The Washington herald., 1920-09-13

sat himself to rest upon its side.
Whittier those roads led he
knew not. Either way there
seemed 10 lie a great world full
of chance and peril And then,
sitting there, his eye fell upon
bright star, one that he and
Yvonnc had named for theirs
that set him thinking OF Nvonnc,
and he wondered il he had not
been too hasty. Why should he
leave her and his home because
few hot words had come between
them? Was love so brittle
thing that jealousy, the very proof
of it. could break it? Morning
always brought a cure for the
little heartaches of evening.
There was yet time for him to re-
turn home without any one in
the sweetly sleeping village Of
NCrnOy being the wiser. His heart
was Nvonne's; there where he had
lived always he could write his
poems and find his happiness.
Dave rose, and shook of his
unrest and the wild mood that
had tempted him. He set his face
stcadfastly back along the road
he had come. BY the time he
had retravelcd the road TO Yer
noy. his desire to rove was gone.
How well he knew woman's
heart, The next evening NvOnne
was at the well in the road where
the young conErcEated in order
that the cure might have bust
ness. The corner OF her eye was
engaged in a search for David.
L. !
relenting. He saw the look;
braved the mouth. drew from it
a rccantation and, later, a kiss
as they walked humeward to-
Eether.
Three months aftCrward they
were married. pavid'S father was
shrewd and prosperous. He gave
them a wedding that was heard
Of three leagues away. Both the
young people were fsvoritcs IN
the village. There was pro-
cession in the streets, a dance on
the green; they had the marion
cites and tumhlcr out from
Dreux to delight tho guests.
Then a year. and David's faith
or died The sheep and the cot
taEe descended To- him. He al
ready had the socmlicst wife in
the village. Yvonnc's milk pals
and her brass kettles were bright
-oui, they blinded you in the
sun when you passed that ws~.
But a day came when David
drew out paper from A lonE-shUt
drawer. and began to bite the end
OF pencil. spring had come
again and touched his heart
Poet he must have been. for now
Yvonne was wCll-niCh forgotten.
This fine new loNelineSs OF Garth
held him with its witchcry and
grace The perfume from her
woods and meadows stirred him
strangely. Daily had he gone
forth with his flock. and brought
II safe at night. But now he
stretched himself under the hedge
and pieced words together on bits
or paper. Tho sheep strayed. and
the wolves. percoivipC that diff
cult poems make easy mutton.
ventured from the woods and
stole his lambs.
David's stock Of poems grew
targer and his flock smaller.
Yvonne's nose and temper waNed
sharp and her talk blunt. Her pans
and kettles grew dull. hut her
eyes had caught their flash. She
pointed out 10 the poet that his
neglect was reducing the flock and
brInxing Voc upon the household.
M PapineaU. the kind. wise,
meddling old notary, saw this, as
he saw everything at which his
nose pointed. lie went to David,
fortified himself with great
pinch of snuff, and said:
Friend Migot, l affixed the seal
upon the marriage certificate of
your father. 1t would distress me
TO be Obliged to attest a paper
siEnifSinE the bankruptcy of his
son. But that is what you are
coming to. l speak as an old
friend Now, listen to what I
have to say. You have yoYr heart
set, i perceive, upon poetry. At
DreuX, / have a friend, one Mon
sieur Bril-oieorGes Bril-. He lives
in a little cleared space in house
full of books. He is learned man;
he visits Paris each year; he him
self has written books. He will
tell you when the catacombs were
made, how they found out the
names of the stars, and why the
plover has long bill. The mean
ing and the form Of poetry is to
him as intelligent as the baa of a
shecp,is to you. / will give sou
letter TO him and YOU shall take
him your poems and let him read
them. Then you will know II you
shall write more. or give your at
tention to your wife and busi-
ness
Write the letter" said David,
II am sorry you did not speak of
this sooner"
At sunrise the next morning he
was on the road TO DrcuN with
the precious roll of poems under
his arm. At noon he wiped the
dust from his feet at the door OF
Monsieur Bril-. That learned man
broke th- seal of NJ. Pspineau's
letter, and sucked up its contents