Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1905-10-14
LOVE AND STARS.

Oub HttliiS d living obNts tNipiiN "a N''N
turage with my dog Labri and my sheep.
| From time to time the hermit OF Mont
de l'Ure passed there to look for medici-
nal herbs or | saw the black face of
some Piedmont collier; but they were
simple souls, silent by dint of solitude,
having lost the taste for talking and
knowing nothing of what was said down
in the villages and towns.
Hence every two weeks, when | heard
upon the ascending highway the bells of
our farm mule, bringing me my provi-
sions for the coming fortnight, and saw
gradually appear from below the lively
countenance of the little farm boy or the
red locks of old Aunt Norade, | was in
deed delighted. | made the visitor tell
me the news of the country at the foot
OF the mountain-the baptisms, the mar
riages, but that which interested me most
Of all was what had happened to my
masters daughter. our Demoiselle Steph-
anette. the prettiest girl for ten leagues
around
Without appearing to be too much bent
upon acquiring this Knowledge | gath
tlttl IulOl iiidllCn is 10 NiltJHtI sir Ntll
a great deal to parties and evening as
semblies; whether new admirers were
still thronging about her. and should you
ask me what good those details could
do me, q poor shepherd of the mountain,
] will reply that l was 20 years old, and
that Stephanette was in my eyes the
handsomest creature on the face of
! Gods earth.
Gttnlov, xsrbap I
for my provisions. it so CHANGED that
they da not arrive until very late In
the morning | said to myself 1T is the
fault of the high mass" then toward
noon heavy storm came on and |
thought that the mule had been unable
to set out because of the bad condition
of the road. At last, about o'clock in
the afternoon, the sky having cleared
and the mountain being all of a glitter
with water and sunlight, | heard, amid
the droppings from the leaves and the
Overlooking of the swollen brooks, the
bells of the mule, as gay and brisk as
grand church chime on Easter day.
But it was neither the little farm boy
nor old Aunt Norade who was urging the
animal along. 1t was-guess who? Or
demoiselle, my friends-our demoiselle
herself, seated right between the osier
baskets, all rosy with the mountain air
and the GOODNESS brought ON by the
storm
The little farm boy was sick; Aunt
Norade was absent ON a holiday visit to
her children. Pretty Stephanette told me
all this as she sprang down from her
mule, and also that she was late in ar
irving because she had lost her way. But
to see her so finely dressed, with her
Powered ribbons. her brilliant SKIRT and
her lace, she had rather the air of hav-
ing fingered at some dance than of hav.
ing sought for her road among the
bushes.
Oh, the delicious creature Ny eyes
could not grow weary of gazing at her.
1t is true that | had never seen her so
near. Sometimes during the winter,
when the flock had gone down into the
plain and | had returned in the evening
to the farmhouse to sup, she passed
brislly through the hail. without talking
much to the servants. always bedecked
and a trife naughty. Now | had her
there before me. for myself alone Was
it not enough to turn my head?
When she had taken the provisions
from the basket Stephanettc began to
look curiously around her. Raising a
little her Sunday skirt. that might other
wise have become stained with mud. she
entered the fold She wished to see the
corner where | slept. the pile of straw
that was my bed, my shecpskin covering,
my big cape hung against the wall, my
crook and my ilintlock gun. All this
amused her.
SO it is here you live. is it. my poor
shepherd said she, with Il heavenly
smile. How tired You must get of al
ways being alone. What do YOU do
What do You think abouty'
had a strong desire to reply. about
YOU, mistress" and | should have told
the truth but my confusion was so great
that | could not find Il single word.
think she noticed this, and that the mis-
ehlevous creature took pleasure in re-
doubling my embarrassment with her
loguery.
And your sweetheart. shepherd? 9" con
tinued she. Does she climb up here 10
see YOU sometimes? Surely She must he
the Golden Goat or the Fairy Esterene.
who skips only over the SUBMITS of the
mountains" And she herself as She
spoke thus to me. had the very air of
the Fairy Esterelle, with her lovely head
thrown back, the pearly laughter ripplno
from her cherry lips, and her haste to
depart that made her visit seem like a
dazzling vision
"Adieu, shepherd"
"Adieu. mistressi"
And she was gone. bearing away with
her the empty baskets.
When the descending road hid her from
sight it seemed to me that the stones
rolling beneath the shoes of the mule
) We're falling one by one upon my heart.
p heard them long. long time. and until
; the close of the day | was like one
wrapped IN a sweet slumber. fearing to
, STIR lest | might drive away my dream.
Toward evening. as the depths of the
; valley began to grow blue and the sheen
huddled together, bleating to return TO
the fold, heard some one call me down
the road and saw reappear our demoiselle.