The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1908-12-22


natured looking, fat old bourgeois
going on board at the moment caught
the exclamation, understanding the
exclamation, understanding the tone
rather than the words, and seeing
| her fix, suggested Gees garcons la, I"
and passed on She looked in the
direction he had indicated with a
| backward toss Of his head and a
shrug, and saw two lads lounging by
with their hands in their pockets.
She ran after them and brought them
back with her. They carried her box
on board in twinkling, and then re-
turning, placed themselves so that
she could not pass them to get on
board and demanding a franc apiece
for their trouble. There was nothing
for it but to pay them. She ought Of
course to have followed her box on
board, but number of people, late
for the steamer, had come hurrying
up at the moment, and she had timid-
ly hung back to avoid the crush. She
made a frantic dive for her pocket
now, but as usual in these days 1t
was not to be found, the way Of mod
ern dressmakers being to consult
their own convenience in the arrange
ment of the drapery rather than the
comfort of their clients. Nearly
minute was lost in this exasperating
search, but at last she succeeded in
getting out her purse, and having
satisfied the young ruffians, turned to
go on board the steamer, only to find,
however, that the gangway was up
already for her even to jump the dis
lance. She fairly stamped with rage,
and then felt inclined to laugh at her
own vehemence. For, after all, as
an old apple woman at a stall close
by informed her, it was only matter
of half an hour, or an hour at most,
till the boat returned, and it was no
great hardship waiting there on
warm afternoon, with the sapphire
sea sparkling at her feet; Dinard,
with it's green cliffs and white houses
rising picturesquely from the waters
edge, just opposite, and st. Servan
on her left-all glowing in the after
noon sunlight Recovering herself at
once, she sat down beside the old
apple woman and began to talk. The
old woman complimented her on her
French, abused the young voluers
who had done her such an i'll turn,
and then began to talk of. her own
hard life and the struggle it was
since she had lost her own good man
49,
was not SO bad at that time of the
year, of course, Tor the heat was COM
fort in itself, and then it made the
appetite less, so that small quantities
of food sufficed, and hunger did not
gnaw; but in the winter, when it
froze, ah!-with an expressive catch
ing of the breath and hugging of her.
self-it was indeed "la vie des miser-
ables." But mademoiselle must par
don her. What did young ladies
know of misery? Doubtless made
moiselle had all that heart could de-
sire. And the old woman looked at
her admiringly and without bitterness
out of her big brown eyes that had
once no doubt been brilliant, and still
possessed a certain beauty of their
own-the beauty and pathos of pa
tient suffering and dead hope, vast
ing diseases of the soul which have
their grace of expression, even as
certain forms of bodily decay have
theirs.
II have great deal to be thankful
for, certainly" Gertrude answered,
sadly. But have my troubles, too,
ma mere" and then she talked of her
recent trials till the old woman for
got her own. She was delightful old
woman, with cap and kerchief snowy
white in spite of her poverty, blue
serge gown just down to her ankles,
and neat, strong shoes with knitted
stockings. When they parted Ger
trude made her rich with half a SOW
ereign, and happy for life with
handsome gold cross, which the old
woman at first refused, but afterward
accepted when Gertrude demanded
in return for it daily prayer.
Gertrude began to feel tired as she
climbed up the steep street from the
landing stage at Dinard into the town.
Fortunately the Hotel des Baines was
close by, and there she found her
luggage, the porteur having consulted
the interests of the house by ordering
it brought up from the steamer when
he arrived with what he had been
sent for.
Gertrude noticed noisy party of
gentlemen clambering up on coach
and-four, evidently somewhat ram
shackle public conveyance, which was
drawn upon the road just beyond the
hotel. and after she entered she heard
it rafting Off
To be Continued.