The Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1912-1917, 1914-03-03
CHAPTER <.
The Town-Crier.

| The ToWn-Crier.
The bell in the unseen chapel ceased
ringing as we came out on the cliffs Of
Paradise, where, on the horizon, the
sun hung low, belted with a single
ribbon of violet cloud.
Below the cliffs, on a crescent Of fat
sand, from which sluggish, rosy rivu-
lets crawled seward, a man stood
looking out across the water. And
the mayor stopped and called down to
him: "Ohe, the Lizard! l want some
body to drum and read a proclamation.
Where's Jacqueline"
At this instant young girl, mere
child, appeared on the beach, dragging
sea-rake over the ground behind her.
| She was a 1.-THE creature, bare-limbed
and ragged, with the sea-tan on throat
and knee. The girl caught sight of
! the mayor and gave him a laughing
| greeting which he returned with a
shrug.
'fIf you want a town-crier," she
called up, in a deliciously fresh voice,
scarcely tinged with the accent, 'I'll
cry your edicts and III drum for you,
| tool"
The girl threw her rake into boat
and leaped upon the rocks at the base
of the cliff.
"Jacqueline! Don't come up that
way!" bawled the mayor, Mortified.
| Hey! Robert! Ohe Lizard! Stop
her or she'll break her neck"
| Breathless, hot, and laughing, the
girl pulled herself up over the edge of
the cliff. l held out my hand to aid
her, but she pushed it away, crying,
Thank you all the same, but here
am
The mayor looked at her angrily,
| but, probably remembering he was at
her mercy, suppressed his wrath and
held out the telegram. Can you read
that, my child?"
Yes, can read it. Why not? Can't
you?"
Read? 1 the mayor Of Paradise!"
repeated the outraged magistrate.
What do you mean, lizard Of lizards!
gorse cat!"
Nov if you are going to say such
things won't drum for you," said the
child, glancing at me out Of her sea-
blue eyes and giving shake to her
elf-locks.
| l gave her handful; at the first
glance her eyes sparkled, the color
deepened under her coat of amber tan;
she caught her breath and read rapidly
to the end.
ooh, how beautiful" she said, softly.
Am l to read this in the square?"
II will give you a franc to read it.
Jacqueline."
mo, no-only-oh, do let me come
in and see the heavenly wondersi
| Would you, monsieur? II cannot
pay-but Would-could you let me
come in? l will read your notice, any
way" she added, with quaver in her
| voice.
Come whenever you like, Jacque-
line" said. ASK for me at the gate"
"And who are you, monsieur"
my name is Scarlet"
Scarlett," she whispered, as though
naming a sacred thing.
The mayor, who had toddled some
distance ahead of US, now halted in the
| square, looking back at US through the
red evening light.
"Jacqueline, the drum is in my
| house. I'll lend you a pair of sabots,
| too. Come, hasten little idler!"
We entered the mayors garden,
where the flowers were glowing in the
ulster of the setting sun. The mayor
soon reappeared with drum and drum
| sticks in one hand and pair Of sabots
in the other. go, my child" he said,
and Jacqueline marched through the
garden out into the square by the foun-
| tain, drum-sticks clutched in one
tanned fist, the scrolls of paper in the
other.
II the center Of the square she stood
a moment, looking around, then raised
the drum-sticks; there came a click, a
flash Of metal, and the quiet square
echoed with startling outcrash. Al
ready knot Of people had gathered
around her: others came swiftly to
windows and doorsteps; the loungers
left their stone benches by the river,
the maids of Paradise fiocked from the
! bridge. The drum-roIl ceased.
Attention! Men of Finistere! By
order of the governor Of Lorient, all
men between the ages Of twenty and
forty, otherwise not exempt, are or
dered to report at the navy yard bar
racks, war-pOrt of Lorient, on the 9Th
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