Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1905-01-26


woods. There we built a fire, and gave
the horses half the feed in our sad
dle-bags, and ate our mess on fiat
rock.
Never he'd no sech joemightyful
time es thet afore," said D'ri, as he sat
down. laughing, and shook his head.
"Jerushy Jane! Did mt we come down
thet air hill! LUX slidin' on a creased
pole"
Comm so LUX the devil they did
mt dast git n er way" said Thurst.
1--WE wus all rippin' tn air 18th them
air joemightyful sabers, tew," D'ri
went on. He'd a purity middlin' sharp
edge on us. Stuck out LUX haystack
right n left"
He began bringing wood as he sang
the chorus of his favorite ballad
Ii toorul I oorul 1 oorul l ay, etc.
Thurst knew trail that crossed the
river nearby and met the Caraway
Pike a few miles beyond. Having eat
en-, / wrote a dispatch to be taken
back by Thurst as soon as we reached
the pike. Past 10 o'clock we turned
into rough road, where the three of
us went one way and Thurst another.
| rode slowly, for the horses were
nearly tagged. l gave them an hours
rest when we put up for dinner. Then
we pushed on, coming in sight of the
Chateau lie Ray at sundown. A splen-
did place it was, the castle of gray
stone fronting q fair stretch OF wooded
lawn, cut by brook that went splash
ing over rocks near by, and sent its
velvet voice through the wood and
field. A road of fine gravel led through
groves of beech and oak and pine
to a grassy terrace under the castle
walls. Presently a tall, handsome
man, with black eyes and irongray
hair and mustache came down path,
clapping his hands.
Welcome, gentlmen! 1t is the
Capt. Bell?" said he, with a marked
accent, as he came to me, his hand eX-
tended. You come from Monsieur the
Gen. Brown, do you not?"
I do" said |, handing him my mes
sage.
He broke the seal and read it care
fully.
II am glad to see you-ver' glad to
see yOu!" said he, laying his hands
upon my shoulders and giving me a
little shake.
The two servants went away with
D'ri and Seth and the horses.
Come, captain" said my host, as he
led the way. you are in good time
for dinner"
We entered a great triangular hall,
lighted by SIDE windows above the
door, and candelabra of shining brass
that hung from its high ceiling. There
were sliding doors of polished wood
on each side of it. A great stairway
filled the point of the triangle.
was shown to my room, which was
as big as a ballroom, it seemed to
me, and grandly furnished: no cas-
tie of my dreams had been quite SO
fine. The valet of the count looked
after me, with the offers of new linen
and more things than | could see use
for. He could not speak English,
remember and | addressed him in the
good French my mother had taught
me.
The kind of life saw in this grand
home was not wholly new to me, for
both my mother and my father had
known good living in their youth,
and | had heard much of it. | should
have been glad of my new uniform; /;
but after | had had my bath and put
on the new shirt and collar the valet
had brought me, l stood before the
long pier-glass and saw no poor figure
of q man.
The great dining-hall of the count
was lighted with many candles when
we came in 10 dinner. 1t had a big
fireplace, where logs were blazing, for
the night had turned cool, and a long
table with a big epergne of wrought
silver, filled with roses, in its
center. A great silken rug lay un-
der the table, on a polished floor, and
the walls were hung with tapestry.
sat beside the count, and opposite me
was the daughter of the Sieur Louis
Francois de Michel, kings for
ester under Louis XVI. Therese, the
handsome daughter of the count, sat
facing him at the farther end of the
table, and beside her was the young
Marquis de Gonvello. NJ. Pidgeon, the
celebrated French astronomer, Moss
Kent, brother of the since famous
chancellor, the Sieur Michel, and the
Baroness de Ferre, with her two wards,
the Misses Louise and Louison de
Lambert, were also at dinner. These
young ladies were the most remark
able of the company; their beauty was
so brilliant so fascinating, it kindled
great fire in me the moment | saw
it. They said little, but seemed to
have much interest in all the talk of
the table. | looked at them more than
was polite, | am sure, but they looked
at me quite as often. They had big,
beautiful brown eyes, and dark hair
fastened high with jewelled pins, and
profles like those of the fair ladies
of Sir Peter Lely, so finely were they
ttt ho l. c,,1J i