The Lamar register., 1912-09-18

| uecu Cdileu LOT centuries, stoou oo"0
distance from the shore in vast bay
on the northwestern coast Of France.
| To the right, a sweep OF sward and
marsh stretched seward. until lost
in the distance; to the left, lay the
dense Desaurac forest. from which an
arm of land, thickly wooded, reached
out in seeming endeavor to divide the
| large bay into two smaller basins.
But the ocean, Jealous of territory al
| ready conquered, twice In twenty-fouI
hours rose to beat heavily on this
dark promontory. and. in the angry
hiss of the waters, was reminder OF
a persistent purpose. Here and there
through the ages, had the shore-line
of the bay, as well as the netghbOr.
ing curvatures OF the coast. yielded
to the assaults OF the sea; the Mount
alone. solidly Indifferent to bIandish.
ment or attack, maintained an I'M
varying aspect.
For centuries monastery and fort
ress OF the monks. at the time OF
Louis XVI. ne Mount had become a
stronghold Of the government. strong
" ruled by one Of its most inexorable
MOBILES. Since his appointment many
years before to the post. my lord. the
governor Of the rock, had ever been
regarded as a man who conceded
only the set tenure of his way. Dur
Ing the long period of his reign he
committed but one indiscretion; gen.
orally regarded as a man confirmed
in apathy for the gentler sex. he sud-
denly. when already past middle age,
welded. Speculation concerning
step 20 unlocked for was naturally
rife.
In howell and hut was 1t whispered
the bride Claire. only daughter OF the
Comtesse de la Mart. had wept at the
altar. but that her mother had ap-
peared complacent, as well she might;
for the Governor of the Mount and
the surrounding country was both rich
and powerful: his ships swept far and
wide. even to the Orient, while the
number OF metayers. or petty farmers
that paid him tribute. constituted a
large community. Other gossips, bend.
ing over peat fires within mud walls,
afnrmed-beneath their breath. lest
the spies OF the well-hated lord OF
the North might hear them!-that the
more popular. though impoverished
Setgneur Desaurac had been the
favored sutton with the young woman
herself. but that the family OF the
bride had found him undesirable. The
Desaurac fortune. once large, had SO
wansd that little remained save the
rich. though heavily encountered lands
and. In the heart Of the forest. . time
worn. crumbling castle.
Thus It came to pass the marriage
Of the lady to the Governor was ceIe-
brated in the jeweled Gothic church
browning q medley OF palaces. chapeis
and monastery on the Mount; that the
rejected Seigneur Desaurac. gazing
across the strip Of water-for the tide
was at its full-separating the rocky
fortress from the land, shrugged his
shoulders angrily and contemptuous-
ly. and that not many moons later,
a. to show disdain OF position and
title. took to his home an orphaned
peasant lass. That . simple church
ceremony had preceded this step was
both afnrmed and denied; hearsay de-
scribed . marriage at q neighboring
village: more malicious gossip dis
credited It. A man OF rank! A WON.
an of the soil! Feudal custom for.
bade belief that the proper sort of
nuptial knot had been tied.
Be this as It may, for . time the
sturdy. dark brown young woman pre-
sided over the Seigneur's fortunes
with exemplary care and patience
She found them in q chaotic condi
ton; lands had either been allowed
to run to waste. or were cultivated by
peasants that SO long had forgotten
to pay the metayage. or owners due.
they had come to regard the acres as
their own-a delusion this practical
helpmate would speedily have dis
PEELED. save that the Seigneur him.
self pleaded for them and would not |
permit Of the poor people" being |
disturbed. Whereupon she made the |
best Of an anomalous situation. and |
all concerned might have continued
to live satisfactorily enough unto |
themselves. when unfortunately an
abrupt break occurred in the chain
OF circumstances. In presenting the
Seigneur with a child. half-peasant.
hartford. the mother gave up her own
life for his posterity.
At hrst, thereafter, the Siegneur re-
NAMED recluse; when. however. q
VaAf nr fwn ho4 sorA hv thA