The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1914-02-13
copyrighted by Short stories Co., Ltd

NdhN III your nOIhe uIOph htuut AHNi
. begin to inquire" was, we know
speaking of his own beloved metropo
lis, Otherwise one might have beer
: tempted, so perfectly does the de
scription At, to think that he was in
dicating the whereabouts of a certain
French village known to its iTihabi
tants (and to a very few beside) al
Observation-Disclosures
If one has really decided TO go tC
Sainte-Agathe, the first step TOWARD
II is to take ticket for another and
quite distant town. Once there, the
really exciting part Of the journey be
gins.
It's patron saint, however, does her
part by Sainte-Agathe Some portion
of her anatomy, carefully preserved
in an amazing relquary, is, 1t ap
pears, possessed Of marvellous heal
ing properties, so that each 9th
of February sees a long train of vari-
ously disabled persons seeking the
aid of the saint in their misfortunes,
Once a year the fete day arrives,
|
the day of pilgrimage past, It quickly
settles back into the somewhat stag
nant tranquility which reigns during
IL months Of the year, a tranquility
rufiied, but not broken, by happenings
of greater or less local Importance
the inevitable births, deaths, mar
riages and scandals which appear as
surely where two or three are gath
cred together as in the most over
grown of cities.
A traveller who, having triumphed
over the discouragements we have
mentioned, had wandered into Sainte-
Agathe on a certain Wednesday in
June, 1S9-, would have found the
tranquility of that charming spot de-
cidedly in allegiance. House-doors
stood open and unmatched Children
transgressed all established rules of
Juvenile propriety unheeded and un-
reproved. Cats feasted royalty on
leftovers which should have been put
safely by to serve for another meal
but were, in fact, left anyhow on
tables and shelves. The Keronacs'
dog stole a valuable piece of mutton
which never would have been bought
at all save that 1t was the fete day
of gran mere, and he had eaten the
choice morsel and was innocently doz-
ing in the sun long before Nine. Ker-
onac, that carefullest of housewives,
discovered her loss. Indeed, It was
tln d
butchers with the mutton under her
arm that she had made quite another
discovery which excited her so much /
that, f1inging the precious package !
down on the table, she went out again !,
to share her news with a few friends. |
Soon by far the larger portion of the
female population of Sainte-Agathe .
was gathered together in groups dis .
cussing the affair with much finging |
abroad of hands, struggling of shoul-
ders and wagging of white-coiffed
heads.
And truly, the stone which, sudden
ly thrown in its midst had so agi-
tated the pool was of no common pro-
portions. Figure to yourself that
Nine. Keronac, quietly walking home
ward with her mutton under her arm
as before stated, had with her own
eyes seen Joseph Tanguy, resplend-
emily arrayed (as no sane man would
be of a Wednesday without grave
enter the house of Hippolyte
Briac. This could bear but one inter
probation. If Joseph Tanguy, sober
man. 40 If he was day, and a widow
er since three years agone, had put
on his Sunday toggery in mid-week
% visit Hippolyte, it was because he
meant to demand the hand of one Of
daughters in marriage.
Hippolyte had three daughters. but =
he second one was already married
md the youngest was, as all the coun- ]
ryside knew, affianced to a grocers
'lerk now doing his two years In the !
lrmy, and she was but awaiting the [
erm of his military service to help |
him set up again his counter and {
cales. Therefore, Tanguy must be
zone to ask for the hand of Berthe.
he village danes stood amazed. 8
Sainte-Agathe was perfectly aware
hat 1t was four years since Berthe t
lad "coiffed Sainte Catherine" Con '
equently, she was now 20 years old, f
nd of plainness-mon Dieu!-and
Without sou. True, the other daugh- s
ers had been equally dotless, but EN- f
neline was most amusing creature, ?
nd Eugene was pretty enough to O
urn the head of any man, and to put t.
miser out Of conceit of his money e
ags. Whereas Berthe-oh, la! lal v
But, though amazement fingered, v
oubt was perforce expelled from the
1ost skeptical mind when, the Sun a
ay following, the Cure read, before n
he assembled congregation, the bans !!
etween Berthe Briac and Joseph Tan n
uy. Envy, If envy there was, clothed s.
erself decently in conventional felici- Ii
ations and was content to manifest C,
erself by blending with them some h
that unfattering surprise. 81
Tanguy could he have been aues- a
oned, would have contributed little o.
D satisfy the village wonder. He, 81
imself, was not without a vague II
ceiling of astonishment when he b.
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