The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-10-25

upon h'I irjh lohR, piercing, merry, as Al
be would compel her by the force Of mag
netism.
Il wish. Sid he, II WISH that the ace
Of spades should be tho turn-upl Cut,
madame
She cut, and Louis distributed the cards
He turned one. II was the ace Of spadesl
Victory have wonl" he cried.
BY enchantment, then"
No lucionnc, mol ! love you-it is
the enchautment Of love that wins
But my revenge. monsieur, you viii
permit me to have my revenge
"Revenge?"
Certainly ! desire to play against you
Did you think ! would yield without q
struggled II win the matter ends here. "
And as it was not, after all. the game
Of ecarte they were playing. and the
turned card was the only one in which
they had the slightest interest. Nine.
d'Arcueil quickly gathered them together,
shuiiled them and gave them to her op-
poncnt.
And you wish the turn TO be-
The queen Of hearts.
Tie eight Of clubs showed itself upon
the top Of the pack. Lucienne had lost.
Again." she persisted; TRY it again."
For well did she realize that it was
more than the ace Y spades that she had
promised 10 obey; Mat Louis, her lover.
would not be dilatory in appointing the
rendezvous to which it, this ace of spades.
would call her--a rendezvous that, after
all. must end In parting upon which scan
dal possibly would spy and tattle, and
chastisement attend for reckless, erring
wife Lucienne shuddered.
II cannot, she cried, Il dare mott
am afraid. ! dare not abandon my des-
tiny 10 the will Of a card You are p gal
liant man, Louis. Release me. | beg Of
yOu-release me from this thOught.ess
promise.
NO impossiblel and if / should You
would still suffer the same. ! love you
you know it. and believe that you love
me No, il is impossible
Then begin anew-make the test over
again"
"Wilingly- something tells me shall
win What card will you take now"
The one that came up before-the
eight Of clubs
'Eh bienl Shuttle and give them to me
yourself
Once more she did as he told her, shut
fed the cards and gave them 80 him, and
once more. as on the other occasions, the
card that De Fremont turned was the ace
of spades
ALI she cried rising as if something
had stung her, Il was right-it is en-
chantment"
Whether she were sorry or glad La
clenne d Arcueil could not Mt the moment
have told YOU. 1t was very late. The
orchestra was playing the last waltz
Without n word Louis placed his arm
around Luciennes waist, and the two
lovers. heart TO heart, the one with the
other. found themselves in the wave OF
dancers.
Soon the music ceased, the guests made
their parting COMPREHENSIVE ball was
over.
The next morning NJ. dArcueil CON
Quoted Lucicnne TO Andelys, and the day
aftcrward departed ON his secret mission.
WI list diplomats occupy themselves at
q distance with the interests of France,
the soldier also has his duty as a French
man, and almost Immediately following
the departure of the D'Arcueils from Paris
he til was ordered to depart for
Africa.
The news Of such an order was not re-
,eived with delight, but gradually, as the
lour approached for them TO start, Louis
lo Fremont felt his ambition TO reawaken
tho CAPTAIN desired 10 see himself q
colonel With scarcely time enough 10
0ut their affairs in order, 10 drop fare
wcil line 90 friends and parents. to climb
nto the wagons, stop at Lyons and then
AZ Marseillcs, tine regiment embarked
lnon the transport and in due time put
lcir fee. upon African soil.
De Fremont. like the majority OF
French officers, had made his debut in
Algeria. and now between sllirmishes
unused himself revisiting places where,
as simple lieutenant. he had first
pitched his tent the field where he had
won his maiden spurs. tho bourgade or
struggling village where he had left lady
love. for soldiers do not give up these
pleasing pastimcs when they turn their
backs upon Paris
Three months passed thus. BY the end
Of the fourth hc was well under way with
a promising love affair with young in
s.ructrcss of music, born Of French pa
rcntage in Algeria, but Parisienne by in
stinct. One knows that Arabs are always
I'm n state of instruction. Louis was
likely to remain in Africa long while.
Nor was he astonished one morning
toward the middle of ---- 20 be ordered
TO mako a sortie against the tribe OF
Chachouia. then, as the military governor
had been informed by courier, making
daily ravagcs in the ncighborhood OF Con
stantinc 1t was his regiment that had
been selected to protect the colonists and
quell the disturbance.
He went without reluctance, for those
of his comrades who knew the province Of
Constantine spoke with enthusiasm Of
that wonderfully beautiful country, With
its plain Of the Gazelles, its mountains Of
Anatre and Sci. a splendid country, but
one in which, behind its thickets Of laurel
roses its intoxicating perfumes, its cliffs,
precipices and seductive hedges, danger
lurkcd pcrpetually, danger from the willy
Chachouia, ready to train upon You with
out a moments warning the shining bar
rcls of their mOuhalas.
On the evening in question Louis de
Fremont and the 900 men whom he had
taken with him on the expedition were
resting nj their sixth and last hating
place before reaching their destination,
gathered about II clear spring y hun