The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1905-02-01

| had of his own, and then he began on
his masters The money went rapidly.
At sunset the wedding party packed it.
self into the cart and returned to the
| city, laughing and singing Jacques
drew long sigh as he passed the mil
liners shop and saw the gorgeous bon
net again. Yielding to a sudden i'm
pulse, he stopped the horse. handed
the relns to the bridegroom and rushed
| into the shop. When he came out he
| had big paper parcel in his hands and
twenty francs less in his purse He
stood his companions railery with good
humOr, but at dinner, which was the
next event on the programme, he drank
recklessly to drown his remorse. When
the party broke up his companions had
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 sobered and thoroughly wretch.
ed. Every few minutes he started at
what seemed the plaintive cry of the
calf lying bound behind him as in the
morning. He turned and saw only the
flamboyant hat. Then he thought of
his almost empty purse and trembled
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 foresaw 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
last vow to Clementine on his lips
he rushed to the canal and leaped into
its waters.
Clementine, knowing that Jacques
ought TO 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 disquieting 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 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 black scowl on his face he swore
a round oath and cried:
The scoundrel has bolted with the
money" There was profound 81
lence. Everybody knew of the attach.
ment between Jacques and Clemen.
tine. The poor girl covered in n cor
ner. hoping to escape notice. but the
farmer spied her and sneered: 80 YOU
lover is a thief" These cruel words
haunted her after she had crept to hel
sarret over the stable. Jealous though
she was she could not believe them
Jacques was honest. she was sure, ever
if lie We're unfaithful. She tossed un
easily on her pallet until the clocl
struck eleven. Then she got up ant
, dressed. She would go in search O.
Jacques. She would bring him back
alive or dead. Slipping away noise
, lessly to the road, she went in the di
,, rection of st. Quentin. Her pace sool
, slackened to walk, but she ploddet
. on, mile after mile, resolved to 20 al
J the way to the city if necessary. Sh
: Kept on through the furious storm
! which soon burst upon her, >strainin;
{ her eyes to see the dreadful thin;
, which she now regarded as certainty
Jacques lying by the roadside boun,
r and gagged. bleeding, dead perhaps
But she saw nothing until her wear,
. limbs had carried her to the bridge
$ where she came upon the empty cart
e with the horse asleep between tn
. shafts. Climbing into the cart, sh
s peered and groped about until sh
/ found the woman's hat All, her jea
= ousy had not been unfounded then. an
A she had come this weary way only t
' make certain her lovers treason. Th
: long hours she had passed in angus
t he had spent in the society Of his eli
' sweetheart.
;. An indistinct sound. coming from III
d der the bridge, startled her and intens
fed her jealous anger. They wer
t under the arch on the towpath-wher
I Jacques had stolen his first kiss! Sh
O sprang from the cart and ran dow
e the bank. AS she did 30 a sharp, d.
IS spairing cry for help came from litt
T. clump of bushes by the waters edg
e II was Jacques voice! She ran to tn
IS spot and found him half buried In mu,
e water and tangled grass. battling Il