Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1904-12-27
D'ri and 1
BY IRVING BACHELLER
Author Of Eben Holden" Blessed Etc.
Copyright. 1901. By LssArsp Publishing Company,
BY IRVING BAcHELLER
Darrell Of tho Blessed Isles" Etc.

ancestral taSt0 ana friendship. There
was one her grandfather had got from
the land Of Louis KYLE Grand Mon
argue, of whom my mother had begun
to tell me as soon as could hear with
understanding. Another came from the
bedchamber of Philip II. of Spain-a
grand high clock that tolled the hours
in that great hall beyond my door.
A little thing. In a case of carved
ivory, that licked on table near my
bed, Molierc had given to one Of her
ancestors, and there were many others
of equal interest
Her walls were adorned with art
treasures Of the value of which I had
little appreciation those days. But |
remember there were canvasses OF
Correggio and Rembrandt and SiI
Joshua Reynolds. She was, indeed, a
woman Of fine taste, who had brought
her best to America; for no one had a
doubt, in the time Of which am writ
Ing. that the settlement of the Com
pagnie de New York would grow into
great colony, with towns and cities
and fine roadways, and the full COM
plement Of high living. She had built
the Hermitage-that was the name of
the mansion-f1ne and splendid as it
was. for mere temporary shelter
pending the arrival of those better
days.
She had curious fad, this hermit
hAroneec NJ tho h;o uoods Sho loved
nature and was a naturalist OF no
poor attachments. Wasps and hornets
were the special study of this remark
able woman. There were at least q
score OF their nests on her front por-
tico-big and little and some Of them
oddly shaped. She hunted them in
wood and field. When she found q
nest she had it moved carefully after
nightfall, under bit of netting, and
fastened somewhere about the gables.
Around the Hermitage were many
withered boughs and briers holding
cones Of wrought fiber, each a citadel
Of these uniformed soldiers of the air
and the poisoned arrow. They were
assembled in colonies of yellow, white,
blue, and black wasps. and white
faced hornets. She had no fear of
them, and, indeed. no one Of the house.
hold was ever stung to my knowledge.
have seen her stand in front of her
door and feed them out of saucer.
There were special favorites that
would light upon her palm, overrun-
ming its pink hollow and gorging at
the honey-drop.
"They will never sting" she would
say, "if one does not declare war. To
strike, to make any quick motion, it
gives them anger. Then, mon cher
ami! 1t is terrible. They cause you
to burn, to ache. to make great noise,
and even to lie down upon the ground.
If people come to see me, if l get a
new servant, say: Make to them nc
attention, and they will not harm
you"
In the house have seen her catch
one by the wings on window and
holding it carefully ask me to watch
her captive sometimes a great dare
devil hornet, lion-maned-as he lay
stabbing with his poison-dagger.
Now" said she. "he is angry; he
will remember. II release him he
will sting me when I come near him
again. So do not permit him to
live-1 kill him."
Then she would impale him and in.
vite me to look at him with the mi
croscope.
One day the baroness went away to
town with the young ladies. I was
quite alone with the servants. Father
Joulin Of the chateau came over and sat
awhile with me, and told me how he
had escaped the Partisan mob, might
in the Reign Of Terror. Late in the
afternoon walked awhile in the grove
with him. When he left went slow.
ly down the trail over which I had
ridden. My strength was coming fast
felt like an idle man, Sinking the
saddle. when should be serving my
country. must to my horse and make
an end to dallying. With thoughts
like these for company, went farther
than intended. Returning over tn.
bushy trail I suddenly came upon
Louison! She was neatly gowned II
pink and white.
"Le diable!" said she. "You sur
prise me. I thought you went anothe,
way"
''Or you would have not have takel
this one" said.
"Of course not" said she. zone doe
not wish to find men IL she Is huntin!
for-for-" she hesitated a momen,
tlushing-"mon Dieu! for BEARS" sh
added
thought then, as her beautiful eye
looked up at me smiling, that she wa
Incompatible, that loved her abov
all others-I felt sure of 1t.
''And why do you hunt bears?" in
quired.
~ do not know. think 1t Is be
cause they are $3.50 beautiful, s
| amiable!" she answered.
And such good companions"
yes; they never embarrass you,
| she went on. "You never feel at los
| for word"
II fear you do not know BEARS"
"Dieu! better than men. VOLTA!
she exclaimed, touching me with tn
end OF her parasol. "You are not s
terrible. I do not think you woul
bite"
mo: I have never bitten anythin
but-but bread and doughnuts, c
something Of that Sort"
Come, desire to intimidate 20,
| Won't you please be afraid Of me? II
deed. can be very terrible. See!
have sharp teeth"
She turned with playful grow
and parting her crimson lips, shove