The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-03-21

I Tn spite of himself, his eyes turned | toward Victor and Clara. Louveau did not speak a word all evening after Maugendre had gones He walked up and down the deck, up and down. Before dawn he arose from bed without saying a word, and started away.
 He went straight to the vicar. "The police magistrate has informed me who Victor is," said he. hurrying his words lest he should change his resolution. "The couple that left him on the streets were not his parents. The woman died recently in a hospital and confess ed that she had been intrusted with the child by his mother, to carry him to his father, and that she had kept the infant expecting to teach 1t to beg when 1t grew up She said that the mother was named Maugendre!'
 The vicar looked at Louveau. He stepped toward him and said: T quite understand what you feel. You have done right to make up your mind not to keep this secret. Come with me now to Maugendre."
 Not today. Your Reverence" i'm plored Louveau.
 Observing the bargemans grief. the nervous twisting about of his cap. the good priest said. in gentle tone:
 'I implore you to do 1t now. Lou veau. while we are both resolved!"
 And so Maugendre got his son-a son. He gazed at him complacently as they were being rushed away by the train. It had been almost an abduc- tion. He had clutched him as once he had clutched at money.
 Now he sat there and looked with all his soul. and in his mind saw the young fellow, brilliant in the dark green and silver uniform of a student in the School of Forestry. dreamed of him as a gentleman. and heard himself saying proudly: "Yes. that is my son. that fine young manv
 Maugendre's son was dreaming, too But he saw the barge and the river, and, more than all. he saw the pale faces of mother and father Louveau and felt the last kiss of Clara on his cheek. "Oh. How will they live without me?" thought he. And how will live without them?"
 So he said quite mechanically: "Yes, Monsieur Maugendre," instead of "Yes father" when Maugendre spoke to him. longing to hear that term of which he | had dreamed.
 The narrow streets. the windows small as air holes in prisons. the hard pavements, the jostling crowds-they l made a frightening welcome for$ the young lad of the free barge when he entered the lOWH Ol NSNeTS ana was | taken to school.
 ] The professors were astonished at | finding drawings of boats on every page of the student Maugendre's books. | Always on every leaf was a barge. And always 1t was the same barge, | reproduced with the persistence of one | possessed.
 Sometimes she was ascending a nar- row stream. between grave and learn | Q ra nhs Apain ha ed in the midst of a theorem. She rode piratically through algebraic problems and spread her flag in shameless inn pudence on solemn maps.
 Tile Is obstinate as a donkeyl He cannot be taught anything!" declared the principal. The principal could not understand that Victor had learned his quiet places with his face looking over l Clara's shoulder.
 The student Maugendre goes down from the middle school" to the lower" Old Maugendre Is in despair He entreats. He promises. The student Maugendre gets worse and worse. Every day he withdraws more Into obscurity and sadness. An, If Clara could only know what they are doing to him! How they of the barge would come to him and save him!
 Alas! They. also, are unhappy Things are growing worse with them too. La Belle Nivernaise has reached the limit of her victorious decrepitude Faith and pumping combined will serve no more. At last the student Maugendre learns of their troubles although Clara does not know that she is telling him when she writes those letters. always trying to be brave, yet always becoming more and more sad "Ah! When you used to be here" sa> the letters. "Ah! If you were bu,
 with us now!"
 Victor says to himself that he mus
 save them. He must buy them a new
 boat. He must console Clara. T But to do this he must earn money and to earn money he must pass his examination for forestry