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Show LINK BY LINK. A THSILLLIN0 BTOEY OF THE PEANOO-PEUBSIAN WAE. 11V MAUUIUi: I.KIIltASI), CIIAlTEIt I. JUALOUSV. (C.OfND so Niuotto marries to-mor- KjJ' row?" "Truo enough. And n fnlr wlfo, nnd u good ono, too, sho will make." "You may think so, 'Moro Mivort; to my mind it seems thnt n flighty, giddy girl, ulwnys thinking of hor own wux-doll fnco nnd tho dross for hor n'oxt danco, nnd tho now kirtlo for tho vitiligo foust, is not by nny moans tho host wlfo for a hard-working man llko I'lorro Loroux." "You nro very harsh on tho young thing, lloso Michel. Sho is bo fair und sweat, und so dainty in nil hor wuys, tho wonder 'is Unit sho is not a thousand times moro vtiln with nil tho flattery sho tins rccolvod slnco over 8ho could run through tho vitiligo ulono." "She's como of u bad stock, nnd will bring no luck to nny honest man's house," muttered a brown-fncod Nor-mnn Nor-mnn peasant-women who stood gossip-lug gossip-lug In tho tnarkot plneo with tier uolghbors this fair summer1 morning. "Ay, ny, truo onough," oxclulmcd u frosh-looking country-woman, joining In tho conversation with alacrity. "I romembor hor mother; tho girl is just llko tior. Sho was beautiful if you llko handsomor fur than oven Nlnotto will bo. Thoy camo of a good family, nnd woro vory proud. Tho girl hud n crnzo for tho btngo sho run away to Purls " "Yob, yes, wo know nil thnt," chimed in tho markot-woman. "Ah, well, sho ciuno buck, you rc-inombor, rc-inombor, bo changed; ull hor beauty fndod, ull hor guy bright oyes gono. And then tho child wns born. 1 nursed hor. Dour heart, how sho wopt ovor tho babot It wns so llko Its futhor, alio said. And tho protty tnlos sho told It, of how ho would como to soo it, and whnt it must do, and tiow it must look sho was such a child horsolf; nnd then tlmo wont on nnd he novor cumo, und sho pined und fndod, and giow pnlu und so thin ono would not linvo known hor for tho same." "And hop" uskod tho gossips. "Ho of course, novor cumo. Sho dlod with his name on hor lips. A llfo thrown awuy for n man's suko! Ah, wolt, It li common onough. "Do you boliovo sho was married?" "I saw hor woddtng-rlng. Sho ul-wuya ul-wuya sutd ho miirrlcd hor; but in that grout vilo city it would bo so easy to docoivo, und then ho novor cumo." "Ho lias novor been near tho ehlld olthor?" "No; und tho grandmother Is so old now, und tho girl so fair. Ah! It Is a good thing for all thut sho will marry hood, und luvo ono bo loving und Bloady ns I'lorro Loroux to look nftor hor." "It is to ho hopod I'lorro Loroux won't find it moro thnn ho cnti mnnugo to do thut," said tho tour visnged Koio Michol. "Truo," ochood tho others; "sho Is eo guy and flighty. A pity ono so woll to-do as I'lorro did not chooso a steady vroll ordered maiden to kcophU houso land study his wolf nro. Nlnotto will want everything und glvo nothing." I "You havo nil daughters more suitable for i'lorro Loroux than j tho girl ho has choson, Is I It not so?" laughed tho chcnrful-fuped ! country woman who hud t'pokon before. be-fore. "A pily that ho could not see r (l li li i' "" MiWMWWIliJSj."(yi'l'""l'Mlf '"' 1 it as plainly ns you dot" nnd laughing nnd nodding to tho knot of market-women, market-women, sho passed on with hor bnskot polsod on hor head. "Hush! hero comes Nlnetto her-sotf." her-sotf." Tho gossiping tongues censed. A scoro of curious oyes turned toward tho street, up which a girl was coming com-ing a girl with a fuco and flguro whoso swelling curves nnd delicate outlines woro shown to porfoctndvant-ngo porfoctndvant-ngo by tho protty Normnn costumo. Sho cumo gnlly up to tho group, nod. ding to ono, lnughlng to anothor, chatting to nil in hot- free, girlish, graceful fashion. Soma nnswerod hor cheerfully, others seemed constrained find 111 at ensd. "You will wish bid Joy for to-morrow, will you not?" sho snld, as sho turned awny nt last. "To-morrow I shall bo Nlno'to I.croux." "No good comes of using your now namo beforo it's your own," Bald tho Burly volco of Itoso Michol. Tho girl laughed brightly. 'You woro ulwnys ono to croak, Roso," sho said. "At nil ovcntB thoro's no four of you ovor committing that mistake " Tho old maid looked Bour-ly Bour-ly at tho wlnsomo fnce. "A day may como whon you will wish yourself In my placo," sho cried, with a spiteful bitterness in her raised nnd croaking volco. "It la not married mar-ried llfo that brings tho grcntost joy, though tho young nnd foolish always think It." "Woll, at nil events, I mean to try," sutd tho girl gully. "I'orhnps you wouldn't mind bolng in uiy pluco for onco ltoso Michol, und doing tho sumo;" nnd wlthouUwniting forfurthor words bIio turned und wont on her way up the sunny vlllngo street. Sho did not hour tho muttorcd curso thut followed hor. Sho did not boo tlio vongoful expression on tho wrinkled wrinkl-ed fuco nnd trembling lips; butNinutta, in all tior fair nnd happy llfo, had nover mado a foo so fierce, nn cnomy so vindictive us lloso Michel wns now. I'lorro Loroux wns a well-to-do miller mill-er a mun young und handsome, nnd nccountod a grout match In this quaint Uttlo Normnn town. His mill lay uorao way out, sot amidst Holds and orchards, or-chards, and with an arm of tho rlvor winding through to turn tho groat whcol, whoso sound wns bo swcot to Nlnotto's oar as It churned tho foam-bolls foam-bolls nt her feet, and dashed tho cool shower of water ovor hor swcot flushed fnco. Sho stood thoro now in tho hot summer sum-mer noon, hor lover by hor sldo, hor eyes downcast, nd hor Uttlo hands clasped round his nrm, her fragile girlish loveliness looking doubly fragile und childish in contrast to tho stalwart frnmo and sunburnt fuco of tho young miller. "It ploases you, thon? It is ull ns you wish?" ho wns Buying. Tho girl's fuco Hushed, hor shy oyos droopod moro shyly. "It is porfect nil," Bho said softly. "Tho whole plnco Is hoautlful." "Not half good enough or beautiful enough for thos," ho said passionately. passionate-ly. "My only wondor Ih thnt ovor thou couldst bring thysolf to lovo ono so unworthy."' "In what wny aro you unworthy, riorro?" "I am so rough, so conrso. I am but ono of tho peoplo, nnd you wellborn, well-born, beautiful us an angol. Truo, I havo somo Uttlo learning, and a trlek of speech that sorvod mo woll whon tho storms of warfare and faction threatened to disturb our Uttlo vlllago; for the rost " "You uro a lioro, l'ierro, and I lovo you." Ho drow hor to his heart with hasty passion. Ho was dollrlouu with tho suddon joy thoso swcot bashful words had brought to him. Novor boforo hnd sho droppod tlio mask of cnrolcs-)-ness. nnd lot him sco that for onco sho could bo loving, tondor, gravo. In words ho could not thank hor. Ho only clasped tier In tils arms thut hnd nuvor hungorcd for living woman boforo, bo-foro, that wcro faithful, honest, truo, as fow nro, und kissed hor with n lover's passion nnd u good mnn's rov-oronco. rov-oronco. "You uro contont, my beautiful?" ho murmured at Inst, "If only you wilt lovo mo ulwnys, us now," Bho answered, with tho longing thnt comos to ovary woman's heart, whon she knows thut whnt is a lover's prlvllogo wilt soon bo it husband's right. "Do you doubt It?" "I shall not bo your foolish giddy Uttlo sweothourt thon, In whom you will novor sea fault or wrong," sho whlspoied. "Oh, Piorro, I am so faulty, bo woulc, so vuln, you do not know." "I do know. I know I lovo you with ovory fuult. as I havo loved no ono with overy virtue. 1 know, with thirty years' oxporlonco of llfo that to lose you would bo worso thnn death a thousand times, you nro my soul's soul, my tlfo'B llfo. Tho burning Impetuous words, half nwod, half gladdened tho girl's young ' heart, oven on tho hi Ink of that close nnd porfect liupplncs? for which aho longed. To bo bo much to unothcr life, nnd alio it thing to frngllo, caro-loss, caro-loss, woak, almost terrified hor now. Tho hot kin gloamod on tho mill J" liiiwin wmmrfi iiiiiimiiw .aw Uc ffl - . - -v-J-flflflflJpflB i I wmmmmmm wmiwiiii, wntcr nt tholr feet, tho pigeons plumciV tholr feathers on tho gray stonework: of tho houso, tho sweet scent of dry-crushed dry-crushed grasses, nnd rlponcd fruit nnd summer roses filled nil tho nlr. Initio In-itio dusky, shadowy nook wliero thoy stood a sllcnco nnd a hush foil upon them. With tho rnptuio of ovory hoart-bent, with tho throb of overy pulso, the sccno and tho hour and tho words woro mingled, novcr-ngaln novcr-ngaln to bo forgotten. , "Why do you trembloBO?" honsked- "UocmiBO for onco I four " "for mo? Surely you trust mo?" "No; not for you," tho girl Buld, In-low In-low hurried accents. "For myself." Months after ho remembered those wordsj now ho smiled, and, bending-down, bending-down, kissed tho lips that uttcrcd. them, TO BB CONTINUED. 1 |
