The Yale expositor., 1914-03-05

and stared into 1t. The clock licked
firmly. the logs fell apart with SOFT
sliding sounds, and he stared down at
them-his thoughts far away-a look
came into his eyes as If they concen-
trated Oh something beyond the range |
of sight, the characteristic look OF
Francois, the old look of dreamer. or
seer OF visions.
Then Lucy stood in the doorway,
gentle, charming from the shppereo
! feet, locked over the instep to the
shadowy locks OF light hair on her
| forehead.
Good evening. Monsieur. am
sorry | kept you waiting. Hannibal
hurt his foot and / must find plaster
and bandage for him. But you will
have enough OF my talking even now.
Father says | talk great deal. DO
! /, Monsieur"
Francois stood regarding her, with
frank admiration In every muscle OF
his face. He smiled, the same gentle
amused smile with which he had ad-
dressed the portrait You never talk
too much for me, Mademoiselle. II
is a pleasure to me always to hear
YOUR voice" he answered in the deep
tone OF a Frenchman, the tone that
has ever half note of tragedy, as OF
some race-memory which centuries do
not wipe out. Only" he went On
speaking in French, ''one must not
talk English. That is breaking the
law, you remember, Mademoiselle.'
She answered very prettily in his
own tongue, in words that halted a
little. Very we'll, Monsieur. | VIII
do my best" He still gazed at her
smiling, without speaking. One could
understand that, to a girl OF more
self-contaned people, this open nom
= age of manner, this affectionate gen
: tleness, might seem to mean more
i than a brotherly loyalty. The girls
: pulse was beating fast as she made al
Il effort for conversation. What were
YOU thinking of as you looked at The
. fire when / came in, Monsieur? /
had an air Of being something pleas
u ant. Did | not say all that beauti
y fully?" she finished in English
- He corrected lame verb with ser
a Gus accuracy and she repeated tn
~ word, and laughed happily.
:, But you haven't said yet what 20
10 were thinking about"
- The large brown eyes turned o
- hers. 1T was of my old home l
= France, Mademoiselle, when | wa
- very little" he said simply. "A larg
fire of logs makes me think of that
a. oh hnuUpn
"a quick interest. "Will YOU? Was theT
~ always a fire at your louse?
y, But no, Mademciselle-not,
"a course. i'm the summer. 1t was OF Il
~ winter time thought. when the neig
co bors came, in the eve! ing, and we 81
30 about the hearth, sometimes TWEEN
&c people, each at his different duty, al
"a my brothers and sisters were Their
~ and the dear grandmere, was the
| and" he stopped. Does MademC
nc selle really wish to Lear how 1t w
in that old farmhouse of ours, In q
80. shadow Of the Jura Mountains"
ois Indeed, Mademoiselle wishes i
,l,e she assured him. 1T will be II
,ad to Europe. am sure l shall spe
full better French for going to France
the ten minutes, and being among I
red french people, your lrlenus' W.
now, till am comfortable
M turned a deep chair so that 1t fac
tH him, and dropped into it. Put a 10
XVI stool for me-" she ordered, as sou
MA ern women order the men they c;
81 for-and the men they do not. A
Ez she settled back with her little Il
iEN on il and smiled at him. For I
M ment the mans brilliant gaze resi-
NJ on her and the girl saw it, and thrill
. to it, "Now, Monsieur racontez-r
81 une historic" she spoke softly.
"a Francois Beaupre's look turned fr
teM her to the fire, and the air OF gaz
,0N at something far away came aga
NJ ct is a picture | see as / think
VN that time of my childhood he beg
NV as If speaking to himself "A pict
~ many times painted in homelike
- ors on my brain. Many night in
=, winter I have sat, little boy, by
side of my grandmother, at that 81
hearth. and have looked and have
49, all the faces, have heard all the vol
Q and the fire cracking, and the s
ning-wheel whirring, even as
them and hear them tonight
God. And from time to time one OF
d to men. as he talked. rose up and str
from across the room to the great oak q
uted where lay always on a wooden p
,eled a long loaf of black bread, wit
nder knife. ant always a glass and be
the of eau-de-vie-brandy. And rem
cred Der how manly It looked to me. wa
DOR ing. when I saw him take the
amor mn -r his arm and hold 1t. and
erect of boldly a great piece of the {
gaze rye bread. and pour out glass
mike brandy and toss II OF as he ate
= the bread. The stories seemed to
nose. better after the teller had done
rtrait And always l waited. even thr'
news the tale OF the ghost and the
had breathing hound, till the talk sh
~ al swing round, as II did ever to-
emile the end, to the stories OF Napc
n the that we're fresh In mems mind
thosa dava IL was as III / sat