Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1920-02-13

you. 60. monsieur, in Gods name, and !
trouble me no longer"
he raised his voice and shouted,
"NoGisaille! Robitaille!'
From some place in the recesses of
the Chatueau feeble, quavering cry
answered him. And through the door
way Hillary saw the ancient serving
man come shuffiing to obey his master.
And, as he looked at him, his re-
sentiment died. The two old men
Rosny in his brown swallow-tails and
the tight trousers strapped under his
boots, Robitaille, in the faded buffers
uniform, seemed playing a part, acting
in some scene laid in the long past.
Or, rather, they were the past. They
had no place in the modern world,
those ancient figures in their ancient
dress, and with their ancient ways.
They numbered the stage of life, lin
gering there when their exits were
long overdue. They were unreal as
phantom figures glimpsed in a wild
dream. Pity for the two futile old
men choked Hilary's throat. He could
feel nothing but that as he watched
Robitaille come to the door, bobbing
and shuffling, with stiffened joints that
made him more like a marionette.
But he felt, too, the urgency of TAX
ing Madeleine away, into a world of
reality, before the same dream in
fected her.
She came up to Hilary softly and
placed her fingers on his arm, looking
into his face wistfully.
"You must go, dear, and not try to
convince him now," she said. "It has
been q terrible blow to him. He looks
so ill. 1 am afraid for him. I shall
come to you tomorrow and tell you
"Robitaille,' said the Seigneur
Monsieur Askew has decided, much
to my grief, to leave this afternoon
: You will have the goodness to PACK
5 his things and to prepare the calecht
: for him. You will drive him to tht
MILL"
The old man muttered acquiescenct
: and shuffled away. Hilary turned to
ward Rosny. Frankly he held out hi
Y hand The action might have been i'll
t timed, but it responded to his deep
seated feeling. But Rosny did not seen
: I to see the gesture. He stood starin,
d across the room, one hand clutchin'
Y his spreading collar, and his face
e which had been white and red, wa
S purple.
r Hilary turned away. He had reache,
l. the door when he heard a sound as
6 Ros2y was clearing his throat. The
Madeleine cried out in fear. Hilar
d turned, to see Rosny sit heavily dow
Y in his chair. His eyes closed, his arm
S drooped over the sides; his head fel
d on his breast.
o Hilary ran to him. He was uncor
l. scious, and breathing heavily. Hilar
tried to raise him, to carry him to tn
II sofa, but the man seemed made of iro
l. as he lay, a dead weight, in Hilary
IS arms.
d At Madeleine's cry old Robitaill
4 had turned, too, and he came shufflin
1t back. AS he perceived his master l,
le ing in the chair he began to utter will
S, whimpering cries.
u ellis father went that way"
n mumbled. 81 always knew he'd go liE
that Forty-five years I've served hiI
to Forty-five years. l always knew"
s. Help me to get him into the ne.
room, to bed" said Hilary.
Y, Robitaille did not understand, bl
u he aided Hilary to raise his maste
re and together they half dragged ar
e. half carried him into the drawn
~ room and laid him on Hilary's bed.
Madeleine kneeled beside him
n despair, her hands clasped, her ey,
strained on his face. Hilary W;
W loosening his collar and the upper pa
IS. of his clothing. Robitaille had shu
II. fled out.
th II have killed him!" cried the gi
in pathetic grief. II have killed him
or Hilary could do nothing. She seem