Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-09-15

your appetite. Eth, my SOM"
Rene turned short about wagging
his head and laughing, and so with his
| back to the priest he strobe away along
the wet path leading to the R0ussillOn
| place.
Father Beret gazed after him, his
face relaxing TO serious expression
in which trace of sadness and gloom
spread like an elusive twilight. He
took out his letter, but did not glance
at 1t, simply holding it tightly gripped
in his sinewy right hand. Then his
old eyes stared vacantly, as eyes do
when their sight is cast back many,
many years into the past. The mis-
sive was from beyond the sea-he
knew the handwriting-a watt Of the
flowers Of Avignon seemed to rise out
of it, as If by the pressure Of his
grasp.
A stoop shouldered, burly man went
by, leading pair Of goats, kid fol-
lowing. He was making haste excited
~, keeping the goats at lively trot.
.'Bon jour, Pere Beret," he flung
out breezily, and walked rapidly on.
"Ah, ali; his mind is busy with the.
newly arrived cargo" thought the old
priest, returning the salutation. His
throat aches for liquor the poor man."
| Then he read again the letters super
scription and made faltarfng move as
AZ to break the seal. His hands trem-l
bled violently, his face looked gray
and drawn.
"Come on, you brutes," cried the re-
ceding man, jerking the thongs OF skin
by which he led the goats.
/ Father Beret rose and turned into
his damp little hut, where the light
was dim on the crucifix hanging OPP
posite the door against the clay
daubed wall. It was bare, unaightly.
| ciammy room. A rude bed on one side,
q shelf for table and two or three
wooden stools constituting the furntr
/ tlre, while the uneven puncheons OF
the floor wabbled and clattered under
| the priests feet.
It had been many years since letter
from home had come to Father Beret
The last before the one now In hand
had made him Ill Of nostalgia, fairly
| shaking his iron determination never
| to quit for moment his life work az
missionary. Ever since that day he
had found it harder to meet the many
and stern demands of most 0Mcult
and exacting duty. Now the mere
touch OF the paper in his hand gave
him sense Of returning weakness.
dissatisfaction and longing. The home
OF his boyhood, the rushing Of the
Rhone, seat in a shady nook Of the
garden. Madeline, his sister, prattling
beside him and his mother singing
somewhere about the house-it all
came back and went over him and
through him, making his heart sink
strange. while another voice, the
sweetest ever heardEbut she was In
effable and her memory Q forbidden
fragrance.
Father Beret tottered across the for
lorn little room and knelt before the
crucifix. holding his clasped hands
high. the letter pressed between them
His lips moved In prayer. but MADE
no sound; his whole frame shook vie
lently.
/ 1t would be objectionable desecra-
tion to enter the chamber OF Father
Beret's soul and look upon his sacred
and secret trouble, nor must We even
speculate as to its particulars. the
good old man writhed and wrestled
before the cross for long time, until
at last he seemed to receive the calm
ness and strength he prayed Tor -
fervently. Then he rose, tore the let
ter into pieces 80 small that not 4
word remained whole and sQueessd
them 90 firmly together that they wsre
compressed into q tiny, solid ball
which he let fall through q crack be-
tween the door puncheons. After wait
ing twenty years for that letter, nun
CRY as his heart was. be did not even
open 1t when at last 4 arrived Hs
would never know what message Il
bore. The link between him and the
old sweet days was broken forever.
Now. with Gods help, he could Do hia
work to the end.
He went and stood in the doorway
leaning against the side. He looked
toward the river house." - tho -.
.habitants had named . large shanU
which stood on the blur Of the Wabash
not far from where the road bridge
4 at present crosses, and saw men 18th
ering there.
Meantime Rene De Ronsillo had de-
Hvered Nine Roussi1lon's lDetee with
due promptness. OF course such &
. service demanded pie and elaret. WHAT
still better pleased him, Allce chose =
be more amiable than was usually her
custom when he called. They ri ~
cether in the main room q the hnsAs
where M. Roussfllon kept his book ne
curiosities Of Indian manufactur5 Col.
lected here and there, and his NJ plus
firearms, swords, pistols ard k.svsSs
1 ranged not unpleasinsly around TIE
walls.
OF course, along with the letter. Res
bore the news, 70 interesting to hi.
self, Of the boats tempting cargo j.
discharged at the river house A. ~
understood her friends danger 6six
In the intense enthusiasm Of his vtass
and manner. She had once seen =
men carousing on similar ofc4 -
when she was but q child, and The y
preston then made still rema4ae J.
her memory Insttnctively she rtsfsivs
to hold Rene by one means or Anleules
s-o- %,>.v, tIrn p;va. hnannr ~ rA0ns4kU19