The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1903-03-26

lain dDOuI d uuc COunlINs Sir
there is none more beautiful than
that. When we arrived it was toward
| evening. Everything looked like gold
the ground, the sky, and even the
trees. When we reached the forest
it was different. The palms formed
perfect green roof the color of
parrots tail, and the sun appeared
red, like the nose of our chief cook,
who, saving your respect, was drunk
every night"
''Was it there where you suffered
shipwreck for the first time?'
Eyes, sir; and it was quite a ia
nous one for a beginning. We had
| just hauled up the anchor, ready to
continue our cruise, and in less time
than it takes to take a chew we were
driven by the storm upon a sand
bank. The next thing was a plunge
into the sea and swim for the shore.
The sea was perfectly crazy that day;
yes, sir, perfectly crazy, though it
usually knows quite well what it is
doing'
For a long time he continued to
chat in that strain, and it was long
after noon when he finally emptied
the ashes from his pipe by striking
the latter against the heel of his boot
and arose.
Are you going to leave me al
ready, Perou?"
81 must. They expect me in town"
"When shall you come back here
again?"
Not before a week from to-day
Do you wish, NJ. Montreuil, that 1
push you part of the way?"
"No, thank you. 1 shall stay here
until dinner time"
"Good-by, sir. Watch out for the
swamp on your way home"
After Perou was gone NJ. Mon
treuil, aimlessly CHANGING at the dis
tant plain, sank into meditation. He
thought that it was terrible to die
in some corner of this earth without
knowing anything of the marvellous
GASES which dot the desert, of the
ocean in its various moods, now rag
ing with fury and laundering against
the rocks, now signing and softly
singing, like the swan before it dies.
He longed for the sadness of bid
ding good-by, for the oppression
caused by the eternal sameness of
ocean scenery, and for the delirious
Joy of sighting land. He lived as if
he had known how that life of a sail
or in his thoughts-he, who could
not have lived it, owing to his in
trinity; he, who lived in this corner,
always had lived here, and would die
| here.
Toward evening clouds appeared in
the sky. NJ. Montreuil made himself
ready to return. 1t was to him
like getting under sail. Slowly he
wrapped his covers around his legs
with an expression as if he were
handling a sail. Then he settled down
in his chair, and, with his hand upon
the long guiding rod attached to the
front Wheel he inspected the pass
age" with critical eye.
Owing to the condition of the wa
ter-soaked ground he examined the
road before him more attentively
than usual. Once more he listened
to the ripping and murmuring sound
of the little cascade, then he grasped
the lever which controlled the hind
wheels and set it in motion.
All of a sudden the rolling chair
came to a stop with start.
"Confound it," murmured the in
valid, 81 did not see that rut!"
He tried to push the lever harder,
but the resistance was so great that
ism of his chair. Then he tried to
reverse the movement, but he found
| it equally impossible. To see what
| had happened he leaned over the side
as much as his paralyzed legs would
permit. The wheels must have sunk
in deeply, for he found himself close
to the ground.
He smiled over that incident. His
| ship was becalmed. 1t was only a
small and insignificant adventure, it
is true, but at his age had he a right
to expect a greater one?
| III OCCuITeu W Hill IlldI uODOuy
| would miss him, as he had unfor-
| tunately announced that he would
visit his niece. To find some ex-
pedient out of this difficulty he began
to rake his memory, but none of his
books had spoken of adventures that
had occurred to invalids.
With sigh he looked around in all
directions; nobody in sight.
The sun was approaching the hori-
zon and NJ. Montreuil decided to call
for help from time to time. He was
afraid, however, that his voice would
have but little effect, drowned as it
was by the noise of the falling water
in the rill.
Help! Help!"
No answer. Then he bravely re-
signed himself to waiting. Without
doubt some straggler or belated peas
ant would come and help him out of
this hole.
The night came. He rolled himself
in his covers and put his hands under
the wooden blanket. This was his
first night as castaway.
One by one the stars appeared to
hide occasionally behind some cloud.
Down in the plain light twinlled in
| the window of some house whose out
l