Waterbury evening Democrat., 1904-11-03

4 pa yesterday. He teel me he goin tur- pentlne his land. Yas?"
 <sYas, das what he say.''
 stWe1l, I don know bout das, me- They talked turpentine, pro and con. Madam hustled to the kitchen and re- turned presently with the coffee-pot, followed by petit soeur with cups and sugar. Each and all drank coffee Madam arose, she looked hard at mon- sieur. But monsieur talked on-a neigh bor's disaster being too tempting to fore go: "An, hear me, he's goin' burn coal now das storm blow down mos his trees.'
 'sYas. meet a lot of young fellow go- in to his chopping little while ago.
 .tWhy didn' you go?" Murmured Vic torine, asserting her rights. Michell turned T was coming here.'' he said, simply And at last monsieur saw madams signal.
 Excuse moi,' he said, hastily, T go feed my horse" It was indeed high feed- ing time for the dusk was deepening. Michell looked after him gratefully. "votre pere looks we'll, heem," he said to Victorine.
 "Yas"
 ''You glad to get home?"
 "Yas, I'm right glad, me-"
 With rush of glad courage he slipped from his chair to the one left vacant by little sister. 'I'm glad me- Sim like you been gone long time, long time, vas. Sim more like six years den six mont z
 'Torine laughed gaily. Was M. Mich A. xryoS four mont she had been gone. But Michell's unsteady fingers were laying parcal in her lap, his unsteady voice was beseeching lou tink mebbe you wear dis sometime?"
 'Toriae undid the wrappings deftly- oh, there was plenty of light to see how red it was and that it was cotton satin. She paused. MicheH expecting little cry of delight did not understand. How was he to know that within four short months culture had set it's claw in the girls heart, harpy like, deffling for her all the bright, cheap pleasures of life!
 .sYou don like heem?" he faltered. "You won't wear heem?"
 .T can wear red, me-
 Den geeve him here. I go burn heem op"
 NO, no; you shan Das mine, you geeve heem me 7 And she thrust the unlucky ruban rouge deep into her skirt pocket Michell was notified. II bring you some blue next time"
 Consternation seized victorine Only too clearly she foresaw what he would bring Three inches wide and half cot ton.
 Mon ami she said, softly, T tell you what piece of blue ribbon want you to get for me-
 "An' das?" he asked, eagerly.
 You know Ia maitresse de'ecole go- ing give piece of blue ribbon to who- ever stand up last next Friday
 "IIl get heem for you," Michell prom ised rashly, eagerly. It was contest in arithmetic-whoeve stood up through the first 12 tables in multiplic Michell had intended to absent himself, being bit shaky on the nine table; but now he promised himself to study that table every night That 'Torine was only geizing upon a chance to substitute the teachers taste for his, did not occur to him. He thought that she wanted him to win an honor for her and the thought fired his blood-and his energy for study.
 Friday evening, and little log school house packed to bursting. Two boys and girl facing each other in the midst of the crowd. All that the eight table had left standing.
 Mine times one?'' began the teacher, hoarse but patient. Michell sang out the answer "If get through this table, me. I'm all right He reflected and seemed to see the blue ribbon fluttering at 'Torine's throat. Mine times severn" The girl on his side sank her head, turned and sat down. Sixty three, said Michell, but his voice trembled, his hands grew suddenly cold, his head hot. Stage fright seized him. Asked just then be could not have told his name and in the midst of his terror came the teach CTS voice. Nine times nine?" His mind blank he yet heard the whisper behind him .'Eighty-one.' The teacher eoughed to give him time, the whisper came again insistently. The sweat sprang out on his forehead and wrists In it's agony the temptation lasted Mfs- time. Then he clenehed his hands, shock his head and blundered out of ranks. Blind with modification he sank upon the bench reserved for defeated candi- dates He had but one thing left to pray for and he prayed. for that as he had never prayed befoNe That the other boy would miss. He prayed in vain. The other boy stood up to the end-and the ribbon, a long, narrow streamer of delicate blue. Michell started up and forced a way through the crowd. He would not sit there and see the grinning fool go give it to 'Torine. If he had won, 'Torine was to have ridden home with him in his new sulky. but now
 We goin' now?" querried low. sweet voice He stopped and started stupidly. Crossing her breast like baldric, en- circling her waist and streaming at her side in flowing end, she had it on, the whole three yards of it.
 s"Torine,'' he stammered.
 Mitchell" she mimicked, deliciousIy.