LITERATURE.

Globe, Volume XXIV, Issue 2551, 12 June 1882, Page 4

LITERATURE.

A DAY IS TADOUSAC. Ey Rebecca Handing Davis, (Concluded) Noel avoided her eye. ‘ I will not do that,’ he said. ‘ They did not take it.’ «He does not understand of what you accuse him,’ she said impatiently to Wall, who laughed contemptuously. ‘ I do understand. I will search for the money again.’ He turned to Wall ; ‘ The boat will not be in for an hour. Give me that time.’ The stupor was shaken off. Something of his usual gusty awkward vehemence was in his manner as ho went out. But when Wall said, ‘ He knows he will net bring the money back,’ Miss Page secretly felt that he was right. She took up her netting and seated herself by the window. ‘ We will wait here until the hour ia over,’ she said quietly, and Wall recognised hitnself as a prisoner. A stronger will than hie had resolved on justice for Noel. He could not go out as he had intended to publish the theft in Tadousao. ‘ Unfortunately. ’ he said, * suspicion has been directed against this young man for some time. A charming fellow, too ! A thousand pities !’ Heater’s fingers steadily went In land out of the blue web, but she remained silent. Noel on the upper floor halted at the door of a chamber next to his own. Within the French horn sounded a walling cry. He stood a minute, drew a long breath of gathered strength and went In smiling. M. Noel, seated by the window, rose quickly to meet him, laying down his Instrument carefully. He wore a velvet jacket and cap on hla 1 mg white hair. Noel took as much fond pride in devising picturesque costumes for his father as a woman would for her baby. His features were sensitive and fine as thoss of Louis, but the eyes were shallow and glassy, and there was a perpetual deprecating smile on her month. • Is It time for our walk, my son V he said, speaking the pure French of the old families of Quebec. Louis with the imile still on his face placed a chair.

1 We will talk a little first, father.’ Standing behind him, his hands on his shoulders, he glanced at the clock. Not an hour ! Yet if he frightened the old man he could discover nothing. He talked of indifferent matters, and then said :

• How did you amuse yourself to-day, sir ?’

* With my muaio, Louis, and strolled across the mountains.’

1 With these, also ?' taking from a drawer a pack of greasy cards, M. Nole started up pale and trembling as a guilty child. * They are not mine! They were lent to me ! I only play a little game of solitaire.’

• Why, assuredly! Do you ever wager with yourself, sir ? One hand against the other ?’

•Why, I never tried that!’ chuckling, delighted. ‘ I wager with Jacques when we play. A trifle—bah !’

‘ And the money to play with ? You hide it as you used to do ? Here—there —whore Jacques cannot find it V M. Noel nodded complacently. 1 Trust me for that. Nobody will ever find it. Why, there are places among the rocks’—

Louis looked out at the vast stretch of mountain ledges over which his father had wandered that day. The clock ticked faster.

* Father,’ ho said, coming in front of him. ‘My son 1 Who has hurt you?’ The gentle face was full of wild terror. ‘ What have they done to you? You never looked like that in your life, Louis.’ ‘ Never mind. It’s all right, father, all right,’ kneeling down before him and soothing him. He thought if he told him the truth surely God weald waken some spark of intelligence in the poor dead brain to help him. The hour was nearly over. His strait was desperate. ‘ There was some money In a package in my desk, father. It is gone. Do you know where it Is ?’

The tenderness faded out of the blue eyes. They grew by turns perplexed, vacant, then cunning. ‘ Ah, Louis! You want to find out my binding p’aoes to store your money. Ya! Ya 1 We old people have our little seorets, eh?’ clucking with his tongue. Noel started np. 1 Oh, for God’s sake! You are my father! Be a man again! Come back this once to save me!’

A shadow of comprehension struggled into the vacant face, like life galvanised Into a corpse. Then It died oat. ‘Yon frighten me,’he cried; * I did not see ths money.’ Louis was no fool. He saw how he could shelter himself by leaving the crime where it undoubtedly belonged. It would probably be condoned as the set of an imbecile. He threw hia arms with a shudder around the old man, and reverently kissed the gray head.

‘Do not be frightened, fithor,’ ho Bald gently; ‘ nothing shall harm you ’ A moment later Hester beating bis firm step without rose. ‘ He has the money !’ she said. Wall also rose. ‘ Yon have found it ?’ ‘No.’

Noel, all of his life vehement and passionate, stood now quiet and resolute, while Wall swaggered uncertainly. * Yon know the consequences, Noel t You are accountable. I can do nothing for you. I shall telegraph the firm from Quebec and return to-morrow.’

‘ The money. ’ said Louis slowly, ‘ may be forthcoming by that time.’ • So late a repentenoe will hardly save you.’ sneered Wall. ‘lf it were not for Freyteau, I would order your arrest at once.’

He turned Irresolutely to Miss Page, b 'wed, and without speaking, left the room, going immediately down to the little steamer which lay at the pier. Hester went np to Lonis. * You do not defend yourself,’ she said, with a queer choking in her voice.

‘No.’ ‘ You did not even say that yon were not guilty ?’ Their eyes met There was a long silence. Noel put his hand up to his mouth uncertainly, • I can say nothing.’ He turned away. She stood still, her dear eyes following him, her unconscious fingers tearing the web she had netted, bit by bit. It fell In a heap on the floor. She came by his side with a little rush as Piere Matthien entered the roon, ‘I will speak for you then,’sliding her hand into hia arm. 4 Ah, Father congratulate ns ! I have accepted Monsieur Noel. I must announce our betrothal. It Is our custom in the States. ’ The good Father was shocked at her want of decorum. Her cheeks burned, her eyes shone with soft brilliance. ‘Come, come 1 ’ she cried. *We may yet he in time to toll the news to our friend James Wall. It will cheer him on his voyage.’ Bhe almost dragged Louis down to the garden which overlooked the pier, on which a little crowd had gathered. He held her back.

‘ You shall not blast your life for me 1 Why do you do this ? ’ ‘ Because I love you,’ she sobbed. At that irstant Wall, stepping from a little battean on the deck of the steamer, looked np. He saw her cllngiug to Noel’s arm; started and hastily drew back ; the battean rocked, overturned, and Wall with the Indian boatman was struggling in the water. The Indian, who swam like a fish, easily gained the land, but Wall was washed a helpless lump under the steamer, and then drifted down into the black resistless current of the Saguenay. Hester was a gentle creature, but she certainly did remember at that moment that the drowning man was tho only witness against Noel. On the contrary, Louis in au instant was his old self, frantlo with excitement, shouting, kicking off his boots. < Whore arc you going ?’ she said sharply. < Why, Wa 1 l cannot swim, ho criod, plunging into the rushing llocd. Both men

disappeared In the night. The whole village gathered on the pier, crying, sweating, talking at once, Pere Matthleu ordered out boats and wont In one himself, which presently brought both men ashore. Louis was conscious and staggered to his feet. They laid Wall’s heavy body under the trees and stood about it with their lanterns, while Pere Matthieu drew off his coat and put his ear to his breast.

*He is alive, ’he said. Carry him’—

Bat Hester’s keen eyes saw what no one else did. She sw-oped down on the prosirate body like a white bird on its prey. * Stop !’ she cried wildly, drawing something from bis breast. ‘ Take witness all of yon that I take this from him. It is a package marked ‘Louis Noel. Five thousand pounds. ’ Oh, Louis! Louis!’ Noel put his arm round her and led her away. Her passionate love filled him with such a new keen joy that he did not fully understand the meaning of what had happened, When he did, he only said humbly : • Then I wronged father. God forgive me i Let us go to him, Hester.’ He was eager to tell him that the American girl of whom the old man was so fond had promised to stay with them in Tadonsac and be bis wife. Here surely was heaven opened. When James Wall, clothed and in his right mind, entered the pension an hour or two later, he found the three together, chattering and laughing. They grew silent as he approached, * They tell me I owe you my life, Noel,’ he said hoarsely. Louis turned away. It hurt him to see the man’s humiliation. It did not hurt Hester one whit.

* Here Is the money,’ she said, sweetly smiling, tapping the package, • Monsieur Noel will himself transmit it to Montreal.’ Wall looked into the soft taunting eyes one breathless moment. ‘ I did it lor yon, woman,’ he said, and turned away. Louis Noel never mentioned Wall’s name after that day. But hla wife often did, always adding : 1 There was much good in that man, after all,’

An Eastern horseman gays :—The weak points of a horse can be better discovered while standing than while moving. If he is sound he will stand firmly and squarely on his limbs, without moving any of them, the feet planted firmly upon the ground, plumb and naturally poised. If one foot is thrown forward, with the too pointing to the ground and the heel raised, or if the foot is lifted from the ground and the weight taken from it, disease may be suspected, or at least tenderness, which is a precursor of disease. If the horse stands with his feet spread apart, or straddles with the hind legs, there is weakness of the loins and the kidneys are disordered. Heavy pulling bends the knees. Bluish or milky-oast eyes indicate moon blindness or something else. A bad tempered horse keeps his ears thrown back. A kicking horse is apt to have scarred legs. A stumbling horse has blemished knees. When the skin is rough and harsh, and does not move easily and smoothly to the touch, the horse is a heavy eater, and his digestion is bad. Never buy a horse whose respiratory organs are at all impaired. Place your ear at the side of the heart, and if a wheezing sound is heard it is an indication of trouble —let him go.