Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1914-07-01
in every good thing. This time it's the

or the castle went on, quietly enough,
and hen in a flash brought his fist
down on the table with q roar. But,
by heaven. he's my boy. too. now. He's
a miracle Of a boy and l o him like
a son and l want to give him such q
chance in life as / would have given
had he been born my son. Are you go
ing to stand in the way Of that?"
Claire: she saw the way they led. and
she rebelled at fate. 1t was cruel. now
when they were able again to do all
for n child which they a planned.
to take the child away: yet that very
ability to do for him was the gift Of
she say?
1T will go hard with the lad to give
us up she brought out softly.
He won't give you up; I should not
respect him If he gave you up" the
general Numbered. and the two peas
ant breathed more freely. This great
good fortune was not. after all. the prA e
Of their son.
BY degrees the three came to an I'M
Outstanding. And the peasant parents.
seeing how the general, as he had said,
did indeed love their boy; seeing also
that he had a owe beyond theirs TO
develop him; seeing that advantages
and a career were waiting for little
Francois If their love for him should
be unselfish; seeing these things. the
father and mother agreed to the gen.
erals plan. A tutor was to be engaged
for the three children: Francois was
to live at the castle as fit should be
explained to him-he were going away
to school. n every Friday he was to
walk to the Ferme du Val-the Valley
stay with his people until
Sunday afternoon.
So. without realizing the change. the
boy who had been the child of a peas
ant cabin became the child Of the cas-
Tie. and while entirely loyal to the home
he still held to be his own, he learned
ways OF living and breathed in ideas
Whlcn could not have come to him at
the farm. The Fridays were eagerly
looked Onward to. and 1t was excite
ment and rapture to see and share in
the new prosperity-the large stone
mousse or a story and a half, rooted
Win immense oak shingles richly dark
with age; the farm buildings clustered
about 1T. connected with stone walls,
forming a large court; the big granary
standing aside on a hill slope; and tho
multitude Of live stock-the 20 cows, the
eight heavy work horses Of the coun-
try. the six horses which pertained to
the farmer for driving and riding. and
the two pairs of mild-eyed oxen, used
lor breaking the earth. The father and
mother retgned busily and happily over
all this plenty, and all the brothers and
SISTERS were together once more around
them n the white-capped grand
mother smiled a benediction from her
Dig chintz chair. Such a greeting as
Francois. her especial boy, got from the
sIanomother on a Friday evening, after
his long walk!
This new order Of things was we'll
settled before six months had passed
after the going Of the MARQUIS Zapni.
FRANCOIS. was not now allowed to fill
the place OF secretary except in an in
cideatal way. The new tutor. a serious
young man whom the children aston
ished and worried. copied. the pages Of
the history Of the emperor. It vas
thought important now that Francois
should work at his studies. There was
a rumor already that he and Pietro
might go together. perhaps. in a year
more. to a military school-in fact, to
Satnt-Cyr itself. If h marquis thought
we'll OF the place when he came home.
And then in three or four months more
something happened.
Francois was alone with the general
when the letter came: Marcelle, the
younger footman. had been sent to the
mayors in the village for the mail,
which came, by post to Delesmontes and
was brought on by o o messengers to
vicques. to the mayor. who distributed
1T. Francois eye were on his seig-
neur's face as he read the letter and
the boy saw the blood rush through the
weather-hardened skin in a brown-red
flood. and then fade out, leaving it
gray. The boy had never seer the gem
eral look so. With that. the big arms
were thrown out on the table and the
big grizzled head fell into them. That
cut Francois soul-his seigneur was
in trouble. And before he knew it his
childish arm was around the big neck
and his cheek against the seigneur's.
so AH~ ~~aA ~e~
pressed the little face closer. For long
minutes o q word was said and then
the generals deep voice spoke, more
gently than Francois had ever heard It.
1T IL a good thing to have q son. my
Francois" he said.
Then he lifted his head and told the
boy how the friend who he had found
lately. after 30 many years Of separa-
ton. q gone away not to come back
in this life. and how Pietro was
fatherless. Francois. holding tight
" with. both fists to the generals
hand. istened wide eyed, struck to the
come nea and the Race Of It was grim.
Yet instantly he rallied. because he
felt that his seignAur needed him,
But he q a brave life. my seig-
neur-it IL the best thing that there Is.
My mother said 50. My mother told
me that we shall smile later. when we
are with the good God, to think that
we ever feared death on this earth.
For she says one spends q long time
with the good God later, and all ones
dear friends come. and It 10 pleasant
and It 10 for q long. long time. while
here It 10, after all quite short. Il
not h q true. my seigneur? My mother
said It."
But all the general answered was to
pat, his head and say once more: 'Tt
II Z good thing to have q son, my
FrancoiA"
CONTINUED next week.