Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1906-01-12
IN A WoODSMAN'S WAY

were splashed with yellow and gold and
crimson, and the acorns and beechnuts
were pattering down upon the dry brown
leaves that carpet the forest floor There
was something he wanted. He felt II as he
| gazed on the glory Of the leaves and
caught the scent OF drying grass
| that foated to him through the languid
| air. He felt II more as he rested OF a
noon in some sunny nook. and the quiet
| Of the hour was broken by the booming
| flight of a partridge or the shrin 'conk''
Of a triangle OF wild geese flying south
ward.
| At last, one day. as he was lying on a
/ grassy bank, smiling the keen. fresh
breeze that brought with IT the odor Of
| the birches, he understood what It was he
wanted. An ermine was lying at his feet.
wearing its winter coat of rich thick fur
He had never caught one so early before.
and 1t should have been sign of rejoicing
Why" questioned Francois of himself
as he stirred the limp white body. half
disdainfully, with his moccasin, why,
mon garcon, do you care no more for the
| trapping2 And why does the falling Of
| the leaves make you so sad? You have
/ been homesick before for the leaves and
the birds and the flowers my boy. but never
/ like this. You think you want something,
/ but you don't know what It is. Ma fol-
thou hast a cabin. and bacon. and flour,
and tea, and powder. and"
Francois stopped TO watch a jay extract
a fat. sleepy grub from a crack in a
/ maple. When the grub had quite disap-
| peared, he continued
What more could one want? Thou
hast all that one could be homesick for
except--a home. And to have a home
means to have"
Francois was so surprised at the new
| turn Of his thoughts that he stared hard
at n chipmunk for relief But the striped
/ thing only clicked its tail at him, and he
had to go on.
Par lie bon Dieu. it must be Marie
that you want he confessed, half sur
/ prised and all ashamed. "Assuredly Il is
Marie. Little Marie. old Ono Pierre's
little granddaughter. the little girl you
4 used to play with. BAH fool, what can
big. rough fellow like thee want Of
little. soft thing like that? Thou does
not want her, boy"
SO Francois assured himself as he
tramped home TO his little cabin, and
/ cooked and ate his lonely supper. and
I smoked his evening pipe. He even as
sured himself OF II after he had exchanged
| his moccasins for the big clumsy shoes
/ with which he sometimes tortured his
/ feet, vaguely feeling that Il was good
| form, and had stroled down to the shore
1t Is very lonesome here" he said as
| the mournful cry OF a loon came floating
in over the dark waters OF the lake. He
caught sight Of dim light away OF on
the other shore. "Assuredly" he ex-
claimed. he pushed OF his canoe. lone
may go to see ono Pierre. even II one
sdoes not want Marie"
II was very cheerful in the little cabin
after the gloom OF the lake. The huge
| pile OF logs In the big fireplace was roar
| Ing and swapping and making the shad-
} ows dance over the bright tin plates and
/ cups, and the old rifle resting on the
antlers, and the silvery hair OF the old
| fire and mending snare by its itful light
He glanced up at the opening OF the door
Bon soir. pitt gar" he said. He still
/ called Francois his little boy" though
the latter stood an inch higher in his
! moccasins than even Pierre had done in
| his best DAYS. There was silence for
moment Francois glanced round the
room-not that he cared II any one else
were there. OF course. The old trapper
Strengthened his bowed shoulders and
/ looked round
| Marie. 1t is Francois" directing his
words at the shadowy corner where the
| spinning wheel stood.
"Ah. bon soir, pitt gar" mlmicked a
soft. hooking voice. 1T is indeed Fran
co.'s. Pardon, M'sieu. that I did not re-
member. II is so long since one has seen
you here; since yesterday. is 1t not?''
An imp OF girl danced forward into
| the freight. her eyes sparkling with mis-
She courtesied low. till the great skein OF
yarn that hung on her arm swept the
floor Bon soir. Msleu." she repeated.
Francois turned crimson.
The old man gazed fondly at the girl
Forgive her. lad" he said; Ill MY a
que son badlnage" Francois shook his
broad shoulders as II he had taken a
is only her fun" he murmured. feebly.
He turned To the fire and began TO talk
about the signs OF the winter the silver
fox he had seen the week before, every
thing he could think Of
But all the time his eyes would wander
TO that corner; and every time flicker OF
light fell on the brown head bowed over
the skein from which she was winding.
and the soft outline OF her cheek and neck
and TIE slim, graceful hands that whirled
the ball so swiftly. he was reminded that
he wanted something. But never a glance
did he get from the downcast eyes. Bah.
fooli' said Francois to himself, she would
not have you. Even II you wanted her."
he added quickly, for there was an odd
feeling in his throat
Now the work was not going so smooth
ly. The skein was snarled, and Francois
caught. or thought he did just the faintest
little sigh of vexation from the corner
1t was too much for him.
shall not help?" he asked, and
strobe over TO her.
"Ah. at last, M'sieu," she began. mer-
rily. letting her glance run up the tall
figure beside her. Indeed IT has taken
you long 10 see" She stopped short
as her eyes reached his face. Yes. thank
you, Francois" she said, nervously, for
she had seen something new and strange
in his glance
They sat in silence. She was winding
now as though her life depended on it.
She never raised her eyes. hid beneath
the long dark lashes. and there was a
little flush under the soft brown of her
cheek. As Francois gazed on her, so
small and weak and troubled, a strange
new feeling seemed to be choking him.
She bent forward to untangle a knot, and
her little hand touched his and they both
trembled and drew back. A little fur
Their, and the skein was getting very
tangled. The brown head and the black
were very close together now. Suddenly
their eyes met.
Old Pierre Strengthened up quickly.
BLESS me-" he cried, what was that?'
1T was only knot. gran'pere."
Pierre sunk back II must be getting
deaf" he muttered. II thought / heard
something"
1t was a very quiet and rosy little maid
who at last consented to let Francois lead
her forward to the freight But he was
very straight and proud and resolute, now
that he had found what he had wanted.
"Onc Pierre" he said marie and
have found out that We love. May we
have each other?"
The siIvary head sank a LITTLE lower