Part 20 (1/2)

”Did the governor propose the words?”

”No. If I tell you you won't tell? Ovide. But _grandpere_ he took the office. And so that put him yet more distant from old friends except just two or three who believed the same as he did.”

”And our Royal Street coterie, of course.”

”Ah, not those you see now; but their parents, yes. They were faithful; though sometimes, some of them, sympathizing differently.

Well, and so there was _grandpere_ working to repair a _piece_ of the State, when at last the war finished and the reconstruction of the whole State commenced. He and Ovide were both of that State convention they mobbed in the 'July riot.' Some men were killed in that riot.

_Grandpere_ was wounded, also Ovide. Those were awful times to _grand'mere_, those years of the reconstruction. _Grandpere_ he--”

The girl glanced backward, then turned again, smiling. The four chaperons were going indoors without them.

”Yes,” Chester said, ”your _grandpere_ I can imagine----”

”Well, go ahead; imagine, to me.”

”No. No, except just enough to see him with no choice of party allegiance but between a rabble up to the elbows in robbery and an old regime red-handed with the rabble's blood.”

”Ah, so papa told me, after _grandpere_ was long gone, and me on his knee asking questions. 'Reconstruction, my dear child--' once he answered me, ''twas like trying to drive, on the right road, a frantic horse in a rotten harness, and with the reins under his tail!' Ah, I wish you could have known him, Mr. Chester--my father!”

”I know his daughter.”

”Well, I suppose--I suppose we must go in.”

”With the story almost finished?”

”We'll, maybe finish inside--or--some day.”

XXIV

T. CHAPDELAINE & SON

The seniors were found at a table for four.

Mme. De l'Isle explained: ”But! with only four to sit down there, how was it possib' to h-ask for a tab'e for six? That wou'n' be logical!”

When the waiter offered to add a smaller table and make one snug board for six--”No,” she said; ”for feet and hands that be all right; but for the _mind_, ah! You see, Mr. Chezter, M. De l'Isle he's also precizely in the mi'l' of a moze overwhelming story of his own------”

”Hiztorical!” the aunts broke in. ”Well-known! abbout old house! in the _vieux carre_!”

”And,” madame insisted, ”'twould ruin that story, to us, to commenze to hear it over, while same time 'twould ruin it to you to commenze to hear it in the mi'l'. And beside', Aline, you are doubtlezz yet in the mi'l' of your own story and--waiter! make there at that firz' window a tab'e for two, and” [to the pair] ”we'll run both storie' ad the same time--if not three!”

”Like that circ'”--the aunts fell into tears of laughter. They touched each other with finger-tips, cried, ”Like that circuz of Barnum!” and repeated to the De l'Isles and then to Aline, ”Like that circuz of Barnum an' Bailey!”

At the table for two, as the gumbo was uncovered and Chester asked how it was made, ”Ah!” said Aline, ”for a veritable gumbo what you want most is enthusiasm. The enthusiasm of both my aunts would not be too much. And to tell how 'tis made you'd need no less, that would be a story by itself, third ring of the circus.”

”Then tell me, further, of '_grandpere_'”

”And grand'mere? Yes, I must, as I learned about them on papa's knee.