The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-06-25

clutChed him. pulled
him violently towards the ditch as
something struck his shoulder, and
Douglas Home was cast into the
brambles. The steam-tram silently
climbed the hill without deigning to
notice its victim. Whereupons Home
scrambled out of the ditch and gave
sorrow words-Anglo-Sa words.
He crawled up to the top of the hill
and gazed at st. Prudoc in the valley
below. His knapsack CALLED him; he
was hungry, tired thirsty, and the
lights in the little village looked invit-
ing. How his head ached The
weird cleaning depressed him; he
gather with folk. This narrow escape
from being cut In two by the tramway
engine made him think DULY Of the
precariousness of existence. He felt
Boer sharpsho oters pinging at him as
he dragged poor Featherstone's body
away from the melee. Who was it
pulled him aside as the engine came
upon him unawares? Oh, yes; this
blue-eyed, tall, slim girl in Knockers.
He was annoyed that a Brenchwoman
with English-looking blue eyes should
have saved him from a tram engine.
He abhorred knickers-for girls. Be-
fore he could ,stammer his thanks to
the girl she mounted her bicycle like
an athlete, and, with a few ringing
words in French, whirled away thru
the cleaning. In the midst Of his
confusion he felt grateful to her for
not exposing the badness Of his
French. He had come abroad with the
idea that any kind Of French was good
enough for Brittany. Ugh! The
growing bruise on his shoulder warned
him what would have happened had
not the girl pulled him away from that
monster. He was quite unprepared
for such consideration from a stran-
ger. But that tram engine! All, if
he could only upset that!
Just like the French" he muttered.
What other nation would seek to slay
the tourist on whom IT lives, by having
steam-engines which cross the road in
the cleaning and come upon one with
hardly sound? Pouf! AS they say
here, that was q narrow shave. How
am to get even with the girl for saw
ing my life? What would they say in
Fleet street, If my mangled remains
had been found in an obscure corner
of Brittany? The fellows would feel
annoyed that a war correspondent had
come to so untimely an end On SEQ
ond thoughts"-he ruefully surveyed
his knapsack, In which the engine had
= torn a hole--'It would annoy me
Also" t..
He moved towards the valley, hav-
ing once more recovered tone" Not
even the ghostly purr of whirling
Windmilps sails could startIe him now.
What right" he muttered, limping
lamely down the hill-"what right has
And she needn't have hurried away
e. without waiting to be thanked. No
repose about French people. Always
in a. hurry. Perhaps she wanted to
get home to dress for dinner"
He entered the little triangular
market-place Of st. Prudoc and made
his way to the nearest inn. No one
seemed particularly anxious to well
come him. People were busy moving
tables and chairs from the big dining
. room.
He banged on the door until
Madame Lamerre appeared. Madame
was voluble, apologize. Alas! that
monsieur should think her neglectful
when she loved les Anglais so much
but everyone was preparing for the
dance"
Monsieur was glad that she loved
him, but he was not interested in the
dance. Gould. he have bed and
some dinner-the dinner first, the bed
afterwards?
But certainly. Monsieur must not
wounded. If Monsieur would have
the goodness to lean on her she would
show him to his room, and get him a
nice little dinner in the bar-parlor
The ordinary room was being pre-,
pared for the ball. Monsieur had met
80 with an adventure?
Monsieur had met with a steam en-
CINE which had foully and PREACHER.
ously sought to slay him unawares
He had done nothing to the steam en-
CINE, altho 1t seemed to resent his ar
rival at st. Prudoc.
Doubtless 1t lacked sympathy
Madam Lamerre fastened to remark
If monsieur would give himself the
- pain to make himself comfortable
All! there was Marie with her hot
water.
Monsieur 'gave himself the pain,
and the motherly old Frenchwomar
helped him upstairs, presented him
with q stiff glass of cognac, and, strip
ping off his shirt, in spite Of Homes
protests, applied soothing unguents tt
the big, black, broken-skinned wei
-. across his shoulder. Then she re
dressed him, put his arm in a sling
and looked at her work. IT do no
understand how monsieur came tt
have his arm so nearly dislocated?"
1T was the girl" Home explained
"She must have whirred up on he
bike and -jerked me away just as i
she had been failing bull on tn,
Pampas.- Ii was in brown study.
Madam did not understand abou
- failing bulls, but she helped Hom
downstairs into the bar-parlor, am
gave him the best dinner he had hat
for years. 80 +,,.o 80 ,,,,,o, -
with me-" he protested after having
eaten his fill. "You are too kind"
"Mais, oui," said madam. Mon
sleur fails to comprehend. 1t is TO
the honor Of France. Monsieur doe
-. not understand that the steam engin
has disgraced us as q nation"
Home felt annoyed when the doc
opened and rush Of chilly Septembe
air filled the room.
Come in, mother" said an unmis
takably English voice, cor we sha
be late. I nearly sprained my wris
pulling that" The girl stoppe
suddenly, for Home had risen to hi
feet his handsome brown eyes aglov
80 you're not French after all
he cried. 1T knew 1t; I knew it!''
The girl looked at him doubtful,
mo, 1 am not French" she said, slow
ly. May I ask the reason of TIL
sudden accession of patriotism on you
part?" Her cloak slipped to the fioc
as she spoke, and she stood reveale
in all the beauty Of sweet one-ant
twenty.
To his great delight Home notice
that she no longer wore the disfigul
ing Knockers. A soft, filmy blue Dire:
set off her ethereal beauty. She ha
exquisite blue eyes, yellow hair, swet
lips, even, white teeth, straight nos
not too small, and shoulders such {
one sees in dreams. Mama, benin
her, was the same, with the portline,
Of twenty additional summers. n ST.
4 :, P-oy,Ir no, ND coy,oa 20 "a GU,