Smyrna times. [volume] (Smyrna, Del.) 1854-1987, 1880-11-24

unnecessary. But now all the soldiers eyes
were turned upon her, as they stood, an
impossible phalanx, barring the way.
Pay us to toll my pretty little Fran
caise," said one fastening his coarse gaze
upon her.
"Yes; pay us toll" the others echoed.
A kiss apiece!'
Concealing the awful sinking at her heart,
she strove to pass them by stepping down
from the curb; but the outside man and
first speaker threw out his arm to prevent
her escape.
"No, nor he said in freezing tones
You are our prisoner, and we let you off
easy. Pay US willingly and we will prove
good as our word, Drive us to force and
we'll help ourselves"
To scream would be but to gather round
her fresh tormentors, SO she struggled to
appear calm.
- Let me pass" she said, in low, indig-
nant tones, when, without deigning further
parley. the first speaker threw his arm
about her waist.
She felt his tainted breath upon her
check. Oh, God must her lips be polluted
by his touch.
With sudden strength she wrenched
herself from his grasp, the brutal laugh of
IhO OtHeIs JeeTIuS On uef ears.
scream, loud and long, burst from her
lips followed by another and another, as
her prosecutor again approached, when as
1t by magic, some one darted between them
and felled the rutfian to the earth.
The others bold with drink, murmured
angrily, bat Il cleaning pistol soon slenced
them, even as they recognized their young
colonel, and respectfully moved away.
Calling a (rlard ha I,I,t tI. man -, Loll
under his heel in arrest, then turned and
offered his arm to the trembling girl.
She saw, then, for the first time, that it
was Hugh Won Trenck who had saved her.
llaughtlly refusing his arm, hating herself,
hating him more, she walked on in silence
lay his side. At her door, she forced her.
self to speak: "Sir owe you my thanks"
she saiu.
Mademoselle, the day will come when
you will pay me your debt in full" he re.
piled, and left her.
What did he mean? His words, the
man himself haunted her How brave and
full of courage he had been How nobly
he had come to her relief! How generously
he had uttered no word OF repruach, or OF
the truth that she had brought it all on
herself. II he had not been "a Prussian.
she might almost have killed him. As it
was-but she got further than this. She
broke down in storm OF tears.
A week later the troops. all but small
reserve, were ordered out for sortie.
! Paris had long been in seige and must soon
capitulate.
With all her heart Marie prayed night
and day tor success To the flag already
doomed. That her cause could he lost
seemed to her impossible.
Now and then the winds bore To her the
boom OF cannon. They were fighting not
far Off and among them was the man she
had treated with such disdainful contempt.
Could it be that she thought Of him at
such time?
The third day the fighting 'ceased-the
PrusSians were again victorious; but all
night long they were bringing back the
dead and wounded to the little town.
1t was just daybreak when Il squad of
soldiers halted at her door. She had not
dreamed of undressing during the long
| night A nameless dread bad tortured her.
| She knew in this moment what it was, as
hereslf she went down and threw open the
door to receive the pale, senspless form
they bore.
"This way!'' said she. with quiet dignity,
and led the way to her own room and her
own bed.
He had told her she should repay her
debt. Could he have forseen this day =?
| Would he ever know what she had done
for him?
For weeks his life hung in the balance /;
but one night he opened his gray eyes to
consciousness, and they rested on the soil.
tary figure at his side. Her aunt, weary,
had gone TO rest, A smile broke over the
white, thin facS,
You here, Mademoisslle? p he said.
Yes" she answered, " am here"
He held out his wasted hand, and she
silently placed hers within it. Then, still
with smile upon his lips, he fell asleep !;
but from that moment the tide had turned,
and life had gained H. victory.
| He was almost well again, when one day
came the tidings Of the fall of Paris, and
on the same day, by the fatality of fate
came to him the news OF his promotion to
a generals rank
| "Ah, Ma6emoisellp," he said, " | cannot
rejoice while you weep. | once said you
should pay your debt. | little imagined
how you would pay it. l meant then the
| day should come when you should love and
marry me. | had loved you from the first
moment my eyes rested on you. in spite of
your scorn and contempt. But now you
have paid the debt in your own way. You
have given me back my life. l will no
longer torture you by my presence. | will
60 away and leave you.
And he turned his head, that she might
not see the moisture in his eyes.
But softly she stole to his side, and kneel.
| ing down, nestled her head on his arm.
"If say stay, Hugh, then will you go?"
"My love-my darling doyou mock me?
| Oh, this is crueli'
May, Hugh, am alike my own poor
Paris" she replied. 1.-THE siege has been
a long one, but she and /, fear, have alike
been Taken by Storm"