The Landloper

in one of his little books, dismissing thoughts of hunger with the resoluteness o

een eyes and kindly generosit

and he took tithes from willing men who were eating from pails that w

moderation, and hid what remained in the pock

and after he had laved his face and hands in the

to the house o

Rosemarie was on the knees of a young woman who

nd stood there, looking in with so

job in the cloth-hall of the big Haxton mill. She lives with me because I was neighbor of her good folks in the Ta

efore her. The bow in her hair was cocked with true Gallic chic and her gown was crisply smart in its simplicity. Her big, dark eyes were the wonderful feature

work," said the good woman. Sh

Farr and climbe

nk you," he said. "I suppose the good w

he looked at him meaningly. "I have been talking to our little Rosemarie and she will not cry any more for her good mamma who has

last, so it seemed to her, she had recovered the father she had never known. Poor, little, caged bird, her release from that lonely prison was dated in her happy consciousness from his appearance in the doorway, and all thi

icance the look Zelie Dio

t a legacy to somebody-and I accepted-without under

tienne came at noon to tell her and she has told it to me. It is very sad-but yet it is comical

protested Farr. "I think the heat must have affected my head. It h

of tears came across her big eyes, though her mouth did not lose the

rr. "She has missed too much already. Of course I don't pretend

l you and I

need you in the partnersh

tender with solicitous interest, and he chuckl

eyes flashed protest: "I am of the Tadousac country, and she is a good girl, for I have know her all the years since I trot her on my

Etienne! What cares this strange gentleman for what happened in Tadousac? Go use your key instead of

grinned and

Farr told the child and lifted her off his knees. But at the

play-

e till you come

axingly insistent, h

Farr. "Now that she has found friends she wants them to be with her in

d walked between them

mamma!" she said, look

e kitchen door and waved

terday it was not-to-day it is. A

embarrassing things," remarked

hem to be disturbed by such cha

were still and glassy, for the big gates had been closed and power lay motionless and locked in the

rpet of the grass provided unfailing delight as she set slow and cautious footsteps into its yielding luxurianc

ompanied the child continued a long

you did not care to have Etienne talk about your h

my home in Tadousac. I am not so imp

is Ta

, the people are resting under the wide eaves of the little white houses, looking up where the hills are all so blue, or off across the wide bay. The white houses are very small and they crowd along

ow porches, nicked one above another, and on fire-escapes which were slowly cooling after hour

e said. "They are too tired to walk afar to the parks. T

ock down here from Canada-why t

there are many children. And girls are not of much account in the house. The sons claim and receive their shares of the arpents of land when those boys are grown and married. The girl may marry-yes! But what if the right one does not ask? What if the right one has a father who says to him that he must obey and marry one the father has chosen? All kin

her with so

one of those things happ

," he co

fortunate. I do not breathe the air where the looms clack. I insp

. I mean, do not the father and mother

and gazed at him wit

ndfathers was a captain with General Montcalm, and many Dionnes have lived on the land that wa

ted to Farr that there was no more to be said on that

mills needed men and women and children, and the Yankee girls would not work in the mills any more. You must understand how it was: Ouillette, who had worked in the hay-field, would hear of the work in the mill, and the Ouillettes would sell and go to the city. And as soon as they had seen the lights and the theater and the car which ran with a stick on a wire, and had earned their first pay and had bought Yankee clothes they wrote home to their cousins the Pelletiers and the Pelletiers sat nights till late talking excitedly

m of the industrial Moloch which must roll on even if its wheels crushed the innocent here and there, he permitted sentiment to sway him. In fact, for a day and a night he had surrendered to sent

damp with the dew, they walked back to the house of Mother Maillet a

the girl, before he passed out of the good woman's house.

he big parish cross. It will be easy to find, and the

walked slowly. Their way took them down

the others. So I know the story of those place. And all the people up there don't care if I know, because I listen and am glad to know, and sometimes I can give advice, for I have live long on the States where great matters are happening. But Farmer Leroux would not l

ues and the Capulets on the ba

s your friend. And it start from there and grow into big thing, so that all the cure can say it don't make no friend of them. So they wait-Jean and Zelie! Ah yes, they wait!" He put his finger beside his nose and winked. "They love. They get marry some nice day. But now!" He flirted his gaunt fingers. "They say nottings. I maself

folks that way just to satisfy old grudges," scoffed Farr. "If they ar

ically at the young man who thu

a young man, no matter if he love a mam'selle so very much that all the bread he eat taste ashes in his mouth-ah, he cannot say

ged Farr. "I have never yet taken

ay about you love the pig of a Leroux, bah? No, no, m'sieu'! That's too proud, is Zelie Dionne.

even I, lord of my own affairs as I am, don't know where I

he big table. It is not grand. But there is place for you-and anodder

! Take me along and

ll the corridors. But Farr was glad to stretch himself upon the narrow bed. He owned up to himself that he was a very weary bird of passage