taiIad and shocked at every turn; to have
her nerves tangled and her heart tortured by
scenes of suffering and pain Instead, on the
contrary as she passed with de Broussard from
he'd TO he'd down the Ions, white walled, brill
most Of the children happy and not particularly
--1Ijl,a +ba other little ones outside. There were