The new South-news., 1907-11-09

r,lo had taken It OF where 1, had eone
, Several ~ M attempted 10 enact thf
yo~ ~ def-cfivss We scrufin.z.s1
that brass jacket button. and eyea In
icfsie~ed clothing dealers and ssllo~s
az ihe three villages nearest 10 us
We also aerf two Of the older girls to
make secret inquiries over In Number
as 10 all the jackets worn by the
boys there.
But we gained no clue. Newman
and Alfred kept quiet. and az no one
else knew anything about IL. there was
nothing 20 leak out.
The button was Alfred Baftelow's.
but as he lived Ia another district and
al a distance. and did not wear that
iacket aftcrTard. suspicion never fell
on him.
There were numbers Of false clues.
We heard OF several melodnons being
aOid In other towns round about: bu,
on obtaining particulars. they all
proved different from ours. The coh-
ciusion finally settled on was that
some Of the Number boys had taken
the mclodecn out OF spite, and buried
u, burned II. or cut hole In the Ice
OF the lake and sunk II.
After a hilarious winter at the lum-
ber-camp, the melodeon migrated over
the border in the latter part OF
March. when their winters work was
done. and the Canadian loggers we're
ready TO return to their homes. n dis
cuasiOn arose as 10 who should have
the instrument For they had regard
ed u as present TO them. Six of
them at last packed 1t on a hand-aled
and hauled II away TO little settle
mfni, called Black Lake, In the Prov
ince OF Quebec thirty or forty miles
above the boundary.
Al Black Lake, or else IA the neigh
boring hamlet OF Garthby. there was a
public school. then recently estab-
iishcd under the Dominion school sys-
tom. whore the children received in
siructlon In French. The school was
In charge OF young lady from Sorel.
named Marie Ladoucicr. who had
some proficiency in music.
Several OF the lumbermen were adj
mirers OF Mademoiselle I.adoucicr, and
IL came about ere long that our lost
mel0dcon was Installed at this little
French schoohousc. where for three
months 1t gave unbounded satIsfac-
ton. morning. noon and night, as well
as at evening meetings OF the French
people. They knew nothing of its pre-
vious history. and had no idea but that
IT was honestly come by
Not I'LL August did so much as lisp
reach us as 20 It's whereabouts.
French-Canadians at this time had be-
gun 10 come dowa over the border. to
work not only at lumber-camps. bat
on farms. In July that summer one of
these same young men from Black
Lake called al our place. looking tor a
Job during the hayiny season We
hired him. and he was with us four
weeks. Ills name was Benoit Lech-
afme.
lie could speak little English, and
as the melodeon was the subject Of oc-
casional convcrsition. he heard of II.
asked, great many questions about it
how u looked Where II Wts bought,
what makers n me was onlthe front
Of Il. and 80 fofh Probably he sur
missed that this (as the melodcon that
had appeared at the lumber-camp, and
been carried to Alack Lake.
But If so, he was discreet lie said
nothing. and at last went home TOT
Canada without dropping a hint. PERI
haps he wished FIRST TO make sure, be-
fore saying anything; perhaps he de-
sired to talk 1t over with Mademoisello
Ladoucicr.
One night about fortnight after
Lecharme left US. a. We we're sitting
down TO our iivc-o'clock supper. sud
den ilnglng aud rattling out Ia the
yard came TO us through the open win
dows; and elancing out. We espied the
oldest OUTFIT ever seen in that place
There were two little black. shaggy
horses with brass-mounted harness.
collar ard names. attached TO queer
vehicle. haif-carl. hall-wagon. There
was a box in the back OF It. on which
perchcd a black-haired boy wearing a
fur cap-althoush this was August,
On the seat IN front. holding the reins.
was an older boy. dressed in much the
same way. rri beside him sat a young
woman. apparently nineteen or twenty
years o'd. sobcrly dressed in black, ex-
cert for her hat. which was adorned
with bright red roses aud a profusion
OF Hight green ribbon.
The entire rig wore an aspect 50
foreign 10 Maine that We all rose hast
lily from the table; and my cousin Au-
Olson Went out at once to see what
was wanted
For a moment or two not word
was said. Our visitors seemed at
less how 20 make known their bust
ness. Il was the young lady who
spoke first. choosing her words care
fully. and attempting to speak slowly
and very distinctly. as If she had al
ready rchearsed IN her mind what she
meant 10 say.
Good afternoon she said "Ees
theos the farm fere Mees,er Eonoit
lecharme did labor Tor 10 make the