The Dermott news., 1914-04-16
CHAPTER TX.
The Castle Children.

h'it vac "a Ahi III III NiAV h'i''
Deleemontes-tive miles II was frG1
Vlcques-whiCh was a dependence Of
the seigneury; for centuries the same
family had held 1t. and it was con.
eidered the richest holding for a peas
ant In that part OF the world. Just
now the family all at once came to
an end. 1t was necessary to find new
tenants, and the general offered the
place to Lee Francois and La Claire.
Even In their best days they had not
been SO prosperous as this would
make them. But what about Fran
COTS The general glowered at them
from deep eyes.
There's always a screw somewhere
In every good thing. This time it's
the boy
There was silence Claire trem.
BLEED.
1T will go hard with the lad to
give us up she brought out softly.
He won't give you up; should not
respect him II he gave you up" the
general Numbered. and the two peas
ants breathed more freely This great
good fortune was not. after all, the
price OF their son.
BY degrees the three came to an
understanding. A tutor was to be en-
gagged for the three children: Francois
was to live at the castle as fit
should be explained TO hiur-he were
going away to school. and every Fri
day he was TO walk 70 the Ferme du
Val-the Valley Farm and stay with
his people until Sunday afternoon.
This new order OF things was we'll
settled before six months had passed
after the going OF the Marquis Zappis
And then in three or four months
more something happened.
Francois was alone with the general
when the letter come. fiis eyes were
on his seigneurs face as he read the
letter and the boy saw the blood rush
through the northumberland skin in
a brown-red food. and then fade out
leaving II gray. The boy had never
seen the general look SO. With that.
the big arms were thrown out on the
table and the big grizzled head fell
into them
Then he lifted his head and told
the boy how the friend whom he had
found lately. after so many years of
separation. had gone away not to come
hack in this life and how Pietro was
fatherless. Francois, holding tightly
With both fists TO the generals hand
listened wide-eyed struck to the heart
But he had brave life. my
,seigneur-it is the best thing that
there is My mother said so. 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 long time with the good God
later. and all ones dear friends come.
and It is pleasant and it is for long
Dong time. while here il is. after all.
quite short. Is not that true. my
seigneur? My mother said it"
Big little Pietro had To be told what
had happened and how the general
was now To be father to him as
best he might and Alike and Francois
would be his sister and brother He
took the blow aumbly and went about
his studies next morning, but for
many days he could not play. and
only Francois could make him speak
He was handsome-extraord
handsome a lovable good child.
but slow In initiative where Francois
was ready. shy where Francois was
friends with all the world. steady.
going where the peasant boy was bril-
liant. Between the two. OF such con
trasting types. was an mistaken bond
from the first. and at this age IL
seemed to be the little peasant who
had everything TO give. Smaller phys
ideally. weaker In muscle than the big.
lboned son of North Italy he yet took
quite naturally an attitude OF protec-
ton and guidance. and Pietro accept
led II without hesitation.
Two years slid past noiselessly, un-
noticed, and II was vacation time: IL
was August OF the year 1924, The old
chateau OF VicQues-the ruin-lay
back behind the corn fields and smiled
IN hot sunlight.
A tall lad OF fourteen, another boy.
psighter. quicker. darker. aud little
girl OF eleven in short white dress,
wandered through the ruins. talking
earnestly now. silent now. filling the
SrAA place with easy laughter again.