The Detroit times., 1913-09-04

CnduHel MOTE anu tuoie iS DN''"e "
tn the general. the castle. less aud
less. though he still lived with them
and was faithful 10 them did he be
long to his father and mother and the
village life After few months an
event came which separated him
from the old order sharply.
There was farm In the Valley
Delesmontes-fiv miles IL Was from
vicques which was dependence or
the seigneury: for centuries the same
family had held H. and it was consid-
cred the richest holding for peasant
in that part OF the world. Just now
the family all al once came 10 an END,
Ii was necessary 10 find new tenants,
and the general offered the place 10
lie Francois and lie Claire. Even IN
their best days they had not been so
prosperous as this would make them.
1t was a large farm OF four hundred
acres. with big house. with gardens
and farm buildings and many horses
and cattle--a rich great place for
them and for their children. There
could be no question as TO accepting
ths offer. : They could have their
family together once more and give
them advantages beyond what had
ever been planned II was new start
in life. And lie Francois. having
learned his lesson SO bitterly, could
be trusted now to make the most of
It. II was almost q miracle TO hap
pen in old. quiet, little Vicques.
where changes came mostly by slow
years, noe often by thunderclaps. Yet
beautiful as IL was. there were draw
backs. One must leave ones village
where ones self and the grandfathers
and the great-grandfathers and before
that others. had been born and
buried; one must leave ones old
house down the street there, and the
dream OF buying 1t back. which had
kept despair out Of these months OF
poverty: moreover, what about Fran
co.'s?
La Claire and lie Francois. sitting
stfffiy on the fine chairs in the gen
erals library. where they had been
brought to hear the great news. asked
that question suddenly In a breath
The general glowered at them from
deep eyes.
There is the screw" He fired the
words at them like hot shot and La
Claire shrank q little. There's al
ways q screw somewhere in every
good thing. This time it's the boy"
There was q silence. Claire trem-
bled. The boy is your boy" the seig.
neur OF the castle went on, quietly
enough. and then in a flash brought
his Inst down on the table with a
roar. But. by heaven. he's my boy,
TOO, now. He's a miracle Of boy
and | love him like a son and l want
to give him such chance In life as
I would have given had he been born
my son. Are you going to stand In
the way of THAR"
Like bullets the words struck La
Claire: she saw the way they led, and
she rebelled at fate II was cruel,
now when they were able again to
do all for the child which they had
planned, TO take the child away; yet
that very ability to do for him was
the gift Of the man who wanted him.
What could she say?
1T will 60 hard with the lad TO
give us up she brought out softly.
He won't give you up; I should
not respect him IL he gave you up"
the general Numbered. and the two
peasants breathed more freely. This
great good fortune was not, after all,
the price Of their SON.
By degrees the three came to an
And the peasant par
ents, seeing how the general, as he
had said, did indeed love their boy;
seeing also that he had a power be-
~ %
that advantages and a career were
for little Francois IL their
ove for him should be unselfish; See
Ing these things. the father and
mother agreed to the generals plan.
A tutor was to be engaged for the
three children; Francois was to live
at the castle as fit should be ex-
planned to him-he were going away
10 school. and every Friday he was
TO walk to the Ferme du val-the
Valley Farmland stay with his peo-
pie until Sunday afternoon.
So, without realizing the change.
The boy who had been the child OF a
peasant cabin became the child of
he castle. and while entirely loyal to
he home he still held to be his own.
he learned ways Of living and breath
ID In Ideas which could not have
come to him at the farm. The Fri
lays were. eagerly looked forward to-
Ind II MAS excitement and rapture to
zee and share in the new prosperity
the large stone house. OF a Story
and q half, .roofed with immense oak
shingles richly dark with age. the
farm buildings clustered. about II,
stone walls forming
4 large court; The big granary. atana.
ing aside on q hill slope; and che null
titude of live stock-the eeyenty
VOWS, the eight heavy work horses OF
the country, the six horses which
pertained to the farmer for 0iving
and riding. and the two pairs of mild
sye6 oxen, -uSQ6 TOR breaking the
earth. The father and mother reign
"a busiiy ana happily over all this
plenty. and all The Brothers and SIS
ers were together once more. around
hem and the white-capped granu
mother smiled q benediction from he
Dig chintz chair such a greeting az
her -aspecial boy. got from
he grandmother OH Friday. even
ng after my fong yam.
This--neH Order o1-thlngs- waa well
settled before six months had passed
after the going OF the Marquis Zappi
Francois was not now allowed to I'LL ,
he place OF secretary except In an
Incidental way. The new tutor. a ser