Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1921-12-15

langushing beauty in raccoon hat. I'd like to
see you settle down with Va-de-bOn-COeur. He's
richer than all the rest of your handles put to-
gether. Mais won't insist, I'm ogre. Choose
for yourself, but you must choose now. You've
willynled long enough
Claire stepped close to him. threw back her head.
81 won't marry anyone but Philippe Beauclerc!
And you know t."
Ugh" the deer slayer. Bah, he couldn't win
you in a fair fight"
ooh, couldn't he! Give him a chance"
"Sacre will! We shall have a public match
at Noel time and If he isn't wiped in the dirt you
can have the moon-struck fool"
"fres benz Claire defiant and joyous. 1t
was plain that she had no doubt of her lovers
prowess.
But on second thought the old warrior decided
he could not pick out the husband Of his petite
ange" through public brawl. SO, thinking shrewd-
ly of old Va-debon-Co Occur, he decided on a
with sleghs Christmas day "And whoever wins"
he concluded, "you shall marry him and he shall
have all your lands"
Now in the village good horses we're a great lux
ury. Va-de-bOn-COeur had his stables full Of the
best ponies that money could buy. But Philippe
had but one horse, unused to being driven with a
sleigh, good, surefooted bay excellent for hunt
ing but for cutter racng-Caire sighed doubtfully.
Seur Beauvais decided on race of sixteen
miles on the ice of L'Anse Grouse the shallow lit
tie bay Lake st. Claire. twisted tree on the
far side selected the eght-mile turning
point.
The contestants commenced to train their ponies.
Old Wade bon Occur was out every morning. LASH
ing his choicest black stallion up and down the
street, he leaned forward in his light steelrun
nered cutter that had been sent from the East.
officers seen impatently nagglng their
derlies to careful grooming of their fine
mares. Even the tradesmen bought horses, the
best they could afford and went flying along the
snowy roads
Only Philippe Beauclerc remained aloof from the
general excitement. AS usual, he gone into
the forests at dawn, where it said he spent
the day hunting with the Indian chief, MenOtepah.
Whenever he rode he astride the same
pony that had always borne him. 1t was known
throughout the town that he had not even pur-
chased a sleigh. 1t was wondered at, for his de-
votion to the fair Claire was an open secret.
Wasn't he going to race? The villagers cast com
passionate gances at Beauvaiss lovely little heir
eSs. Her preference for him open secret,
too.
At length Christmas morning dawned Right
after mass was said IN the old church of Ste. Anne
the crowd collected on the bank of the bay
A little apart from the crowd stood Claire Beau
vais and her father Claire looked like an ethereal
lied holly berry In great red doIman. Her eyes
flashed with excitement and her little round chin
was held up proudly out of her great collar. The
good old Seigneur strutted about with self-im-
portant air, giving orders and waving genial salu
tations to the townsfok 't..
There were II contestants, of every kind and
condition. There were cutters, jumpers, trains,
pungs sleds and carioes. The impatient drivers
were accoutred in devious ways; some In leather
doublets, some in furs, some in military manner,
some in great wooden blanketcoats of rich color.
And In all that group of contestants none was
more inpatient than old Va-de-bon- Occur com