Page:St. Nicholas (serial) (IA stnicholasserial321dodg).pdf/501

1905.] Colo., and Marian van Buren (age 8), 15 Promenade des Anglais, Nice, France.

Drawing. Gold badges, Frank P. O’Brien (age 16), 1613 S. 18th St., S. Phila., Pa., and Dorothy Ochtman (age 12), Coscob, Conn.

Silver bbadges, Will Bymes (age 15). 1430 Granville Pl, St. Louis, Mo., and Katherine Dulcebella Barbour (age 12), Montebello, Cal.

Photography. Gold badges, Miles W. Weeks (age 17), 467 Commonwealth Ave., Boston, Mass., and Edward A. Niles' (age 10), Concord, N. H.

Silver badges, Seward C. Simons (age 15), 170 Arroyo Terrace, Pasadena, Cal., and James M. Walker (age 13), 1726 Prairie Ave., Chicago, Il.

Wild Animal and Bird Photography. First prize, “Yellowstone Deer,” by Lucy Williams (age 14), 6609 Stewart Ave., Chicago, Ill. Second prize, “Owl,” by Isabel Caley (age 12), Bala, Pa, Third Prize, “Gull’s Nest,” by Caro Kingman (age 12), 45 Windsor Rd., Brookline, Mass.

Puzzlemaking. Gold badges, Alice Knowles (age 9), 248 Morris Ave.. Providence, R. I. and Erwin Janowitz (age 11), 387 Jefferson St, Buffalo, N. Y.

Silver badges, Janet Rankin (age 12), 916 5th St., S. E., Minneapolis. Minn., and Fred Berger (age 15), 626 Brown St., Davenport, Iowa.

Puzzle-answers. Gold badge, Walter L. Dreyfuss (age 16), 1239 Madison Ave, N. Y. City.

Silver badge, Dorothy Rutherford (age 11), 154 Richmond Rd., Hintonburg, Ontario.

distance outside of Paris there lived, shortly before the outbreak of the Reign of Terror, a kind nobleman by name of Comte de Gascony.

Being an elderly person, unmarried, and not mixed up in the political broils, he would have had a lonesome time of it, but Jean J, a neighbor’s eight-year-old lad with golden curly hair and bright blue eyes, visited him often in the beautiful chateau. And the comte loved this child like a father.

As Paris was only a couple of miles distant, they quickly heard the startling information that the peasants had defied the authority of their overlords. The doings of Robespierre and his friends soon reached them and filled the comite and the villagers with horror, Even when his servants had deserted him, the old nobleman still remained true to his old home, believing that better days would soon succeed the evil times of France.

Jean was a cheerful, sunny young boy. His hearty laughter more than once cheered up the brooding old man.

One day Jean was sent to the tavern to buy some spirits far his sick mother. Having performed his errand, he started back toward home. Suddenly hoof-heats sounded behind him. Glancing around. he saw two men with red sashes about their waists come dashing up to the inn. A sudden fear struck his heart. Did they come for Comte de Gascony? The thought of it set him off at a run for the chateau. With his breath in gasps, he reached the place. Dashing into the library, he found his aged friend sitting in an arm-chair, reading, He quickly told him about the coming of the two horsemen.

The next few minutes were the busiest ones that the bay had ever known. The comte had most of his furniture shipped to England, but to collect his jewels and various small buy very valuable things took time.

The grand old nobleman was kissing the little boy the last farewell when a fierce knock sounded on the door. The two hurriedly left the room and ran out to the stables. The last Jean ever saw of the kind Comte de Gascony, he was speeding on his fleetest horse up the read toward Calais.

A curious signet-ring bearing the fleur-de-lis of France upon it is one of our most sacred possessions; for was not Jean J my ancestor?