Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1904-04-14

L had bscE ..!a:iy = @t--cs = .e!ls.
trcnl ho2ic ha,. cone l. I.':.ler EJgtt
'4-Lc last before the one nay in haA1
lad I:.ade him i'll of nostalgia, fairly
sinking his iron determination never
TO quit for moment his life work as
missionary. Ever since that day he
had faund Ii harder to meet the many
and stern demands of 4 most difficult
and exacting duty. New the mere
Iouch of the paper in his hand gave
him a 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
strangely, while another voice, the
sweetest ever heard-but she was In
effable and her memory forbidden
fragrance.
Father Beret tottered across the for
lorn little room and kneit before the
crucifx. holding his clasped hands
liAEHf tA4t ltAttA pACSST'A oNNhNN hiANAAA-
His lips moved in prayer, but made
no sound; his whole frame shook vio-
| lently.
1t would be objectionable desecra-
ton 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 a long time. until
Mt last he seemed to receive the calm
ness and strength he prayed for so
fervently. Then he rose, tore the let
ter into pieces SO small that not
word remained whole and squeezed
them so firmly together that they were
compressed into a tiny, solid ball
which he let fall through a crack be-
tween the floor puncheons. After wait
ing twenty years for that letter. hun
cry as his heart was, he did not even
open 1t when at last 1t arrived He
would never know what message 1t
bore The link between him and the
old sweet days was broken forever.
Now, with Gods help. he could do bis
work TO the end.
He went and stood In the doorway,
leaning against the side. He looked
toward the "river house." as the in
habitants had named n large shanty
which stood on the bluff Of the Wabash
not far from where the road bridge
at present crosses. and saw men gath
ering there.
! Meantime Rene de Rcnville lad de-
/ livered Nine. RoussIlon's letter with
due promptness. or course such
service demanded pie and claret. What
still better pleased him, Alice chose TO
be more apiiable than was usually her
custom VIXEN he called. They sat to-
gether In the main room OF the house,
where NJ. Roussillon kept his books. his
curiositie3 of Indian manufacture col
lected here and there, and his surplus
firearms, swords, pistols and knives.
ranged not unpleasingly around the
walls.
OF course, along with the letter. Rene
bore the news. SO interesting to him
self, OF the boats tempting cargo Just
| discharged at the river house. Alice
understood her friends danger-felt Ii
| In the intense enthusiasm OF his voice
| and manner. She had once seen the
men carousing on similar occasion
when she was but child, and the inn
preston then made still remained In
her memory. Instinctively she reJolved
| to hold Rene by one means or another
away from the river house II possible.
| So she managed to keep him occupied
eating pie, slipping watered claret ana
chatting until night came on and Nine.
! Rousslllon brought In lamp. Thon
| he hurriedly snatched his cap from the
floor beside him and got up TO goa
"Come and look at my handiwork,"
Alice quickly said; my shelf of pies,
| / mean" She led him to the pantry,
where dozen or more OF tho cherry
pates were ranged In order II made
every one of them this morning and
baked them; had them all out OF the
oven before the rain came up. Don't
you think me u wonder of cleverness
| and industry? Father Beret was polite
enough to fsatter me; but you-you just
eat what you want and say nothing!
You are not polite. NJ. Rene de Ron
Vile"
1--WE been SHOWING you what
thought OF your goodies" said Rene.
"Eatng's better than talking, you
know. SO I'll Just take one more" and
he helped himself. isn't that compll-
ment enoughf"
"a few such would make me another
hot days work." she replied, laughing.
"Pretty talk would be cheaper and
more satisfactory IN the long run.
| Even the 1our In these patcs | ground
with my own hand In an Indian NOR
| tar. That was hard work too"
BY this time Rene had forgotten the
river house and the liquor. With COZ,
tenlng eyes he gazed ut Alce's rounded
| cheeks and sLcony hair. over which the
| light from the curious earthen lamp
| she bore In her hand fllckered most ef-
| fectively. He loved her madly, but his
| fear OF her was more powerful than
| his love. She gave him no opportunity
| to speak what he felt having ever ready
1 quick, bright change of mood md
| manner when she saw him plucklng up
| courage to address her In q sentimental
way. Their relations had long been
somewhat familiar which was but mt
| ural. considering their youth and the
| circumstances OF their daily llfc but
| Alice somehow had kept n certain dis
| tance open between them, so that very
warm friendship could not guddeniy re-
solve itself into q troublesome passion
on Rene's part
We need not attempt to analyzo n
young girls feelings and motives in
such case. What she does and what
she thinks are mysteries oven 10 her
own understanding. The influence most
potent In shaping the rudlmentary
character OF Alice Tarleton (cnIlcd
houssIllona had been only such ns n
lonely frontier post could generate,
| Her associations with men and women
had, with few exceptions. been unprof-
liable IN IN educational way, while her
reading In NJ. Roussllon's little library
could not have given her any practical
knowledge OF manners and life.
Her affection for Rene was tnterfered
with by her large admtration for tho
heroic, masterful and magnetic knights
who charged through the romances of
the RouBsillon collection. For although
Rene was unqucstionably brave and
more than passnbly handsome, he had
no armor, no war horse, no shining
lance and embossed shield-the differ
cncc. indeed, was great.
| perhaua n VIVA tho lipht and hcat of