The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-03-21

nervous twisting about of his cap, the good priest said, in gentle tone:
 T implore you to do 1t now, Lou yeau, while we are both resolved"
 And so Maugendre got his son-a son! He gazed at him complacent1y as they were being rushed away by the train. It had been almost an abduction. He had clutched at 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 student in the School of Forestry. dreamed of him as gentleman, and heard himself saying proudly: "Yes, that is my son, that fine young mani"
 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. "Ohl How will they live without me?" thought he. And how will live with out them?"
 
 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 pave ments, the jostling crowds-they made a 1 frightening welcome for the young lad of <, the free barge when he entered the town of Meyers and was taken to school.
 The professors were astonished at find ing drawings of boats on every page of the student Maugendre's books. Always on every leaf was barge. And always 1t was the same barge. reproduced with the persistence of one possessed.
 Sometimes she was ascending a narrow | stream between grave and learned para l graphs. Again she was wrecked in the midst of a theorem. She rode piratically through algebraic problems and spread her flag in shameless impudence on solemn maps.
 He is obstinate as a donkeyi He can not be taught anythingp" declared the l principal. The principal could not under stand that Victor had learned his lessons
 
 | with his face looking over Clara's | shoulder.
 The student Maugendre goes down from the middle school to the flower" Old Maugendre is in despair. He entreats He promises. The student Maugendre gets worse and worse. Every day he withdraws more into obscurity and sad i ness.
 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 oi her victorious ~decrepitude Faith and pumping combined will serve no more. Al last the student Maugendre learns of theil 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 useo to be herer' say the letters. "Ah! If you were but witt us nowr'
 Victor says to himself that he must save them. He must buy them a new boat. He must console Clara.
 But to do this he must earn money and to earn money he must pass his ex animation for forestry.
 The student Maugendre becomes a won derful creature at grinding. He does no pause even to draw a picture now ant then. He lives, breathes, eats. dream knowledge.
 He was in this delirious dream of work work, work, when another letter cam' from Clara. It had a queer. shaky, zig gag handwriting. He kissed 1t before h. ! opened it.
 Then all at once the room danced befor