Western news and the Libby times. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1920-1933, 1931-01-08

with their spigots down. waiting for
tina willing hands Of his friends and
neighbAxA to turn them.
Jeems hunted ont The plow and
kettle and loom which his father
wanted to buy. While occupied In this
way, he came upon tabie piled with
4 hotchpot OF articles. and his heart
gave pump when he saw a number
OF books printed In English. His mind
WAS filled with the thought Of his
mothers JOY II he could take these
treasures home to her. There were
I'VE Of the books. Malvern Dale.
Evelina, Telemachus. Eloixa. and Jo-
seph Andrews. thrilling list OF titles
1t seemed to him. and as quickly an he
could he approached Lussan upon the
subject OF their worth and purchase.
Seeing no merit In printed English and
small chance for their sale. and being
as well a free-hearted man and al
ready warmed by his own excellent
beer. Lussan gave them to Jeems
0verjoyed by this unexpected wind
fall Of fortune, Jeems began to watch
anxiously for the coming or his father
and Uncle Hepsbah and for the ap-
pearance OF the seigneur Tonteur and
whoever might be with him.
He placed himself where he could
see down the road that came from the
Tonteur seigneurie. and when at last
he heard the auctiOneers voice bel
lowing forth his announcement that
the sale was about to begin. he felt
a somber sinking Of his hopes. They
liyened instantly when three figures
on horseback appeared at the end Of
the half mile OF road. The foremost
rider was Tonteur. the second Paul
Tache, and In the third saddle rode
slim. wide-hatted little person who
was none other than Marie Antoinette
T0nteur herself.
Concealing himself behind the bole
OF a tree. Jeems watched them as they
passed. 50 near that pebble flung BY
a honf OF one of the horses fell at his
side. Ills courage almost failed him
then. for while his hands clenched at
the sight Of Paul Tache. his heart fall
tered in Its beating as his attention
turned from his enemy to Toinette.
She had become, all at once, Young
lady whom he could easily believe he
had never seen before. and the change
In her held him for few moments 50
f0rgetfu OF his own existence that
he would have been discovered had
one Of the three happened to glance In
his direction. Toinette was wearing
her first riding suit. gorgeous blue
camiet trimmed with silver, Just ar
rived from Quebec. With this she
wore a smartly cooked beaver hat
which bore rakish feather. and from
under this hat her long dark hair fell
In q cascade Of carefully made curls,
partly restrained In their freedom BY
two or three red ribbons enmeshed
tmoDg them. She was superbly aware
OF the lovely figure she made, and
every inch Of her body was at a dig
mined tension AZ she rode past the
place where Jeems was hidden.
After she had gone. Jeems felt an
overwhelming sense OF Ittleness and
unimportance. For Toinette was no
longer Toinette, but real princess,
grown up. And Paul Tache, riding
close beside her. with hair powdered
and tied and with a red velvet coat
that could be seen 4: mile away, seemed
now to be Infinitely removed from the
plottings which he had conceived
against him. He stepped from behind
the tree and stopped to pick up the
pebble which ToInette's horse had
flung at him. He could hear the auc-
tioneer's voice. and others bidding for
Lussan's properties. Then came 4
burst Of laughter which rose with I'M
restrained abandon above all other
sound. q blast OF merriment which he
would have recognized anywhere In
the world. Only his Uncle Hepsibah
could laugh like that. The sights and
cxcitements OF the scene about him
would have made for him one OF the
most thrilling events of his forest.
trimmed world. had his heart not been
choked with the emotions Of impend-
ing drama Yet he did not press his
desires by undue haste, and 1t was
half an hour before he found himself
close to the one who occupied his
thoughts. This happened In such q
fortuitous way that Toinette. con-
cealed by the ample forms OF Lussan's
wife and daughter, was within a foot
Of his shoulder before he knew 1t.
She did not see him. and he stood
with wildly beating heart. breathing
the faint perfume from her person, his
senses dazed by the nearness OF her
splendor and his world OF vision filled
only with great broad-brimmed hat,
an enravishing mass OF ustrous curiY,
a sunset OF crimson ribbons. 4 pair OF
slim shoulders-and then. his para
disc broken by the ugliness OF reality.
he discovered Paul Tache. The young
man was returning from journey to
the barrels, and. when he saw Jeems,
contemptuous smile twisted his lips.
1t was this look which turned Toinette
30 that she found Jeems standing be-
hide her his rar and = nnrkaro IN