The evening world. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1887-1931, 1914-03-25

cOmpanied them TO the snop 81 NJ.
Carbct, where the girl had left her
tray.
NJ. Carbet himself helped TO put II
on her head and stood with NJ. Seguin
watching them as they departed.
II was "A little after . o'clock, and
the white national road kay before
them, balisiers, palmistes. tamarinds
on either side and fields of lending
cane. The island before them lelping
up to the sky in great bouquets Of
happy color, purple and blue and
mauve OF mountain, black blues and
green of ravine and morne: above oi.,
Police, with his turban of cloud. Ono
might have imagined that some giant
in play had put gum on Pelee's head
and tuft of cotton wool on the gum
Il was the only cloud in the blue
sky, and as they walked, some wind,
suddenly born in the upper air. began
to play with II so that 1t seemed TO
fume and rise like smoke.
II gave them something TO talk
about. lie found II very difficult to
follow what she said. speaking as she
did In the patols of the island. and
this difficulty in understanding one
another gave them something to
laugh about. so that soon they were
like two good companions. almost
forgetting, for a moment, the mys-
FERROUS attraction that had drawn
them one toward the other.
She was happy, entirely happy. lie
was beside her. She knew nothing
more of love than that. Two birds
lying forever side by side through
the blue sky. that was her dim con-
'ccption of love. two beings accom-
panying each other through life just
as now he and she were accompany
ing each other along the national
road, what more could one want?
Gaspard remembered NJ. Seguin's
words: "iou can never keep pace
with a porteusc.' The girl beside
him, laden though she was with the
heavy tray. seemed to move without
effort, swift and silent as a cloud
shadow. He was beginning to tire.
but he would not give In. Mon
Dieu," thought he, ITO be outwitted
by "a girl. | would die first"
70 hide his WEAKNESS he began to
sing, lie had a good voice and he
sent "The Girls of Avignon' across
the cane fields, floating on the warm
wind OF afternoon, so that the cane
cutters paused in their work to listen:
81 would sooner die than give IN.
that was the real burden of the
songs with WHICH no tried to give
himself heart. His head ached, his
limbs ached he would have given
half he possessed to cast himself
down amidst the green stun on the
roadside, yet she kept on as fresh as
when she started, listening to his
songs. chatting. saying things that
he only half understood, singing.
sometimes. herself, when he ceased
what a girl.-it was as though n man
had matched himself against an i'm
mortal.
Hero and there along the road were
shrines to the Virgin and occasionally
a fountain fed by one OF the innu-
merable little streams from the mus.
They had passed tho Morne de la
Croix when, by one of those wayside
fountains, his determination to die be-
fore giving in left him. There was u
green bank by the fountain. hugo
tree ferns grew above the bank, ana
In the shadow Of their fronds mo
fountain water, escaping from a
lions head carved in stone. sang ana
whispered forever to the ferns.
He sat down on tho bank. and
Marie. standing before him. saw for
the first time the true state or az
fairs. She took the little flask OF
ratifia which the porteuse always car
rcd and a cup from her girdle. put
some of the ratifia in the cup, hlied
A with water and gave II to him.
He drank It off II was like drink
ing life. Then she pointed to the tray
on her head and asked him to help
her to remove II.
The porteuse, once loaded, cannot
remove the heavy tray from her mead
without help. She dare not bend her
neck lest 1t should be dislocated by
the weight
He rose and helped her; she placed
tho tray by the road, and then SAT
down on the bank beside him. An
how good it was 10 rest in the cool
shadow of the ferns, his tiredncss
cast from him like "a dropped cloak.
A field rat from the canes scuttled
, across the road. Marie shuddered
then she gave little laugh, drew
her robe tightly round her ana drew
up her little naked feet under hei
robe.
"Ah voic Missile Sageese --- an
did YOU see hlm-nore crafty thar
the fer de lance" With head hall
turned she was watching the grass
still vibrating where "Missie' Sagess'
had whisked in
C;aspard laughed The great IA
field rat and the West Indian fielC
rat Is the cunningest thing In ma
tire, and looks ibid carry with 4
a suggestion of the Captain.
He had forgotten Sagesse. La B"il'
Arlosionno and the forthcoming eN
podition for We "oment.
"Sagesse." said he, what do yol
know about cap. Sagesse, littl'
one"
lie hides amidst he canes. he hllli
the little birds thai cannot yet fly, M
comes TO the hen costs OF the poo
people and kills The little chickens
ogg-suoker- OF all things tho meancSt
Once" said Marie leaving descrlp
tion for romance "a fer d" lance hi
him"
did he die"
NO. Il was tho fer 10 lance VIII
died" She laughed, Nultalre sittlnl
l in his study al Ferney, had one" mad
the same jest about the man WIN
poisoned the snake. Goldsmith use
The same idea with a dog for The chi"
protngonist Of his story. she ma
?. never heard of Noltaire or Gold
, smith she Just wanted to deScrlb
Sagesse.
Then she rose to her f"et ana point
cd to her SHADOW strown away dow
the road. then p the sun nearing IN
2 mountain tops II was time Ia Ice 20
1 ing. and Gaspard, rising, helped h"
to LIT the heavy tray 10 her mead,