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Show TORTILLOR - j 1 EriJTririxuxixrLrirLnjTjTxuBSfa ' .0S ,IKHK ,s ortlllonl There I m '" Torll,l"'" cried n few t 12 frlRlUwicil voices In the vll- l F Inge At the cry twenty TstOW countrywomen In various stages of agltntlou appeared nt their doors, nml began to cnll their children. "Itcriinrill Kugeue! come In nt once! Prosper! Clniifllnc! here, Immediately. What, Joseph, you rogue, jou will not conic? Itosnlle, Just wnit till I cntrh you I" Then other nnmes were shouted loud. ly. "I.ticlennel Cornllo! Pletre! Celcs-tIl" Celcs-tIl" The fathers did not sav nny. thing, hut pulled ears freely, nml more llinn one hoy screamed. Uvldentl) something of dire Import ,wns nhout to occur, to thus rouse the wleepy little borough from Its natural lethargy J Suddenly there nppearcd nt the far ther end of tho street, near the first houses, n queer, grotesque, almost monstrous mon-strous figure. It looked nt first like n lioap of colored rngs, propelled forward by distressful Jerks. The huuiiin frame under this medley was, ns one mny liu- nglne, wretchedly put together. The f two legs, thin ns switches, were of mi- js equal length, and the knees knocked to- j getlicr; the body was bent on the left side, mid one hip made a mluirp prom- I Inence, while on the other side over- liutig a shoulder outrageously loaded with abrupt swellings. The hend. In Its effort to keep upright, was on n j lino with (ho piotrudlng hip. The two I long nrms were like two tentacles, nml ' vltl' tliom the creature was able to pick up alms without bending. A stick held In one hand supported this heap 1 of tntters. The whole-wnrpcd, knotted, i twisted, full of depressions nnd proml- nonces-gave the Impression of n coik- screw on legs. To ciown nil, the hend was oblong, nnd the hair, sennt nnd stiff, strngcled over the face. Tho mouth stretched from enr to enr, nnd smiled uncon-sclously uncon-sclously nnd Incessantly, In a innnner flint wns Irrltntlng nfler itwhlle. He-neath He-neath this sardonic grin hung n heavy chin, nnd nbovo It was a nose wltii wide nostrils. Flnbby, overlmnglug checks ndded, If possible, to tho ridiculous ridic-ulous nppearnncu of this lainentnblc creature. 1 "There is Tortlllon! There Is Tor- tlllonl" wns repented nlong the street, , nnd tho village children crept Into their bouses In fenr. It wns Indeed n Icrrlble fenr that Tor. tlllon roused wherever she -went. Mnny , called her n witch. Did she not seem typically one? How without the nld of the devil-could she find means to Jlvo In such n distorted body? More than one asserted that he had seen a cloven foot under her ragged skirts. She wns nccused also of traveling through the nlr at night, with a broom for n steed. Indeed, she could not np- , pear within six miles of n plnce with out being suspected of stenllng children chil-dren to kill them In order to drink their blood while holding her evil orgies. And nnmes were given. Jeanne Gnudrtt's daughter hnd been spirited nwny; nnd Annette Soulns' little boy hnd dlsappenred one morning nfter Tortlllon Tor-tlllon had pnssed. Some few. who were 1 not superstitious, hnd tho boldness to say thnt Annette Soulns nnd Jeanne Gaudru might themselves bnve done harm to their own children. Hut It wns sufficiently proved to the rest. Tortlllon wns constantly seeking Utile children; sho must be watched. As If to corroborate this, a little boy, dirty nnd chnrmlng, nppearcd nt the third house. Possessed by nu imperii-tlvo imperii-tlvo desire to see Tortlllon, because such pleasure wns forbidden, ho slipped Ills bend through the half-opened door, n slice of buttered brend between his teeth. The beggar stopped nhruptly. It must have been that tho sights of the child was sweet to the miserable crea- ture, for her eyes, usually hnlf-closed, Jiow opened wide, nnd disclosed grcnt limpid depths, feminine nnd full of caresses. The monster wns Indeed n .woman. A harsh voice broke forth: "Go your wny, Tortlllon; go your wny, or take carol" Tho little one received n slap, nnd wns drnwn back. Uttering a sigh, the beggar drew herself up, swung her humps backward nnd forward, raised tho stick which served her as n support, sup-port, twisted herself from her heels to her neck, nnd proceeded n step. A second effort, a second step. Hr eyes lowered; sho wns ns hideous ns before. It wns Mny. Tho sky wns clear blue, the earth nil perfume. Never hnd spring come In clearer garb; buds were everywhere; birds caroled. Ono felt life full, ardent, mysterious singing through space! The warmth became Intense nnd Joy. ous; the twelve strokes of tho mlddny struck lazily In tho village steeple. Tortlllon continued her wny with difficulty. dif-ficulty. She renched tho door of the parsonnge nt Inst quite exhausted, It was the custom of tho curato to give her once n week a silver piece, n lonf of brend nnd some fragments from the table. She was about to touch the bell when tho door opened. Marianne, tho servant, ser-vant, came out. holding n child of six by the hand. Kvldeutly inspired by an Irresistible Impulse, tho beggar, with eyes ngaln humid, stretched her arms , townrd the child. "En blen! Tortlllon, what Is the matter with you?" said Marianne, recoiling re-coiling In fright, whllo tho child hid behind her skirts. Again tho wretched creature stilled her henrt. She took her brend, her ten sous and tho scrnps dully, almost npn-thjHIcally npn-thjHIcally Thon she set out ngnlu, with sllU,)prc difficulty, at If she were f BBBBBssaBBBBl weighted with nameless; burden greater than she could bear. Sho stopped again after going about twenty feet. She slipped through a gateway lending Into nu Imposing man. slon, vacant Just then. The inclosing wall .nndo n semicircle, which wns furnished like n small park with some benches. One could sit here without being seen from the road. Tortlllon, nhout to nnil herself of one of these, drew back startled. A child wns there playing with flowers, which sho scattered over the benches In graceful profusion, or made Into bouquets , Never was nil nngel more beautiful! Great, blue eyes she had; a rosebud mouth parted In Inughter; her shoulders were bare soft, white and dimpled; nnd, to crown nil, n wealth of long blond curls tumbled about her face over her shoulders. The unhnppy beggnr stilled a cry In her thront. Then she stood Immovable, bewitched with admiration. The child, if she should ce her, would try to escape es-cape like n bird from a snnke, no doubt. The eye of Tortlllon wide open, full of light, chnrged with magnetism dwelt on tho illvlno fnee of the child. The latter still played, without looking up. An intense desire. Irresistible, furious, took possession of the beggar. At last she could not restrain herself longer, casting nhout her n look, Jealous nnd delimit, she saw thnt the load was deserted. de-serted. There wns no one to disturb her. Ah, what Joy IHumlnnted her face! Hut nt this moment the little girl saw her, uttered a cry nnd tried to flee, calling for help. The unhappy woman, dropping her stick, fell despairingly on her knees. Her eyes bad a look so sweet, so suppliant, so nngelle. Indeed, that the child, surprised and conquered, stood waltlnr for what might happen. Tortlllnll. nvnreiinie with Inr nil. dressed lo heaven a silent tribute of thnnkfulness, nnd plunged Into a fevered fev-ered ecstnsy; she seemed spellbound by the child. Unfortunately, It wns nn Intoxication thnt demanded to lie sntlnted by still depecr Intoxication. Tho little girl enst shy dances nt the hunchback from time to time. The Inttcr beckoned her nearer. There was now such gentleness gentle-ness In the beggar's eyes such love, such beauty that her hldcousucss seemed to disappear, nnd the child wns reassured. "What Is your name?" nsked Tortlllon. Tortll-lon. "I.ucette Gnrnler." The poor woman seemed to hesitate, then formed n sudden resolution. "I.ucette, would you do me n grent charity?" "All, yes; but I have not n sou." A tenr fell on Tortlllon's cheek. "Thnt Is not the charity I mean." I.ucette, who did not understand how one could give nlms without sous, wns silent. Tortlllon crept nearer, and, softening her voice, ns well ns her eyes, said: "will you kiss me?" Her plaintive tone, and the effort she mnde In savins this, would bnve touched n snvnge. Nevertheless, the little girl recoiled, tilled with fright. Sobs burst from .the mendlcniit's throat. Speechless, I.ucette felt that she was going to weep also. Tortlllon saw this, and made an effort to con-trol con-trol herself. "I do not know bow to tell you, yet I must. I.ucette. there Is not In the whole world nnythlnc more beautiful tbnn little children thnti you. To-day, In this sunlight, they lire divine. I.ucette. I.u-cette. I would give my life If yon would kiss hip! This desire has been with me n long time. You do not "understand, "un-derstand, perhaps no one has ever kissed me no one. I bnve Imnglned thnt I would faint from Joy If I were to see n child's nrms stretched townrd me If I were to receive n kiss from its little mouth. I nm not old; I inn frightful, that Is nil; but I have a heart. Ah. could I but be n mother to have n child I would be mad with Joy." I.ucette. amazed, looked at Tortllllon without fully understanding whnt she said; but a singular emotion disturbed her, nnd In her eyes wns n great pity. "I do not wish to die without having been kissed by n child," the wretched woman continued, with grent Intensity. "It must bo n wonderful! sensation delicious like something from paradise. para-dise. That Is why I run after the little ones. Tools sny that It Is because 1 wish to kill them that I nm n witch. To kill them! A witch! Ah. If I were n ivltrll T fthnnlil ileal tlmf u'nnilt roads nnd the whole world were filled with children. If I were n witch. I.ucette, In order to thnnk you for having hav-ing listened, I would make you queen Kiss me, I beg you. Do not look at me so but kiss me." Sho stretched her nrms toward the child. In her celestial eyes was so much supplication thnt T.ucctte, conquered, con-quered, drew nearer. What n contrast there wns between tho sweet child nnd thnt horrible creature, nowever, tho little ono put forwnrd her sweet fnco nnd slightly touched Tortlllon's forehead with her lips, Tortlllon, then nil trembling, wrapped I.ucctto In her nrms, nnd covered her with kisses. At tho snme Instant the poor woman beard something hiss through the air near her quick as lightning. Sho received re-ceived a shock, and fell to the ground, her hend bleeding from n wound, while I.ucette's father grasped the child and rubbed her face with his handkerchief, ns if ho would effnee n stain. Some hours Inter, still on the rend, while In tho dlstnueo the sun wns slow-ly slow-ly sinking In a sen of gold, Tortlllon, with her forehend cut, her eyos stupefied stupe-fied nnd with blood nn her bands nnd face, rose heavily, and turned hor back on the vlllnge. What had happened? I.ucctto's father hud aroused tbp wholo country. They wore going to kill her; she would indeed bnve bean torn to pieces hnd It not been for the c urn to. Hut she remembered nothing of this, nor did gl)B fed her pnln. The onlyj ( thing thnt remained In her memory was the thought of the kiss from those childish lips. Tho memory wns ns n salve to all her wounds. This kiss seemed to flutter nround her, nnd to sing n thousand sweet songs In her enchanted enr. Sho went on, radiant, n prey to her ecstasy nnd to her fever. When the sun hnd set, Tortlllon stopped, lay down In a field nt the roadside, looked nt the stars, believed In God, thought of tho kiss of I.ucette then, happy, Indeed, In-deed, she died. Trnnslnted for the Argonaut Ar-gonaut from the French of Cntnlllc Debnus, by Mabel Hnughton Ilrown. |