The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1914-05-08
CHAPTER *.
The Castle Children.

iHClc Wds q farm III Ile NaH6y
Delesmontes-fiye miles it was from
. which was a dependence of
the seigneury; for centuries the same
family had held it, and it was con-
( sidered 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 LIE Francois and La Claire
Even in their best days they had not
been so prosperous as this would
make them. But what about Fran
co.'s? The general glowered at them
from deep eyes.
There's always screw somewhere
in every good thing. This time it's
the boy"
There was silence. Claire trem-
bled
1T will go hard with the lad to
give us IN" she brought out softly.
He WORT give you up; l should not
respect him if 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 him-he were
going away to school, and every Fri
day he was to walk to the Ferme du
Val-the Valley Farmland 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 zappi.
And then in three or four months
more something happened.
Francois was alone with the general
when the letter come His eyes were
on his seigneur's face as he read the
letter and the boy saw the blood rush
through the weather-hardened skin in
brown-red food, and then fade out,
leaving it 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
back in this life, and how Pietro was
fatherless. Francois, holding tightly
with both fists to the generals hand,
listened wide-eyed. struck to the he7rt.-
But he had a brave lie, my
seigneur--it is the best thing that
there is. My mother said SO. My
mother told me @t6at we shall smile
later. wasr we are with the good
Cod TO think that we ever feared
death on this earth. For she says one
spends a long time with the good God
later. and all ones dear friends come,
and it is pleasant and it is for a long,
long time, while here it 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 a father to him as
best he might, and Alike and Francois
would be his sister and brother. He
took the blow dumbly and went about
his studies next morning, but for
many days he could not play. ard
only Francois could. make him speak.
He was extraordinarily
handsome a lovable good child,
but slow in initiative where Francois
was ready, shy where Francois was
friondS with all the world steady
going where the peasant boy was brill
liant. Between the two, of such con-
rasting types, was an mistaken bond
from the first. and at this age it
seemed to be the little peasant who
had everything TO give. Smaller phys
ically. weaker in muscle than the big
boned son of North Italy. he yet took
quite naturally an attitude of protec-
ton and guidance, and Pietro accept
ed it without hesitation.
Two years slid past noiselessly<
noticed, and it was vacation
was August of the yea
chateau of Vicqyl
hack behind the .
in hot sunligh1