The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1909-04-24
THE CHEvALIER.


Dries for all OF US. For three genera
tions she had held children IN her
arms. s0othed their SORROWS, listened
to their joys. and now they were all
met 20 mourn her absence from the
old place SO dear from its associations
with her.
mounted the great staircase and
entered the room from which they had
just taken her. Here were my earliest
recollections OF her. | recalled how as
a little girl | would come I'm In the
morning as soon as was dressed, say
ing Good morning. grandmother" l
always found her dressed, for she was
an early riser She would leave her
chair by the window and go TO the big.
old fashioned wardrobe. which looked
so immense 10 me. and take from II
the expected dainty.
With what awe and respect had this
wardrobe filed my childish heart! II
seemed 10 me a perfect treasure house
for all that a child holds dear.
With these remembrances IN my mind
| opened II now. IL was full ~ fra
grant linen scented with lavender, ex-
cept for little shelf at one side. where
lay several papers. l picked up roll
Of yellow writing paper tied with a.
pink ribbon and carried IL 10 the light
Had | any right 10 read the pages ?
They were discolored by age, but 1
knew the writing. Could grandmoth-
er have any secrets which she would
wish TO keep after death? Even as i
debated had united the ribbon and
discovered that ! held diary in my
hands. and the first words I'm II were
OF love, sweet. pure and tender-the
first love OF a young girl. ! could not
resist. and I read the pages rs | stood
there IN the fading light which laid
before me The romance OF my grand
mother
II was in the month OF June, 1872
on n beautiful evening. when even the
flowers exhale more strongly their sub
tie perfumes and the human heart has
desire 20 open Here in the twilight
OF the old garden grandmother heard
the FIRST words OF love
Beneath the deeper shadow OF the
trees. wrapped IN the sweet odor OF
the flowers. two figures. young girl
and young man. walked side by side
with slow steps
YES. Clarlsse. am going" said the
young man. "And what difference does
II make? Suppose never return from
the war Who would care? am
alone In the world"
"You have friends. Horace"
None"
"And ~ said she very low.
"Your cried he You would care
least OF any"
There was a long silence. The grav-
ell sounded beneath their slow tread.
The night fell little by little. Horace
heard a stlded sound and turned.
"You are crying. Clarissew
''You hurt me SOL"
''Do you love meT"
She faltered. and his arms caught
her and held her against his beating
heart Unresistlng, she raised her face
60 his. and their lips met IN long
tiss-the first.
Horace left the next morning.
Clarlsse waited long for him. The
remains Of the grand army returned
without him Strl she hoped on. Years
passed, and the war ended. Many who
had been imprisoned returned. but still
he delayed. She pictured him buried
beneath the snow with uumberess
others who had dropped exhausted
along the line Of the terrible march.
Her parents urged upon her the duty
OF selecting a husband from the suit
ors who surrounded her She resisted
as long as possible, then yielded, van.
pushed BY their insistence and by the
certainty Of his death. She gave her
hand to Count d'Estrarvllle
IL was ten years since the kiss given
beneath the trees. She was sitting on
a bench "a the garden when stranger
approached her along the path As
he ncared her she recognized him II
was Horace
lie came toward her with out.
stretched arms. then stopped. as
though surprised ~ the GOODNESS %
her greeting
1T IS too iaie." she said = am al
ready married"
lie explained the reason ~ his long
absence captivity. Siberia the mines.
all the frlghtful sufferings he had
gone through. sustained always by a
belief IN her love and her loyalty 10
the unspoken vow made IN the twi.
light ~ the garden.
You lied 10 me that night when
You said you loved mer' he cried, the
bitterness - his disappointment max.
ing him cruel
"No. she said II loved you. and |
shall always love you II Is Just FOR
that reason that you must continue
dead 10 me | cannot trust myself
with YOU"
And hc loft her
This was the story Of grandmother's
life as | read Il from the old diary
remembered an old man who lived In
the neighhorhood and whom we chill
drcn called "the ChevalIcr." ! identl.