The Tabor independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1913-19??, 1914-06-18

uncle or aunt--there would in short
time be no home and no living for them
until the broken father could gather
himself and begin again. Little Fran
co.'s resolved that he would not go. he
would stay with his father and prove
that IL was not too young to make
money. AS he stood watching the
sheriff who moved gloomily about his
unwelcome duty he was aware OF q
horses hoofs beating down the road,
and he turned. In the midst OF his
grief II was interesting to see the
Baron-General Gourgau coming. on
his bay mare Lisette. The general
drew up beside him and looked at him
sternly.
Where is your father" he shot at
him, and threw a leg over and vaulted
Off and flung the mares reins to the
lad, and swung into the great entry
and through the open door into the cot
tage.
Francois, though broken hearted. was
but IL, and II was a proud thing TO hold
the seigneurs horse and pleasant to
see the spirited beast paw the earth
as he held her. He was so entranced
with this occupation that he forgot
his bruised life and his lost career en-
tirely. For 10 minutesshe forgot, and
the other children gathered around
him, and he ordered them away from
the horse and felt himself its guardian
and an important person, with COM
plete satisfaction.
And at that, out Of the house came
the seigneur, big and black browed and
solid OF tread. and with him that
broken hearted father whose face re-
called all the tragedy.
Francois" his father spoke, more
GENTLY than ever he had spoken before,
II have taken your future from you,
my son. The seigneur wishes 70 give
1t back. He wishes to make you his
child. Your mother consents--and IT,
consent" His fathers arm was
about his neck. The generals abrupt
voice took up the statement.
'Will you come and live with me In
the chateau. Monsieur the Marshall
he demanded roughly, kindly, Il will
treat you as a son-you shall learn to
soldier. You shall fit yourself for the
part which we know must be played
one day. Will you Gomez"
Francois, staring up with his great
eyes stretched, was dumb. Just now
all that he had hoped for in life had
been snatched from him; more than
he had dreamed was now offered in q
seemed that heaven had opened and a
miracle of Joy came down; then 1t
flashed 60 his mind that this dazzling
giftahad price. He felt the touch OF
his father, the ruined, sorrowful father;
he saw In the shadow Of the entry his
mother who listened; In a flood he re-
membered their lifelong love and his
resolutions OF FIVE minutes ago-the
hard life of labor and saving which he
had planned for himself. There
is no halfway with a child.
With whole soul Francois cast away
the brilliant dream and hardly felt an
effort.
81 thank you a thousand times, my
SedgneuF," he answered with decision.
II can not go with YOU. must stay
and work for my father and my
mother"
There was silence for minute in the
sunshiny garden. the children had
wandered away: the men did not
speak; one heard only the mare Lisette
whom Francois held, who stamped her
| light forefoot and whinnied impatient
| ly. Then the generals grave voice
sounded, more gravely than ever.
Francois Beaupre, you own fine
lad" he threw at the dropping peasant.
81 would like to have him for mine.
Since can not, / shall try at least to
be his friend. Monsieur the Marshal, 1T
must be as you say. But come to see
me at the chateau soon. / shall have
things to talk over with you"
Little Francois, absorbed in admira-
ton OF the easy . way in which the
seigneur threw leg across the restless
Lisette, wishing desperately that he
might learn to ride such a horse, was
disconnected, as the dancing brown feet
cantered away, to feel his fathers
arms holding him suddenly, closely,
and a wetness on his cheek.
why are you crying, my father? he
asked wondering.
Three weeks later, of all the seven
children only Francois and the baby
were left with their father and mother.
The othsrs We're portioned out. one
here, two there, among charitable
uncles and aunts until the time should
come, IL ever, when lie Francois should
prosper enough again to care for them
all He had rented q small cottage at
the other end of the village, and Claire,
In happy times quiet woman Of few
words, had suddenly acquired pro-
| nounced gaiety. The little feet of her
seemed always moving about the poor
place and she sang at her work, which
was a new, habit. e.
How can your" the elder Francois
asked one day, and she explained to
him,
"a house without brightness might
as well not be. In the other time you
were cheerful always--at present you
can not be, so do ii for you. With
hope and work everything will come
right again, and dare not stop hoping
or working ! dare not let grief take
| hold of me, for 1t would choke me. We
have two children, and we shall get
back the rest Do not look backward,
nay Francois, where there was joy, but
| forward, where there will be joy"
And the big Francois brought down
his fist with bang on the table. ''It
| is the right stuff that is In you. It is
| the women who are brave. will be
| like a woman IL may! viii stop
this whining and live like you. whom
] have ruined" r
And he did 1t. So 1t happened that
| the memory of little Francois held
only pleasant pictures of those days of
| sudden poverty; recollections of bare
| little place which shaped swiftly to at
Effectiveness, of comradeship with his
father in the business of money-get-
ting; OF deep satisfaction at feeling
| himself a factor In the growing hoard,
| and, above all, a recollection OF that ex-
| quisite gaiety OF his mother which had
no likeness TO resignation or duty, but
rang with the unselhshness of love.
Moreover, the hard labor TO which he
had sentenced himself came in an un-