Oakland High School - Oaken Bucket Yearbook (Oakland, CA)

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24 THE- HIGH SCHOOL ZEGIS- noon, and with abashed face had to confess to Antoinette, and do Penangerbfooi One glance at her sober face was enough to bring him to apstte f1Jhe1.JCCe repentance. Old Francoise had been superseded long QSO, anfl .fit er bl IPS obeyed 'TOinette,S dictates along with the rest of his parishioners, ut if laughed to himself often as he yielded obedience, for between them WaS a bond 0 love that was very dear and sacred to them both. - f 1 Now, that this trouble had fallen upon the old priest, the bond was strength- ened, and Antoinette felt the pain as keenly as did Father Philippe., After forty years of toil and prayer and sacrifice, after forty years of life expended among these villagers and farmers of Avignon, the Bishop at Paris had decided that the old priest was getting too old to perform his duties, andhad written to say that a younger priest had been appointed in his place. It was God's will, said the old priest after he had recovered from the shock. It was God'sw1ll, repeated his honest, though somewhat stolid people, although they were Sad all heart and were convinced that without Father Philippe no child could be properly chris- tened, nor without his blessing could the harvests ever be prosperous again. Only 'Toinette was certain that it was the Bishop's will and none other's. Father Philippe sighed as if he would like to agree with her, but he had no idea how defiant she really was. Wlien the Angelus sounded on the quiet evening air the laborers in the field dropped their scythes and stood with bowed heads in simple, honest piety until the last echo died away. But Antionette, for the Hrst time since she came to Avignon, stood with uplifted head and defiant eyes while her companions were repeating the evening prayers. On this particular evening, when all thelights were out in the village, Father Philippe was sitting at the little table' in the sitting room bending over his library, his lips moving now and then as if in prayer. Antoinette was sitting in the old wooden rocker and her knitting needles flashed quickly in and out of the red worsted she was knitting into socks for her uncle. Her lips were set in her determined fashion, and the Bishop, if he could have seen her then, would have realized his guilt Cin 'Toinette's opinionj by the scornful Bashing of her black eyes. However, when she glanced at the pathetic figure at the table and noted how gray his hair had turned lately, how wrinkled his face had become, and how sadin its patient resignation, her eyes 'filled with indignant tears. Getting up hastily, she touched his cheek caressingly with her lips and after receiving his blessing, giv'en with a loving smile, went to bed and sobbed herself to sleep. That night 'Toinette had a dream-a very curious dream. The next day, she moved around the house very silent and very pale, andthe old priest found her counting the little pile of money in the top drawer of the old cheifonier She astonished him somewhat by giving him explicit directions as to where she kept the bread and cheese and how to make salad. When she went to bed that night, she kissed him repeatedly, and sobbed a little' but Father Phili , . . , ppe was used to her varying moods, and paid no more attention to this one than to at her soothingly on the cheek and call her his pet. P Before dawn the next morning, 'Toinette was on the road to Paris with 3

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'Pram ITIGIVI' Sermon it fliers. Q3 f. -. E I - fy-1. XJ i VH vu Q,-Uh V tr X 4 the Bisliwd will. lr U, , i wir ff v :Ln-fire 1 I H' - ' Mfr' r ,eb or . i ,, , I 1 , f f m,,, k,.- iiwiw 1: fl. ,E if f Fir if hwier 'I FL0R3?i1ii9ii9iiYlfi:i?I'lfiMi1'l1UiUrX-rf: 1' ' 1rJ,',f'fif ., 'ii N - . '11.iiWmIl' i- lu' li lf'wf.f1,' H . ' 1.1 HEN curfew rangione sir-mmeir'-night thefwhole village of Avignoniwas' i sunk in slurnber, and eventvthe wineshopi at the end 'ofthe streetdwas 1 deserted, something very unusual atrfthaltltimeiofu thefiyear, when the Q.. .Q harvest had been good and fotordiicheapff But vlfhen-afcommon sorrow falls upon a people, as 'iti' had fallen 1tipo1i3ftbhe'se simple-heartedi peasants of' Avignon, 'the streets are apt to be deserted aft an early 1 ihouriand the lights are extinguished in the housesp, , V l -if f .- la V - - - 3' There was only one house in therfilwhkole villagerin Wliiehi3airl'ight was still burning,.and that was near thetlittle sitodsdlbh'-urdhiffrom which 'it was separated only by the graveyardi and'a grove of 'ta?llfePlniiLtreesf 'It was the 'l4 house of-the old priest,--9' Father Philippe? as he was -alfeeticiri:Qttely cal11ed-by hisfpeople, fffhdi in-it he had lived for forty years with only his niece, 'i A ritoinette,-ftoiibearlhinii- coinpany and keep him and his hotisein orde'r,'9'faisf1-she foliehiiiaugihinglylfsaid. She was-. a strange girl, this'Toinette-onlyHfseveiiteenfl'years old, but tall? and slender and already a niatfu-re 'womans A Hofiiv liieri blaeli'eyesicouldliiashfiiff the lads whenvtheylrlidi something to annoy -her+,1-viihieh Risfaisipretty often , and they could till with tears when the old priest gave'fh'ei?ahis goodnight' blessing? She had tyrannizedfoverthe old priestiand petted hi1rai?Ilte'rnate1y forltiveyears, since she had a'rrived, a .friendless orphan, frorn fsorne unkiiowniplace at Avi-gnoh? She had come alone in the, coaeh fto Longuev'ailjvfhad,walked thei-remai1ring'te'n' rhiles to'Avigno'nf,-anfd Hndirig-lthe cure abseiritlon his--'daily visits,tdi'his'7people5 she, as a matter ofeourse, put :herself toiprephire the sin-iple eveningimeal, whilell ohizFrangoise, who had done that? same ithing--for ren years,,lookedion in wondergi' A fi Whenii-FatheraPhi1ippe'camfe ihome at seveii o'cloick, iti-red frorn hisirlong walk through 'thei.'rieldsf,fheifound a sioiber llittleystranger asleep rin? his -big -arm-chair' neamtheiire, while this soup? was st'ean1iing l-on the table. Fraiigoisei eould1'not enlighten his wonderment, andfthelold priest sat on the other side fof thellireff plane Wondering, conjecrturing, ands'-.trying to think- 'of whom Za j5Lfz'z'!ewren1in.dedi hiim1gi1,1inti'li.sheirwokefup with .a isitfatilg' ands-Aexplainedithat-sheUwas' his 'deadi brother's child, and had traveled all the way from Paris by herself. I And theiij' this strange little maid began to' sob, andthe next thibnlg Father Philippeirealized was that:'she.W'as-on his fknee, and her headfagainstl Hislbreast, and her armsi, cl'asped'ar.ound:hisf neck. W-heni girim Fra-ngoise tried toitake her away, the oldz' priest put .outihis hand and said, while' hisiivoice -trembled and a tearstood in' hiseyef: 'Nay, Frangoisejilet her begin rr ci' . f , 1' L p A 4 A , .- Q, 1,-From that minute, Antoinette Vhad' first ,place -inv His -heart and life. - s-if-1 monthsafter heraarrivalj shei had 4 gained- the heart- of every man-,i'wo'maAn5, andu child in the village, and held iindispulted' swayiover-eachg If - Pierre, -or Jiaoquefi 'W3Sf3bSCl1f frcimninass' Sunday, mornin gg he-f wash waylaid' l-lin the r-fields ltliel next

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THE HIGH Scrroor. Ears. 25 little bundle in her hand and ten francs in her pocket, as the only means of getting her there. It was seven o'clock when she reached Longueval, and she was tired with her overexertion. She inquired the coach fare to Paris. Seven francs! HeZas.f What should she do? With only ten francs to her name, and must she pay seven of that precious sum for the coach fare? Was Monsieur quite sure that it was seven francs? C Monsieur was quite sure, but then, what will one not do for a pretty girl who is about ready to cry, and whp looks at one with such a beseeching air ?j So, to her greathrelief, the driver suddenly remem- bered that the fare had been reduced to five francs, but was it not Queer, thought this simple 'Toinette, that when an old woman with a heavilyfloaded basket wanted the driver to take her for five francs he brusquely refused? What a queer world! She sat in the back seat of the coach, and looked out at the passing scenes with dreamy eyes. A laboring man, whose breath smelt of cheap wine, and a young soldier were the only othervpassengers. The laborer went to sleep, and the young soldier, after' trying to engage her in conversation, but only succeed-ing in getting monosyllabic answers, talked to the driver instead, much to her relief. ' ' i . ' At last, with a great clatter, and much shouting and cracking of the whip from the driver, the coach rolled into Paris. 'Toinette was bewildered. What a great amount of noise, and what an endless stream of people, laughing, talking, gesticulating in their rapid French fashion, and here she was, far from home and among strangers in wicked Parisi Oh, why had she come, and what would Father Philippe think when he found his 'Toinette gone? Now, that coachdriver was really a very good fellow at heart, and when he saw how bewildered this pretty little country maid was in the confusion of a great city, and how unconscious she was of the strangeness of her short red skirt, blue blouse and wooden shoes in this crowd of people who looked like fashion plates, he, with simple, genuine chivalry, asked if he might help mademoiselle in any way? Oh, said 'Toinette, eagerly, I would be so glad if monsieur would direct me to the Bishop's house. A What! said he, in surprise, mademoiselle means the house of the Bishop of Paris? Yes, said she, simply. Elz bien! Would mademoiselle do him therhonor to take a seat in the coach again and he would have her at the Bishop's in the twinkling of her eye? After a confusing journey through long streets lined with tall houses, which 'Toinette thought almost scraped the sky, past public parks which reminded her a little of Avignon, the coach drew up before one of the tallest and grandest houses 'she had yet seen. The driver assisted her ,to alight, and then with a ilourish he was off again. With trembling limbs, now that she was so near her destination she climbed' the stairs and rang the bell. After a long pause, during which she occupied herself by screwing up her courage to the sticking point, a footman came to the door. Staring at her with a supercilious air, he waited for her to speak. Is the Bishop at home? said she.