The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1905-01-13

to help him into the cart
Hence. as has been said. he found
himself driving homeward at midnight
in very cloudy frame Of mind As
! he drove on the weather became
! cloudy. too. The stars vanished. the
wind blew and presently the rain fell
! in torrents Jacques had become
slightly 5Obered and thoroughly wretch
! ed. Every few minutes he started at
what seemed the plaintive cry OF the
! calf lying bound behind him as i'm the
morning. He turned and saw only the
| flamboyant hat. Then he thought Of
his almost empty purse and trembied
! at his masters wrath. With unsteady
hands he drew the purse from his
! pocket, took out the lonely gold piece
and stared at it vacantly. The wheel
| struck stone and the coin slipped
from his fingers and fell into the gut
ter. He dismounted, thrust his arm
in the mud and grOped for the treasure
in vain. A gust extinguished his Ian
tern and left him in darkness He be-
came panic stricken. He forcsaw dis
grace. arrest, Imprisonment. Even
Clementine would turn from him He
had Just crossed the bridge when he
stopped. He would end it all. With
a last vow to Clcmentine on his lips
he rushed to the canal and leaped into
its waters
Clementine. knowing that Jacques
ought 10 have been back by noon, had
been worrying about him for the last
twelve hours. what could have hap
pened? The dread Of accident alter
mated with another disquetng thought.
There were plenty of pretty girls in the
city. Perhaps Jacques had been en-
shared by one OF them. He went TO the
market every Saturday. Very likely
he had a sweetheart in St Quentin.
Then her jealousy would vanish and
her anxious fears return.
At supper the farmer noticed that
Jacques was absent. He went to the
stable and found that the horse and
cart were missing also Coming back
with a black sCOwl on his face be swore
a round oath and cried:
The scouudrcl has bolted with the
money" There was a profound ST.
lence. Everybody knew of the attach
ment between Jacques and Clemen-
tine. The poor girl covered in a cor
ner, hoping to escape notice, but the
farmer spied her and sneered $50 your
lover is thief" These cruel words
haunted her after she had Crept TO her
garret over the stable. Jealous though
she was, she could not believe them.
Jacques was honest. she was sure, even
If he were unfaithful. She tossed un-
easily on her pallet until the clock
struck eleven. Then she got up and
dressed She would go in search OF
Jacques. She would bring him back.
alive or dead. Slipping away noise
leSsly TO the road. she went in the dt-
rection of ST. Quentin. Her pace soon
slackeued TO a walk, but she plodded
on, mile after mile, resolved to go all
the way to the city If necessary. She
kept on through the furious storm
which soon burst upon her. straining
her eyes TO see the dreadful thing
which she now regarded rs Il certainty,
Jacques lying by the roadside. bound
and gagged. bleeding. dead perhaps.
But she saw nothing until her weary
limbs had carried her TO the bridge,
where she came upon tho empty cart.
with .he horse asleep between the
shafts Climbing into the cart. she
peered and CROPPED about until she
found the woman's hat. All, her jeal-
h,. I.,I ~
she had come this weary way only to
make certain her lovers treason. The
long hours she had passed in anguish
he had spent in the society Of his city
sweetheart
An indStinct sound. coming from un-
der the bridge. startled her and intensi-
| fed her Jealous anger They were
under the arch. on the towpath-whcre
Jacques had stolen his first kiss! She
| Sprang from the cart and ran down
| the bank As she did so sharp. de-
spairing cry for help came from a little
| clump Of bushes by the waters edge.
! It was Jacques voice! She ran TO the
spot and found him half buried in mud,
water and tangled grass. battling for
| life Clementine waded out 10 him.
and after much effort succeeded in dis
entangling him and bringing him
ashore. They fell into each Others :
arms with cxclamations OF 'Jacduesr
| "Clemeutine"
She thought no more Of the tell.tale
bonnet and he had forgotten his theft.
But when the first flush " the Joy of
meeting. and Of rescuns aud being res
cued. had passed. Clementine asked;
How did il happen? And the
| woman? Where Is shc?'
Jacques did not answer The only
effect ot her questions had been TO re-
call him to reality. to his crime and
coming disgrace And the hat.' Glen
cutine persisted. Whose Is it,
Jacques stood stupidity wasgins hi'
head. At last he exclaimed:
Il have eaten the calf!
What" she asked. staring at him.
81 have eaten the calf he repeated
"He has gone crazy" thought Clem
entne Taking his arm she helped
him UP the bank and into the cart
placed herself beside him and began &
drive homeward Jacques continued
to mutter II have eaten the calfv II
a voice which grew weaker with eacl
repetition. Soon his head dropped for
ward and be fell asleep. Clement.n