Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-03-24
A, BLOW AND A BULLET.
boys answer in very good French. "Does
monsieur wish to have her Gomez"
frYes T do - SAID 0rton

boys answer in very good French. "Does
monsieur wish to have her conner"
eyes, do" said Orton.
The boy went briskly and lightly out and
aftera little while Mile. Rochon came in. She
smiled brightly when she saw how much
better her patient looked. In her hand she
bore small silver platter upon which was
q steaming bowl of broth.
"You must be quite hungry, Monsieur
Orton," she exclaimed cheerily as she came
toward him, ''and 1 have brought you
something good that I made with my own
hands"
ga thousand thanks, mademoiselle," he
said, "a thousand thanks"
He was trying to rise.
"No, mol" she cried, "you must be quite
still, monsieur, indeed you mustT' and she
put forth her hand as if to prevent him.
'You must do just as tell you"
She spread a snowy napkin before him,
raised his head little with the pillows
and prepared to feed him with spoon.
"How good you are, he murmured, "and
to prisoner, tooP'
guest" she responded quickly. "Though
your invitation was rather rough one,
admit. 1t is wonder that you are alive.
My uncle rarely is so generous" She
spoke far from lightly, and there was sad
ring in her voice. "But he seems to have
known your father long ago and remembers
him gratefully for some act of kindness"
81 am under deepest obligations to your
uncle, mademoiselle, =" he replied, ST hope
he Jared better than in our little passage
at arms"
HE was scarcely hurt at all, /" she said,
che never gets hurt, indeed. He seems to
bear a charmed life, and then he is so
strong"
Orion smiled dreminiscently thinking over
the terrific struggle with Roehon.
81 deemed myself a match for any man
until I came upon Monsieur Rochon," said
he, "but he rather overbore me, believe"
cit does appear So" she replied; "and I
am so happy that it is no worse
"But, monsieur, you are not to talk any
more" she went on; "you are to- sip this
soup and keep silent."
Spoonful by spoonful she fed him with
sweet, gentle dignity of manner, sitting
close by his bedside. Orton felt to the full
that refined delight which the artist-lover
takes in the dual experience of loving and
studying at the same time, and all in that
atmosphere of romance so dear to the young
anu QedlLuY u6tTI. b1llc. IOOClOQ, 100, was
receptive in the highest degree to every
charm of the situation. Perhaps she was as
vet but half aware of the power that Orton's
manly beauty was exerting over her; still
it was exquisite pleasure to her to admin
lister to him and to realize that her minlstra-
tions were acceptable. The isolated life to
which she had been for so long confined
had made her introspecti We, finding most of
her ouieter pleasures within her own breast.
Now the care Of this golden-haired young
messenger from the great teeming social
outside world was stirring her heart
with many glowing but as yet
almost formless dreams. Her expert
enees had been softened greatly by
the rough but careful watchfuiness of her
uncle, who in his grim way dotted upon
her, still she had known, as ii at distance,
the wild life that was flowing around her,
and had come to feel quite safe in it. Ocea-
sionally there had come to the Rochon
place people of refinement, her uncle's
friends from New Orleans and Mobile,
dropping ashore for few days during their
summer voyages of pleasure, but these had
not interested her in more than passing
way. Rochon's sister, dead some years since,
had been Felicie's teacher, very austere
and exacting one, indeed, but the girl had a
disposition not to be spoiled, and so had
grown up strong and lovely in body and
soul. Old Rochon himself, as the reader
must know, while he was not Just the man
to be the guardian and director of young