The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-03-21

must take him back to the magis- trate's."
 old Louveau smiled to his earrings and sang at the top of his great voice as the tug began to pull La Belle Nivernaise up the stream.
 It was the last trip of the season Winter had come and the barge was laid up at Corbigny. During that holi- day in their busy lives the bargemen repair their boats and buy lumber for the spring freight. That was a won- His growth was like the blossoming of a plant grown in a cellar and brought suddenly into the full sunlight. Little Clara loved him passionately. as human beings do at that age-for the pleasure of falling out and mak- ing 1t up again. She was as self | willed as little donkey; but her mother discovered that now she could be controlled by a mere mention of the magistrate.
 People at Corbigny said that those Louveaus were fools, especially as an | other little girl arrived in the family l that winter. The vicar of Corbigny | went to see Madame Louveau to sug- | gest that they had taken a burden on | themselves unwisely.
 My husband has given another proof that he is not an eagle" said mother Louveam But now that we have taken the boy, it Is not in order that we should get rid of him. If we get into difficulties we shall not ask chari- ty from anybody"
 Gods blessing Is on large families said the good vicar. delighted that he could make his advice fit the case so well.
 La Belle Nivernaise, with all her holes and hopeless timbers, held to- gether wonderfully. a triumph of faith over matter, til, the children were 5 years old and were sent to school every winter. Victor never went without Clara He carried her books and the basket of food. He fought all the village children in her honor and be- came the champion of that field, as he did in the field of knowledge. Old M Maugendre, the rich wood dealer of Corblgny a thin man. dry as stick, who seemed to love nobody, saw him one day. After that the re- served old fellow-older in manners than in years-used to chat with the Louveau: He reminds me of child that I lost-a long time, very long | time ago. I tell you what when you get A>tired of Victor. give him to me. | I will send him to college. He shall go to the School of Forestry" Francis declined energetically. M Maugendre said nothing more. He | thought of the rotten old barge, and said to himself Wait"
 He did not have long to wait. The Crew hurt himself one day on the eve of unloading. Everything in life al- ways had gone wrong with the Crew
 He was one of those unhappy human
 beings. A school fellow had knocked out an eye for him. An ax had lamed | I,A. A I. T l | him in a sugar refinery. He had lost
 leg in some other accident Lou
 veau, who always saw things at a | glance, had found him starving in g
 ditch and had taken the invaluable fel- | low on at once.
 Hardly had the Crew succumbed to
 regular fate before unusual fate struck
 Mother Louveau. For the first time 1 in her life she became i'll. Victor
 nursed her day and night, while Lou
 vean sorrowfully set forth to buy
 lumber all by himself.
 He had a famous way of measuring
 trees. He Tapped a string around q
 trunk and then he multiplied by--ht
 multiplied blythe fatal thing was that
 It was Mother Louveau who always | Remembered what one had to multipiS
 by He got all bewildered and con.
 founded, and made a dreadfully poo, | bargain with a swindling dealer.
 And then La Belle Nivernaise. tht | brave Belle, the faithful the ever-leak
 ing and never sinking. La Belle Niver
 naise began to succumb to her honor
 able wounds. Barely did they succee,
 in keeping her afloat
 It was time for M. Maugendre
 The wood dealer set out glasses anC
 poured the white wine. Francis Lou
 veau had kept his vow faithful,
 against drinking too much, although a
 first 1t had required masterly steerinG
 to keep La Belle Nivernaise from turn
 ing Into the bank at the riversid
 taverns, for the old boat had acquire,
 habits with years. He drank the whit
 wine with the pleasure of one wh,
 deserves a feast.
 ''Once I had much happiness. my dea
 Louveau," said Maugendre. T had