St. Tammany farmer., 1904-03-05

1t was the coal-burner that told him
how they said that Cherie had q fresh
dress every Sunday, how madam had
bought up all the cabbages and
wouldn't sell any more for 30 cents,
was asking 40, and getting it, and
| then, with cruel look on his smutty
race, how there was handsome young
boss down at the ue-camp who talked
| to Cherie while madame sold cabbages.
Then he had chuckled and cracked
his whip, and said "allons. allons" to
his team. and ''Tout-de-Suite" was on
his horse-tired, hungry, dirty, mad
| urging the fleet little beast until the
| wind hummed in his ears. but could
not soothe his burning impetuosity.
And as he rode he arraigned Cherie
bitterly. While he had been work
like one dog, she had been talk to das
railroad fellow, and-and- But
show her, me. Das what"
The meeting was what might have
been expected-a result to bring joy to
any gossip's heart. 'Tout-de- Suite
stormed. Cherie was disdainfully
smiled pityingly at his upbraidings.
| He demanded a promise that she
would never talk wit das fellow
again" She replied coldly that she
| would talk when she chose, where
she chose, and with whom she
| chose. She was neatly dressed, and
had on new shoes. He was all dirty,
| and his shoes were broken. And
| Cherie made him understand these
things. Raging, he bade her an angry
farewell, and flung himself on his
horse; smiling. she watched his angry
rush down the road. He had said
that he would nail up the house, and
turn the cows in on the corn, and go
| away. Well, let him. There we're
+, plenty more - cabbages In mamma's
garden.
Eth bien. mon ami. The jingling OF
the guinea does not help all the hurts.
True. all the girls envied her the
eclat with which she closed the Incl
dent, but though Cherie held her head
high, she was not happy. Easy enough
for outsiders to say that she was OF
with the poor lover and would soon
be on with the rich one. ITEMS! she
had loved "Tout-de-Suite" for half q
score of years. Hold her head ever
SO high, she could not keep her heart
from waking in the night to sob for
him, nor her eyes from straining up
the road he used to cover at swing
ing lope. The days, in spite of increas-
ing riches, went very slowly, and the
Sunday evenings were-cruel, das
what. Even going to camp and CO.
quetting with the young boss ceased
to satisfy, and all the time desire
kept growing in her heart, a hungry
yearning to see the house he had
built for her. He had told her so
often how it looked straight into the
sunset, and how they would sit on
their gallery after supper and watch
the evening star go down behind the
pines. How long it seemed since
they had talked about that. In an
other week the desire had become
desperate need. She must see that
house-her house-before he brought
another woman to live in it. It was five
miles by the road, but only three miles
through the woods.
When madam next started to camp
Cherie expressed desire to remain
at home. A year ago this would have
provoked a voluble protest, but now
the little madame was too fully occu-
pied with her corner on cabbages to
give more than an absent rejoinder:
"Si bon tn semble." she said, and
climbed into the cart.
Cherie approached her home that
was not to be with shy eagerness.
Yes; there it all was, just as he had
said. Already the sun STOPPING to
the west threw long pine shadows to
the doorstep. There was the little
yard he had fixed for her flowers, and
there was the garden and the corn
field-no; he had not turned the cows
in on the corn. It was growing Justify
in the new ground. And there was the
bench by. the well, where she had
planned to wash She could almost
see him lighting cigarettes and laugh
ing shyly-his strong, white teeth gleam-
ing in the flare of the match
while he told her how happy he
was going to be when he had
wife. And now he would have
wife, yes; but" Cherries arms were
folded on top of the little gate, her
head bent. 1t was all like looking on
the dead, she thought Presently the
+oore oomo All IT fo1f SO good tn
cry at last. She would stand there
and sob and sob forever and ever.
"Cherie!"
!. Her head was up instantly. the
tears dashed away: II got los ne,"
she said. valiantly.
But "Tout-de-Suite" was not listen
ing. He had cleared the gate and
swung her up to his breast. "Cherie,
ma petit, ma petit" he kissed the
tears from her cheeks and lashes, he
kissed the quiver from her lips, and
over and over he called her his little
one and his own.
II come back yesterday, me-" he
said, and even his impulsiveness did
not see the need Of telling her that he
had come with the intention of NOV
ing his live stock and selling his
farm. Possibly in his great joy he
had forgotten the bitter resolve, poor
hot-headed, true-hearted "Toute-de
Suite
"Cherie," he whispered. lifting his
cheek from hers, Il want to show you
conof'inp 7 going IN make Won sur