Show which unkind fate had thrown him and coming to a conclusion When his sparing meal was finished he drew his shoulders up with an Inimitable little shrug of rare elegance and began not I do "Monsieur — ahr— pardon know your name?” “Kendall Andy Kendall" the miner rejoined staring at his strange interlocutor with his open mouth pura sed into something approaching while his whistle of isstonlshment gray eyes twinkled humorously Andahken-da- l “Ah mercl! Monsieur I must I am now s'kns famille the work get The good cure” — and filled 'with here his eyes suddenly recalled memories moisture at abruptly of home — “the good cure said to me when I the long voyage start: ‘Jean sis: You my leetle son remember must always pay as you go Eet ees a long Journay you take all through your life eet ees a long journay Sometimes the way ees hard but mon cher you must always pay as you go even if through youf nose’" He paused and bravely blinked away the gathered tears while the miner coughed loudly to conceal bis own to desires strangely Intermingled laugh and cry “and what “Yes” he questioned now?” “I am without family and must pay as I go” was the response in the same precise English “Don’t you worry about that! You are goin’ to live with me You don’t have to work You’re to be my son ” and “But eet ees not my fathalre you a are” interrupted his guest with tone "and — and of wistfulness slight I must pay as I go” Plainly Jean was declining adoption Big although it appeared attractive Andy made no reply but ate steadily lifting his eyes between mouthfuls to stare in kindly fashion at the boy who gave an equally frank and un- abashed inspection to bis hostv-“Don’t you like me ypung’ feller?” Kendall asked as he folded his arms and leaned dangerously far back on the rear lags of his wooden stool Jcau Lafayette slowly and Into fou’rs strong enough 111 give you the Job" "Job? Job? What ees you would give me? What you call ’job’ monsieur — er —a situation "If Employment" "Ah! Tries bien!” “And I’ll pay you an ounce a month and you’re to live here with me” He fathomed the look of perplexity and hastened to explain “An ounce of gold is— let me see— I think it's about a hundred francs of your money unless l’ve clean forgot all I learned ahen I was a kid” The boy's eyes slowly opened until they were very big and round and then relaxed into such a smile of delight that they were almost shut It was a fortune and the engagement was closed And thus a water carrier was installed into the workaday life of the Jumper mine which at first created much amusement for the rough but good hearted gang who worked it True the creek clear and limpid end cool ran directly through the ground and nearly within always reach but when the situation was explained the men went athirst rather than cause grief and disappointment by declining to drink from the If they resorted to bright tin pail the brook it was surreptitiously and no one could ever forget the look of anguish in the carrier's eyes when he discovered this breach of etiquette but he said nothing for he was enand all of life tirely undemonstrative with him was a very serious business In time be became “the general” common consent by Once the general’s industrious legs grew tired and he succumbed to the inviting shade of a big fir tree which treacherously sang a song of the free winds and lulled him to sleep It was hard to forgive himself for this lapse smothat night big Andy Kendall king bis pipe and reading one of those rare treasures a newspaper heard a few small w’hlmperlng sobs from his helper's bunk He went over and knelt beside it tenderly reaching a long muscular arm r E came to Holcomb quietly prehensive glance was big Andy KenNot that Big Andy was preposwith a dall and unobtrusively tied sessing for he was of the large tag carefully round his left arm bear type that would scarcely be selected as sympathetic ing a printed legend which bore evidence of laborious Jean’s aplomb gave way to a tempainstaking on the part of some one pest of tears as he sought refuge In not entirely acquainted with the Eng the strong shielding arms and burled his llsh tongue It read as follows: face against the broad These boy are shoulder whose blue old and shirt Hes fathnlre are Michel Iafayettoorphtnff who pillowed his face His Work In Holcomb peasShe’d big camp In ant hat fell off unheeded when he was Madre These boy have billet In to go to see hes fathalre Be lifted clear of the ground as his profind and shove heem along s’ll vous plait tector stood erect Hes name Is Jean Guillot Lafayette And Jean Guillot a pathetic little "Boys” the miner announced “I’m worn by long Journeying figure in goin’ to take the little cuss He looks good to me and I’ve got plenty of room steerage railway coaches and up at my place” bumping stages bore ample marks that the Instructions' had been was so like a decision that It they literally followed and that he had un- felt called upon to nod acquiescence He and opened out for him as he marched dergone much “shoving along’ was the last to alight from the inteaway up the hillside to his cabin in rior of the old Concord when with the dull of the evening picking his shrilling brake and loud clattering way around boulders and carrying the halt It stopped before the “Gold Digboy who was sans famille They stood ger” and he was so stiff and sore from without a word until they saw his constant jolting that be almost fell door open and close and then turned when his wdoden sabots Btruck the again to each other He straightened himself up ground “Well I’ll be hanged!" the agent drew his grotesquely big cloak around said and in this they concurred findhim and peered from beneath his ing great poverty of expression in chapeau with bright fearless Inqulr- - such an unusual combination of cirIng eyes at the group of miners who cumstances Besides they were not ' surrounded him men of much speech He was a curiosity to them in his The coming of Jean Guillot Lafayso peasant garb which smacked ette acted as a damper on Holcomb strongly of the provinces of that and in the huge log dance France and beside be was the first hall night the singing of the fiddlers and boy to invade this camp high up in strumming of the guitars failed to the hills where men wrought for gold evoke1 the usual hilarity Even the fought for it and then with equal fergames beneath their shaded tin lamps vor gambled or danced it away when were poorly patronized and the genthe day’s wbrk was done tlemen who dealt them' and garnered "A mighty little cuss to come so far much thrift joined the group alone” commented the stage agent as which listenedthereby to all the stage agent be looked from the letter of Instruchad to impart tion in bis hand to the boy “Ain’t It was scant enough merely that oone of us here I reckon ever done the boy had been handed over by the so such travelin’’’ railway officials at Los Angeles to“Might git him to give a lecture” gether with what was left of his ticksome one suggested and others passed et and a of instruction which facetious but had been letter from remarks equally hand to hand passed through It all Jean Guillot Lafayette In the course of its travels until it still studying the faces around him was begrimed and stained by many stood mute thumb and finger marks The sun had set some time before It was from the village cure of painting the top of solemn Old Baldy’s "Montigny sur Vingeanne" wherever a warm red and filling the that might be summer air of the dead day with a It was a kindly letter in which the — singular languorous quietude Thus It good old priest bared a portion Of his t was that when the vented heart in telling of the love he had an exclamation on reading the tag on long felt for “the petit Jean whom I the traveler's arm it was heard by all christened and whose mother a very He stood away from the lad shoved good lemme of excellent family I had the brim of his hat back with an awkthe pleasure of burying" ward gesture and stared in perturThey couldn’t quite understand the bation at the others of the group use of the word “pleasure but passed “Good Lord!” be ejaculated in disit by as a slip of English There was tress “Good Lord !’V while the men an undernote of vanity also in the of the hills looked at him naive statement that “he’sgood English speak because have not I the “Boys” he said “this little feller cure on Montigny sur Vingeanne him was sent for” I who have traveled far and taught? They shifted on their feet some of been to Angleterre?” them taking a step or two forward Up in the cabin on the hill the arand waited for the agent to continue rival had sobbed himself to sleep in “Mike Lafayette was his father" Kendall’s arms long before the moon "And I came They grew suddenly quiet up and the camp had lost some expect the reason the boy came is beof its interest and turned back to oldcause his folks in France is all dead er ways in response to the seductive The tag says he’s an orphan’ and the clicking of the “And God knows he’s one now for of the strings strident invitation sure” muttered another Even in the shadow of distress it was can here who talk neither fitting nor natural that every"Anybody French?” thing should come to a halt because of The silence which followed indicatan unwonted happening ed that no one spoke that vastly forBut Andy Kendall didn’t come down “YOU DON’T HAVE TO WORK YOU’RE TO BE MY SON" eign tongue Spanish would have been from his cabin that night nor was at their command but French — no ' “How in the deuce are we to tell he thinking of the morrow’s work and with exactitude made parallel rows across and drawing the general to his “diggings” the most prosperous him with his knife fork and spoon across him that his daddy — you all knew him of all where twenty men answered his plate daintily wiped his fingers “What is It old man?” he said in almost a —was killed in a cave-ihis beck and call and tore for him on the borders of his somewhat soiled a voice of unaccustomed week ago?” the stage agent began softness from the earth the scales of potent handkerchief and folded and placed it fancying that desolation and homebut that difficulty was unexpectedly He sat on his threshold totalgold In his pocket before answering: sickness were torturing his protege overcome who by the boy himself of the softened music ly unconscious “Yes Monsieur Andahkendal I lak Perhaps they did have something to spoke for the first time of the dance hall in the flat below “Eet ees to say monsieur’ he said and in the wreaths of smoke from you vaire much You are vaire big do with it The little bands slid slowand kind but — you eat the food wiz ly up around his neck and he felt his in painstaking English “zat I now his built castles around Jean pipe beat heart with sheer delight but he have no fathalre to meet? That he your knife” Guillot Lafayette There were great condemnation and did not speak because he knew it is mort? My fathalre Michel LafayWhen the sun approached in the was not the way He bided his time ette is keeled?” reproof in his tone Andy’s arms unand by its call awoke the morning folded and his chair resumed its the general stilling his until himself sobs He had planted squarely thrumming life of the hillsAndy tipon the floor while he vouchsafed an explanation position before the stage agent selecting him toed from his bunk and with stentori-ou"You will me no longer like astonishment gaped in as the man in authority His capot washed his face in splutterings ms monitor Then with a shriek Andahkendal because because had been thrown back with one wide the tin basin just outside the cabin of amusement he doubled over the taI went to what you call pound my appealing gesture until its two flap- door ble The boy with the utmost gravdam ear” ping ends rested across his shoulders He was interrupted by a foreign salas though fascinated by the widely And the big miner shuddering with his sturdy brown legs and ity exposing utation “Bon Jour monsieur” and on open mouth and firm white teeth breeches of homely drill voluminous suppressed laughter assured him with peering up through the cascade of scrutinized him until he gained His lips trembled vaguely and his seno was many caresses that sleep soapy water which rlvuleted from the and assumed a look of concrime but was considered a water carrious brown eyes threatened a flood brown mop of hair across his eyes ’ trition rier's inalienable prerogative and inof tears’ his guest “Do you think General Lafayette” deed a part of his bounden duty The agent looked at him with a behold “Hello young feller” he returned he said “that if I were to stop and then world of kindly sympathy underwent a subtle Andy Kendall and try to be civilized at the others Jean stared at them with a kindly grin “Feelin’ better change after the arrival of the general are you? That’s a good boy” an Before then he had gambled as did all one after another as if demanding you could conscientiously adopt again And then his nose rubbed to a shinme as a father?” and each in turn dropped men of Holcomb Before then he had explanation And Jqan Guillot after inquiring the his eyes before this brave picture of ing ruddiness by the aid of a coarse been known to drink when in the be refilled the basin and extowel exact definition of the unknown term mood and had blithely danced when misery invitation for a its tended homely one hands he after The boy’s so inclined would consider such impulbut now the mellow agreed that as he busied himself a possibility but politely added that sive green of the layout and he were halting movement toward his use He whistled frying crisp the long slices of bacon he thought it might take some time Btrangers he seemed immune from eyes waved an expressive for their morning meal and laughed to reach a conclusion A strange dordrouth and danced no more gesture of despair dropped when he discovered Jean watching in mant wisdom of fatherhood must have back to his sides and then clasped One speech of his made but a day amazement the deftthemselves together He was learntaught the big miner the right road or two after the exile’s arrival was ness with which he threw huge fla to the little foreign heart which held remembered It was when some ing to know and cross palms with long dexand him aloof and refused to enshrine him and with none to help him jacks into the air turning of the women of the dance hall ventragedy in a dead man's place for from that terously catching them in in his battle tured to protest against his laying full as they fell minute be no longer urged the plan claim to the boy whom many would “Eet ecs then that I Jean Guillot of adoption but treated with Jean Gui“Eet ees valre clevalre” remarked that I have taken to satisfy the ever hunIjifayette am sans famille — no one "Monsieur llot on a different basis Jean in frank admiration He negothave nosslng — gry mother love They unwisely asked He is what is un bon prestidigitator iated with him as a man only the Voila!” with reckless taunts and Eh is it not you call a zhugglure There was some bitter vibrant untwinkling of his eyes betraying his jeers by wbat right be had taken the so? Tres bien!" lad dercurrent of grief in the plaintive discovery of humor in the situation Once again Kendall broke into a “I’m a trifle short of help” he an“You want to know why- I took precise drawling of the “I have nos- to failed but proit mournmade nounced “Now you say you want to him?” he snarled backing up against a great hearty laugh sing no one” that from the voke so much as a smile ful appeal for sympathy pay as you go Well I’ll give you a the log wall and defiantly pnd with one staring exile who merely looked chance I’ll hire you around “I did it because I’m fitter Impulse the men surged forward and him those who were nearastonished They sat down to their Jean Guillot became all attention to care for him than any of you or surrounded and the boy anand with an unsmiling face watched est dropping to a knee to bring their breakfast together man in this camp” any ”I took him too because I wanted statures on a par The first to proffer swered questions with no abatement him he was “I want to hire a man to carry Apparently and the one to whom the of seriousness him and If there’s any man here compassion vphan turned after one quick com studying the problem of this new life water to the miners and If you think wants to lump my claim let him speak ' up now and we’ll have It out We will so help nfe Godl” The challenge was so vicious that It went unanswered not only then but from that time on nor was it Jested about for even brave men do not wantonly trifle with ready death His guardianship of the kithless one was Bethus established and undisputed sides as a distraction there came other babies to the camp two of them-both tiny girls— the elder scarcely more than five years of age who in Boiled pinafores rambled in and out among their mother’s tubs made on he dumps and occasionally tenor of tbs the upset camp by get- were lost— had disappeared from the cabin where they had been left alone for a brief time and could not be found Everywhere even to they searched the mound out beneath the shadowy pines but without result The camp was in a turmoil of anxiety Andy Kendall returning from a late trip to his sluices joined it the quest but with no more success than the others and at last went to his cabin to secure a lantern In the doorway of bis abode he discovered tbe general who calm and was standing ' with Imperturbable In bis attitude something foreign some unaccustomed ting lost pose of independThy were the offspring of a for- ent determination The miner’s quick lorn and dilapidated woman who ineye noted the change It was the first troduced herself as the derelict of time he had ever seen him with his “Mike O’Shaughnessy hands in his pockets and a Hivln rlst him suggestion as good a as lver filled two shoes of a swagger He started hurriedly A man ivery inch of him who hadn't away with the lighted lantern and a stake of maneness in him as wide as then in quick inspiration closely akin to divinatjon the black of your finger nail” whirled abruptly at the And foot of the steps and faced the boy “thlm kids” O'Shaughnessy into the life of Holcomb as “Jean” he asked In a tone of undropped but usual peremptoriness “do you know completely as had the general tbe latter bestowed more attention on where the little O’Shaughnessy girls are?” them than did any one else The general paused for a moment Indeed his little heart with its burden of working responsibility had before answering which hesitancy was also marked by his and longed for childish companionship guardian with a gravely patronizing air he as- then aim slow grace shrugged his sumed a very paternal attitude toward shoulders until the right one was elevated almost to his ear and answered the newcomers his interest very truthfully: That they appreciated was shown by the fact that they often “Yes monsieur I have them’’ The lantern dropped from Big Antransferred whole castles of mud to his front and over them all dy’s hand to extinguishment while its globe went tinkling away over the Big Andy would step with solicitous rocks in a cascade of slivered care and a merry gleam of understandglass In his eye Only once in the long and he started to say: “Well I’ll be ing then thought better of it Right summertime was the lad given a lecwell he knew Jean Guillot ture Lafayette “Would you mind telling me' old “General” the miner said on that memorable “what’s 'this the man” he said with kindly condescenevening sion “where they are?” big O’Shaughnessy girl’s tellin’ round the camp about your killin’ a snake Again the general considered for an a few days ago? You ain’t never said Instant and then gravely beckoned the ' miner inside He took the sputtering anything to me about It” Jean Guillot Lafayette shrugged his candle from the rough pine table tipshoulders and turned his hands palms toed to his own bunk carefully deoutward with an inimitable gesture posited it on the edge shielded the wabut declined to talk until Kendall in- vering flame with one tiny hand and sisted with the other gently drew back the “Eet was the evening in Monsieur outer blanket Andahkendal and I follow the chilSoundly sleeping beneath with their dren up the gulch” This with an air hair done up in rough little pigtails of bashfulness clad in their white nighties and “Hah! stop They So!” And here he demonquickly clasped in each other's arms were strated by jumping to the floor and “thlm O’Shaughnessy kids” fixing his eyes with dramatic fervor Big Andy Kendall took one look and on a charred spot whereat the miner ran out of the cabin and down the carried away by the recountal also trail shouting to all he met: “I’ve found ’em! I’ve found ’em! No need stared to look any farther” And when the the general’s R’s rolled quiveringly to searchers “I clustered around him with tbemEet ees a vaire angry salrpent many questions he explained that the whose head move so!” Now his misaing ones were then in his cabin that he would “take care of ’em slender hand wove to and fro in distant imitation of a rattler’s head “I all right through the night" The Voilat the&kne!l hurl "—it thus! sivwly up the — bill to where the general was still That eesll!” “Monsieur Andahkendall” sat for a standing quietly on the threshold went in closed the door quite softly long time studying as to how he might hung his white hat on a peg and reexplain the danger and death that lay in the serpent with the plenished the logs in the fireplace beon his tall administer reproof for such fore speaking but recklessness at the conclusion of “Jean” he said “you brought them his homily was shocked by the discovhere?” “Yes monsieur" ery that the general’s vocabulary by "What are you goin’ to do with camp contact was becoming consider them?" ably enlarged “Eet ees not Monsieur Andahkendal “Keep them monsieur" he respondwho would say to Jean Guillot Lafayed with the utmost gravity seating himself on the low stool which had ette: away and let the salr been made for his especial benefit and pent eat the young ladies’ No no no no! He the monsieur watching the sparks that went roarwould say”— and here his voice asing up the blackened vault sumed a great depth of hoarseness — Big Andy waited for a moment and '“See him in hell first Jean see him then ventured another question: in hell!’” “How will you care for them?” ' “On ze money I make — The admonishment took the form my hundaird of a discourse against swearing franc Eet ees a fortune une boune The general took to walking on fortune” He turned to the big man and moonlight nights unaccompanied peered across the vivid pathway of the miner wondering at these peregrilight from the blazing logs and then nations shadowed him only to observe with great wistfulness continued:'' “I that be strolled tentatively past tbe Jean Guillot Lafayette am sans famcabin a few times in I shall ille O’Shaughnessy adopt a famille I shall swain and the manner of a work vaire hard for famille” then satisfied that all was well re“And leave me—— Andy to his home and very softly and was very curious spoke turned nonchalantly falaccustomed seat before the big firein his tering note of bitter now cheer in roared which its place voice some tone suggesting grievous the crisp nights of fall But the genthat he who bo loved disappointment eral never told of his adventures and the boy should not be taken into consideration rarely talked of himself It remained for the days of early He had tried be said to himself God winter to bring about the general's knew he had tried to win this love most important move and display his and had wooed it with care but It had promptness of action It was when always been elusive and unyielding the Widow O’Shaughnessy seized by Even now after all thfese months he sudden heart failure fell to the floor was but second in the exile’s affections between them her tubs abandoning and the barrier seemed unbreakable forever in the great and last relinHe bent suddenly forward and leaned It was Jean to whom the his forehead upon his hand shielding quishment babes appealed and for his frightened eyerfrom the dancing glare of the once he dropped his pail and ran as flames fast as his little brown legs would For the first time since they had cabin him then to the tiny and carry met each other the boy crept over to and with startled him unasked awed and stilled forced himself on the eyes returned to Big Andy knee and clasped his arms waiting The miner in turn hurried to the around the neck followed cabin by others and the “Monsieur” as if he whispered camp women laid out for burial the afraid to voice his secret aloud “I first woman to occupy the cemetery want them vaire bad but I could not at the foot of the shielding pines The you leave even for them because I camp women also gave housing to the luf you vaire much” little girls weeping and wondering Big Andy Kendall hugged him aland on the following day kept them most fiercely and gulped out: “Well away from the trying scene when the general you don’t have to leave me widow was gently yielded to the fraYou’re my little boy and if you're grant earth which enfolded her in its hankerin’ after ’em you can have the breast after all her years of work and little girls We'll take care of ’em me The general worry and weariness and you and welcome But I supstood beside the grave calm and unfolpose” he said as an afterthought emotional watching with his unfathlowing an interval in which they held omable eyes the funeral whose sigeach other very tightly “that the nificance he fully grasped whole blamed cdtnp’ll say I've started to an With the others he returned orphan asylum” work but in an unusual mood of listThe barrier was demolished now forlessness and finally as the day waned ever and they found that after all Tbe night came and the disappeared they were very dear to each other The lights glowed sluices stopped And as the general for the first time from the cabin windows and all the snuggled into Andy’s arms to sleep he music callous dance hall began its turned drowisly over and in his great The moon came peering whining happiness whispered: over tbe tops of the silent impassive “Ah mon pere I am no longer sans forests which bordered Holcomb lifted Ees eet not Monsieur Andahfamille above them until it transmitted the kendal what zey call godem good to of fields of snow planes the peaks into have a famille?" diamonds which gleamed in splendid And Big Andy Kendall smothering soitude and then an alarm was given a chuckle and omitting rebuke agreed The little girls by one of the women (Copyright 1J1S hr F L Kelson) ad |