Year: 1876

had secrets to talk about, for everything
Antoine heard he went straight and told IL
and, indeed, believe he could not have
helped II, If he knew he was to swing for II
the next minute; but he is dead now, like
many a one once knew. May he rest in
peacer'


"But did you ever know any one else
who tried it," cried both The children at
once.


"only Pierre. Pretty Madeline, old
Jacques the miller's daughter, waited up
one Christmas Eve, and, when midnight
| drew near she was too afraid all at once TO
stir out in the dark alone for anything so
strange and wonderful, so she sent Pierre,
her cousin. He had heard nothing, he said
when he came back but nobody thought
that counted much, for though Pierre was
a clever fellow enough, and could even
read in the newspapers all by himself,
without the priest to help him, everybody
knew he wouldn't have heard the church
bells, If they had all rung at once and he in
| tie tower, if he were thinking of Made
| line; and that same evening didn't the
miller-Jacques was lame then-ask him to
give him his crutch, aud put stick on the
fire, and didn't Pierre put the crutch on the
fire and give Jacques the stick, and Made
line was just in time to pull the crutch out
of the flames, and 1t was scorched ever af-
ter. So you see hs was not much to be de-
pended on, till he married Madeline and
settled down.


"Madeline was only goose-girl, but abe
was a stout, comely maid, with cheeks like
roses, and Pierre from a boy had always
been fond OF her. lie taught her 10 read
while she was minding the geese, and there
never was a storm so bitter that Pierre
wasn't glad 10 face 1t II he could only help
Madeline home with her geese. Alb, they've
risen q bit since that day, for Pierre turned
out thrifty fellow, and - The saints
shield us Leon, what was that?"


II heard nothing but the night-wind
blowing" said Leon, gravely. But An
nette clung 10 her grandmother, and the
grandmother laughed lightly to think how
slight thing startled her in her old days.


The little girl listened for some time
longer, while Mere Maturin wandered on,
telling old stories OF people she had known
in her youth, but Leon was strangely ST.
lent. A thought was working in his brain.
Why should not be, that very night, find
out with his own ears IL this were trueH
He would not tell Annette, for she might
be afraid and cry out or make noise, and
spoil all, and he would succeed no better
than did Antoine, whom his grandmother
knew. So when Mere Maturin said it was
time to go 10 bed, he undressed, and said
Ii III. 4
mattress in the loft. He had grown too big
for it, but 1t was tho best he had, and his
sleep was always sound. Grandmother
and Annette would soon be asleep in the
room or the kitchen, and Leon lay in bed
watching the faint gimmers and shadows
that fell on the lolt stairs from the remains
of the fire that burned low in the wide
kitchen chimney. They had had larger
fire than usual, for 1t was veIy cold wealth
er and Christmas Eve, and Mere Maturin
had said, 1--WE must be warm tonight, IL
we are cold all the rest of the winter" He
kept his eyes open for SON Q time, but fell
asleep at last, aud started awake in a sud-
den fright, lest the magic hour had slipped
away from him in bis sleep, and he would
have a whole year TO wait before he could
try his chance again. The clouds had all
cleared away, and the moon was shining
brightly In through The diamond-shaped
panes in the little window. Leon slipped
out OF bed and into his clothes, and then
softly crept down stairs. He could just
sec The face of the old clock in the corner,
and he was in lime, 1t wanted five min
utes OF twelve. He crossed the kitchen so
softly that he did not disturb his grand
mother and sister, and, unfastening the
door, stood alone out in the night. Leon
was a brave boy, so no thought OF fear
came TO him, but he shvered in the nip
ping winter air, aud pulled his cap down
over his ears. He could easily see by the
ought TO be, although 1t was covered by
several inches Of snow, and in a few min
utes he was at the door.


Very softly now, Leon, or Blanchette
will liz her head and look at you out of
her large, gentle brown eyes, and old jean
elite will move her long ears and snuff dam
ger near, and you will spoil 1t all.


So gently he undid the door, so quietly
lie stole in and stood in the shadow, that
neither COW nor ass could be disturbed, yet
surely something has aroused and alright
ed them both. Leon listened breathlessly.
Suddenly both the animals near him moved
uneasily. Presently from outside the sta
BILE, came clearly and distinctly on the
night air the bray of an ass. 1t made Le-
on start more than when Jeanette answer
ed it from within the stable with another
bray.


He was only frightened for a moment,
however, and then he turned aud went out
of the door to see who this midnight visit
or could be. There was nothing in the
yard; but he crept along by the fence, and
when he reached the gate, there, standing
in the moonlight, was an ass, her head
pushed far over the gate, and her long ears
bent forward, listening for some answer to
her summons. There was a saddle on her
back, but no one on it.


For a moment Leon paused. He knew
she had not come there all alone, but that
probably somewhere along that lonely
country road she had parted from her bur-
den. The nearest house was four miles of,
and in different direction from that by
which the ass had come, for Leon saw her
footprints In the snow. He might have TO
walk far ere he should find those whom
she had carried, but If he did not go-if he
waited till daylight-lt might be too late
for help to reach those whom cold and snow
had perhaps overcome. He opened the
gate, then fastened 1t securely behind him,
and turned the ass around. To his sur
prise she made no objection, but somewhat