The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1908-02-26
CHAPTER TX.
Continued.

EQSllSn, anu 'dS lHOiouSh hHo"i
edge of foreign languages will great
ly add to his value in our house, 1t
is my wish that he should go abroad
for these two months, reside in a
French family, and do his utmost to
improve an occasion which may not
occur again in his life"
Tommy turned head over heels in
an ecstasy of envy; and Mr.. Denstone
looked greatly pleased as he unfolded
and handed over check which was
amply sufficient to defray all the eX-
penses of both journey and sojourn In
France, in the most comfortable, If
Rot luxurious, manner.
Il congratulate you, Arthur, most
heartily" said his father, and his
mother stole behind him and said
fondly: MY good boy, am so glad;
this holiday will be great treat for
you. If only poor Reggie" She
checked herself, afraid of hurting his
feelings; but Arthur said quickly:
"Quite true, mother, he would have
been even more delighted than / am;
but" very doubtfully, II am afraid
7 cannot make it over to him, for
you see it Is work and not play.
Uncle Alfred has spoken repeatedly
to me about studying French, so that
imagine French correspondence will
be part of my future duties"
Reginald said nothing. He was not
Jealous of his brother, but he was
moody, and called himself low in
spirits. He had no luck; such chances
never came in his way.
They discussed plans and places
all through breakfast, and then Ar
thur read his own letter, and went
upstairs to answer it by early post.
He was writing fast when he felt
Tola's hand on his shoulder.
lone minute, Cinders,' he said,
@and then 1 will tell you good deal
more" So he finished his letter, sent
it off, and then turned to his sister.
"Uncle Alfred's letter to me contains
a great many more Details he said.
"He has fixed upon the place am to
go to and all about it."
paris, hope?" said Tola, eagerly.
@No, no, no; quite benighted
little place you never heard Of in
your life. 1t is quite chance that
has put it into his head. Do you re-
member my telling you about that
extraordinary old fellow, Monsieur
Rigaud?"
The man that made you take him
to Southampton? Yes; what about
him?" .
He lives at a little town called
Goucy, or at all events in the neigh
borhood. My uncle thinks he can
recommend some French family there
fneo which I might enter, to live with
them as one of themselves. There
would be certain amount Of shoot
ing ard fishing, and wolves in the
forest. Come, Tola, is not that quite
romantic?"
But Paris!"
"Yes, of course, Paris would have
been jollier in some ways; but dear
me, am too much pleased at the idea
of crossing the Channel at all to
dream of disputing his wishes; be-
sides, have not finished telling you
the whole story. I told you about
old Rigaud's odd life, pretending to
be pauper in France, didn't I? Did
tell you about his child, a little girl
somewhere at SCHOOL,"
"Rigaud? Did you say Rigaud?"
said Tola, suddenly. Il wonder
whether it could be the same?"
The same as what, my dear?"
do you remember went to school
at Brighton once for three months,
until the children caught the measles,
and l was telegraphed for back?"
you poor little Indispensable!
Yes, remember"
"There was girl there, French
child, called Antoinette Rigaud.
Could it have been the same?"
This child is called Antoinette.
:. Yes, it must be the same. Well,
what sort of creature was it? One
can imagine the thin, gaunt, skinny
looking, kind of prematurely old
looking"
oh" cried Tola. There never
was anything so unlike the real An
toinette. Even in that short time
made friends with her.
"She was much bullied by the
other girls; she was called the
Froggie, in mockery, and they said
all sorts of unkind things about her,
but ] am quite sure they were un-
true"
Was she pretty?"
Il can't say; one is not judge Of
beauty at school. Certainly not in
Janet's style of beauty. My impress
sion is that she was little, pale, and
with great startled eyes like a
fawn's."
WELL" said Arthur, thoughtfully,
"such as she is l shall soon make her
acquaintance. Her father has writ
ten to Uncle Alfred to tell him that
he wants his daughter to come out
to him, that she is to start at once,
and he asks him to find an escort for
her. He says my uncle is the only
man he knows in England whom he
would trust in so responsible mat
ter, and my uncle has chosen me-"
"Yes; but I think he cannot have
understood that she is a grown-up
young lady"
do you know, Tola, I think, after
all, it cannot be the same. Mon
sieur Rigaud spoke of her repeatedly
as child, a little girl; and he would