South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1913-12-18
AROmdIG Of neutrality-suspicious.
Tie MARSHAL
BYMary Raymond Shipman Andrews
Hg1H"' Tie Perfect TZbuze. etc.
N. BaAnneauEu c..n.rr
'DyriEhl he BobAsEerrn Csaesry.

quick interest. "Wil you? Was there
always fire at your house,"
But no. Northumberland, Of
course in the summer. 1t was Of the
winter time thought. when the
neighbors came. in the evening, and
we sat about the hearth, sometime les
twenty people. each at his different
duty. and my brothers and sisters
were there, and the dear g-on1-mere
was there and" he stopped Does
Mademoiselle really wish to hear how
II was in that old farmhouse Of ours,
III the shadow of the Jura noun
tains?"
Indeed, MademoiseIle wishes it,"
she assured him. 1T will be a trip TO
Europe. I am sure I shall speak bet
ter French for going to France for
ten minutes, and being among the
French people, your friends. Wait
now, till ] am comfortable" She
turned a deep cnair so that it faced
him. and dropped into it, Put "a
foOJstOol for me" she ordered. as
southern women order the men they
care fOr-and the men they do not.
And she settled back with her little
feet on it and smiled at him. For a
moment the mans brilliant gaze rest
ed on her and the girl saw it. and
| thrilled To it. Now Monsieur, ra-
| contez-moi une historic" she spoke
| softly.
Francois Beaupre's look turned
from her to the fire, and the air of
| gazing at something far away came
again. 1T is a picture ] see as |
| think of that time of my childhood"
| he began. as if speaking 20 himself.
"A picture many times painted in
| hOme-like cOlOrs on my brain. Many
! a night in the winter / have sat, a
little boy, by the side of my grand
mother. at that great hearth, and
| have looked and have seen all the
/ faces, have heard all the voices and
| the fire cracking, and the spinning
wheel whirring. even as l see them
and hear them tonight. was al
ways close by the grand-mere, for !
was the dearest of the children to
/ her. Sometimes long after my bed
| time / sat there but very quietly, for
fear that my mother might remember
: and send me 10 bed yet she liked to
please the grand-mere. so L stayed
often longer than the others. 1T was
| q great room, and across one corner
was the hearth which was raised
| like throne. MademOiselle, from the
! floor. twelve feet wide. One burned
| logs six feet long within II. and
| from up the chimney swung the
| cremaillere-the chains from which
were hung the kettles. 1t was the
| house of a peasant, MademOiselle
] knows, yet il was the best house in
! the village. Often. OF a November
night, the neighbo would come in,
/ perhaps a dozen, perhaps more, and
/ the young men had their work-they
arranged the flax for spinning, il
might be-and the young girls pre-
J pared apples to dry. and the mothers
] knitting needles flashed back and forth
/ on the stockings for our winter wear
/ and the grand-mere would be spin
ming linen threads for our clothing
whirr. whirr-I can hear the low
/ sound of her wheel. And always l.
/ Francois. would be on the stool al
\ her side, watching and listening. For
/ my father was a great racOnteur and
! he told stories of the war and OF the
! legends of that country 1t was ar
/ ancient country you must know
Mademoi selle. and the name of oul
village il self was from the Romans
Nicques was the name, and that "a
| YOU know, Mademoiselle. comes from
| the Latin word Vicus a village. ST
| that there were old castles in ruin IN
those parts and tales of buried treas
| are. and ghosts in armor guarding 1t
and great dogs that breathed flame
and other things pleasantly horrible
/ to the ear of a little boy. On the
| cold night. as the fire roared up the
chimney and the grandmOther's vince
whirred softly my father and the
| other men told these tales, and / lis.
| tened. quiet as a mouse in my corner
and from time to time l saw a young
man lean over and whisper in the cal
/ of one of the young girls. and l won.
dered why her face became red as the
freight"
(TO be continued.)