Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1906-03-06
q surreptitious turn OF the wrl

tnat Il question n'tu Deen dSheu ahu ah-
swered.
1t was noticed also that there were
FIVE other initiates to this masonry
Eugene AIadrillon, the elder Cheno.
weth, General Trumble, Tappingham
Marsh and Jefferson Bareaud. Thus
ON the afternoon following Miss Bet
tvs introduction to Rouen's favorite
sons and daughters Mr.. Carewe, driv-
ing down Main street. held up one
forefnger to Madrillon as he saw the
young man turning in at the club.
Eugene nodded gravely and as he went
in, discovering Marsh, the general and
others listening to Mr.. Gray's explana.
ton of his return from the river with
no fish, stealthily held up one finger in
his turn. Trumble replied with wink,
Tappingham nodded, but Crailey
slightly shook his head. Marsh and the
general started with surprise and star
ed incredui0usly. That Crailey should
shake his head! II the signal had been
for a church meeting they might have
understood.
Mr.. Gray's conduct was surprising
two other people at about the same
time Tom Vanrevel and Fanchon
Bareaud; the former by his sudden de-
votion to the law; the latter by his
sudden devotion to herself. In breath
he became almost a domestic charac-
ter.
Miss Bareaud was even happier than
she was astonished and she was
nightly astonished-to find her be-
trothed developing taste for her So
ciety alone. Formerly she had counted
upon the gayeties Of her home to keep
Crailey near her; now. however. he
told her tenderly he wished to have her
all to himself This was not like him,
but Fanchon did not question.
The Bareaud house was the most
hospltable in Rouen. Mrs. Bareaud, q
Eoutherner. loving to persuade the WIS.,
itor that her home was his, not hers,
lived only for her art, which was that
Of the table. Mr.. Bareaud at fifty had
lived so we'll that be gave up walking,
which did not trouble him, but at sixty
he gave up dancing. which did trouble
him. His only hope, he declared, was
In Crailey Gray's promise to invent for
him concave partner.
There was thin, quizzing shank Of
a son, Jefferson. who lived upon qui-
nine, ague and deviltry, and there were
The two daughters, Fanchon and Vir-
ginia. The latter was three years old
er than Fanchon, as dark as Fanchon
was fair, though not nearly so pretty,
small, good natured, romping sprite
of girl who had handed down the
heart and hand Of Crailey Gray to her
sister with the best grace in the world.
For she had been the heroine Of one OF
Mr.. Gray's half dozen or so most seri-
Gus affairs, and after furious rivalry
with Mr.. Carewe the victory was gen.
orally conceded to Crailey. His tri-
umph had been of about fortnight's
duration when Fanchon returned from
st. Mary's, and with the advent Of the
younger sister the elder, who had de-
cided that Crailey was the incompara-
BILE she had dreamed Of since infancy,
was generously allowed to discover
that he was not that vision; that she
had fallen In love with her own idea
of him, whereas Fanchon cared only
that he be Crailey Gray.
To be in love with Crailey became
Fanchons vocation. She spent all her
time ut it and produced blurred ef-
feet upon strangers. Nor was she
alone in saspcct!ng Mr.. Gray Of gen.
ius. In the first place, he was so odd;
in the second, his poems were "alrcady
attracting more than local attention"
as the Journal remarked generously,
for Crailey had ceased to present his
rhymes to that valuable paper. Aye.
Boston no less was his mart.
He was rather radical In his literary
preferences and hurt the elder Cheno-
weth's feelings by laughing heartily at
some poems Of the late Lord Byron,
offended MANY people by disliking the
style of Sir Edward Bulwer and even
refused to admit that James FenlmOre
Cooper was the greatest novelist that
ever lived. But these things were as
nothing compared with his unpatriotic
defense OF Charles Dickens. Many
Americans had fallen into great rage
over the vlvaciOus assault upon the
United States in Martin Chuzzlewit."
Nevertheless Crailey still boldly hailed
him, as every one had heretofore
agreed, the most dexterous writer Of
his day and the most notable humorist
Of any day. OF course the Englishman
had not visited and thoroughly studied
such city US Rouen, Crailey coA-
fessed twinklingly; but after all,
wasn't there some truth In Martin
Chuzzlewlt" Mr.. Dickens might have
been far from n clear understanding Of
our people. but didn't 1t argue pretty
ticklish vanity In ourselves that we
were so flercely resentful Of satire, and
was not this very heat over Martin
Chuzzlewit" confirmation Of one Of
the points the book had presented
against us? General Trumble replied
to this suggestion with personal one
to the effect that man capable Of say
Ing a good word for SO monstrous
slander-that u man, sir, capable of de-
claring his native country to be vain
or sensitive. ought to be horsewhipped,
and at this Crailey laughed consum-
edly.
Trumble retorted with the names Of
Benedict Arnold and Aaron Burr.
"And IL 1t comes to war with these
greasers," he spluttered alphabetically,
'and it is coming. mighty soon, We'll
lind Mr. Gray down in Mexico throw.
ing mud OH the stars and stripes and
cheering for that one legged horse
thief, Santa Anna! Anything to seek
out something foolish among your own
people"
Don't have to seek far sometimes,
general" murmured Crailey from the
depths of the best chair In the club,
whereupon Trumble, not trusting him.
self to answer. went out to the street
CHAPTER V.
H11ISS CAREWE was at her desk,
MI writing to Sister Cecilia,
sxEyd whom she most loved Of all
~ the world, when the bells
startled her with their sudden clangor.
The quill dropped from her hand, she
started to her feet, wide eyed, not un-
derstandiag, while the whole town,