The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1922-01-07

heautv in a raccoon hat I'd ike 10
see you settle down with Va-de-bon-Coeur nc
richer than all the rest of your dandies put ".
eether. Mails. won't insist, I'm no ogre. choose
for yourself, but you must choose now. ~
willy-nillied long enough"
Claire stepped close to him, threw back her neau
81 won't marry anyone but Phiilppe Deauei'
And you know 1t !" ,
"Ughm the deer slayer. Bah. he Couldn't VIII
you In fair fight"
"Sacre. will! We shall have public match
at Noel time and IL he isn't wiped In the art you
can have the moon-struck fool" :.
.aTres bien !" Claire was defiant and joyous. IL
was plan- that she had no doubt OF her rover
proves. .o,,aoa
But on second thought the old warrior deciaeo
he could not pick out the husband OF MS petite
anpe" through a public brawl. &c. thinking shrewo-
lv az old ya-debon-C Occur, he decided on race
with sleiphs Christmas day. "And whoever "ihs,
he concluded, "you shall marry him ana ne SHAH
have all your lands"
Now in the village good horses were grea. iuA.
urv. ya-debon-C Occur had his stables 1uil Oh the
best ponies that money could buy. BUT rhi,ippe
had hut one horse, unused to being driven WIN
sIe;ph . good sure-footed bay. excellent for nunt-
inc Int for cutter racing-Claire sighed douptfuy.
Sieur Beauyais. decided on race OF SIXTEEN
miles on the ice Of LAnse Grouse, the shaho" Nv
tie bay on Lake st. Claire. twisted tree Oh tue
far side was selected as the eight-mile turning
point. .,a,. non,os
Old va-de-bon- Coeur was out every morning. iash-
inc his choicest black stallion up and down the
.traot az he leaned forward in his light steeirun
rered cutter that had been sent from the East
Of3cers were seen impatienty nagging their Or
dor,,as IN more careful grooming Of their fine roam
mares Even the tradesmen bought horses the
hest they could afford, and went flying along inc
snowy roads.
general excitement. AS usual ne was sone ,,a,,.
the forests at dawn, where 1t was SAID ne spen.
tba fay hunting with the Indian chief Menotepan.
Whenever he rode he was seen astride the sahle
,,onv that had always borne him. 1t was KNOWN
throughout the town that he had not even pul-
chased Sleigh It was wondered at, Tor ms ue
votion to the fair Claire was an open secret.
Wasn't he going to race? The villagers cast con
passionate glances at Beauvais's lovely httie nell
ass Her preference for him was an open secret
too. - p,ch.
A. ,opoth Christmas morning dawned Rgnt
e. r,ass was said in the old church OF Ste. Anne
tho crowd collected on the hank OF the bay
4 lttle apart from the crowd stood Claire Beau
.,. ora her father Claire looked like an etnereai
ixad holly berry In great red doiman. Her Eyes
dashed with excitement and her little rounu s,la
was held ND proudly out OF her great cohar. "
good old Seigneur strutted about VITA seil-in
portant air, giving orders anu waving se"-
tations to the townsrolk.
rhera were IL contestants. Of every kind AM
.aad..,or There were cutters. jumpers, trains
,rrcs sleds and carioles The impatient driver
,.re arcoutred In devious ways; some IN 'eathe
dc,h,ets some in furs, some in military manner
come IN great wooden blankef-coats OF ricn colo '
Ana - all that group Of contestants none wa
,rora imnatient than old va-de-bon-Coeur' con on