Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1889-06-09

seated.
Great was tho flutter and expectation.
Then the gentleman upon whom it de-
volyed stepped forward. and in a grace
ful little speech presented the prize to
Madeleine. The lassie received 1t as
gracefully as il had been presented, and
then bestowed her hand upon the gen.
tleman for the first cotllon. The music
struck up and she moved with her part
ner 70 the place Of honor.
have been told that she looked mex
prcssibly lovely ss she stood there. Her
dress-now. don't laugh, my dears-was
Of thin unblcached cotton cloth, INN
med with fcstoons Of green leaves: her
lovely shoulders and arms bare. She
wore no ornament except a single star IN
her dark. braided hair.
Among the French officers was one
Young dc Lille, the Younger son OF n
noble house IN Normandy. He hid no
expectation Of ever inheritIng the family
estates, for his father was yet III vigorous
manhood and Le had an elder brother
lie had Therefore entered INTO military
service and hoped to win distinction
with his good sword. lie was high
spirited, talented, and exceedingly fine
looking.
lie declared TO his companions that
he had seen no lady so beautiful as
Madeleine no, not IN ola Belle
France" lie early sought an intrOduc-
ton TO her and was charmed when he
discovered size could speak French very
hucnty. lie spoke excellent English,
bnt It was 70 much pleasanter to utter
his compliments in his own vernacular
without being understood by all around
them. You viii perhaps wonder, my
dears, why this little American girl, who
had never been beyond the limits of her
native State. could speak French SO
well but you need not be when ] tell
Won her grandmother was Huguenot--
q native of France. On the way To
America she had become acquainted
with Young Fngishman. whom she
afterwards married. and with him settled
IN South Carolina.
Vow. Madeleine was n great favoritc
with her grandmother and the old lady
had taken great pains to teach her
French and always conyersed with her
Ia that language.
From the moment of his Introduction
De Lille was very asslduous IN his atten-
tions. Before the evening Was over ho
was iIretrievablv IN love.
We'll. as Afterwards happened OF Bel
GUM capital ali was goiag as merrily
as q marriage bell, when suddenly
the dining-room servant rushed in IN
greet haste and cried out: " Tho Brl-
fish the British ~ II was too true.
They were in the yard-almost in the
yerv act ~ stepping IN among the re-
yel.er,. instantly every Light was ex-
ana the maie portion of the
assembled company, being unarmed save
Tor their swords, rushed out and man
aged. the majority, of them 10 escape.
Not 80. dc Lille, however. He having
de.avedto say avorl offender farew,lito
lis partner. would IN few seconds have
been seized 10y the enemy but for her
ready wit seeing them almost in the
dOorways and knowing that he would
inevitably be captured II be should at
tempt 10 escape, she said " NHree Woi,
G1nsi0D." and lunnins ont into the
hall took bis hand and went rapidly up
tine steus. She drew him into her grand
mothers room, who fortunately had q
candle burning, and locked fine door.
The o,d lady. who had retired but was
reading bv the lNht of the candle look
od very much astonished at the entrance
of her granddaughter and q uniformed
officer into her chamber. But Madeleine
explained the situation in two words.
Holding mp her finger Warnlngly she
said m low voice, "Ihe British, then
hearing the heavy tramp Of armed men
below, She wrnug her pretty little hands
ir despair, and cried " ON, grandmere,
wLore can we hide him
There sand her grandmother,
uoi4tin.uuwar Sure enough why
had she not thought OF 1t? The bed
stead was "a canoped one, with a solid
top. 1t was true tho posts were rather
slender and polished, but an agile young
man ought surely 10 be able toclimb up.
A heavy stop on the lower stair an
nouuced that the soldiers were coming
uu-e:airs. De Lille needed no second
worL With a duIck spring he caught
hold uron the postand I'm q moment had
climbed up and swung himself over on
the canopy gust as a laundering stroke
upon the door made Madeleine and her
turn pale with apprehen-
sion.
An instant later and the door was
5urs, open, two British soldiers rushing
in
"Oho =" exclaimed the foremost one
with an oath, when he saw no one but
the two ladies'. d" Have You seen none
Of the rebels come this way ?'
"No," answered Madeleine, indig-
nanty, 81 have seen no rebels, and l
must request you to leave this room al
once.
"Hoity -toity you speak with bold
tone, young Miss, " replied the soldier.
Sc Suppose / tell Won ! think these
quarters very nice, and don't care II l
spend some time here. What have you
10 say to that "
ii any, returned she with flashing
eyes, that YOU are an impudeut yill9 =,
and are unworthy Of the uniforr sou
wear.
"Hold on. comrade, said the other
soldier. who had been looking about the
room in search. "there Is no one in here
but the women-folks ; let 'em alone.
" here's yourmauners, man Holdyour
ongue and come along. I'm going down
10 hunt up some edIbles. Good night,
aides Il hope We have not frightened
YOU. With that he made deprecatory
BOW and departed.
lis comrade did not seem in any hur-
" to follow bis example. Instead OF
eaying he came nearer to Madeleine and
.aid. iusoleutly: Give me a kiss then,
Mss, and il 60.
CHAPTER Ill
He had scarcely uttered the words be
ore a crash followed and dc Lille sprang
% the floor below. Drawing his sword
almost in theact of lcaping, hcexclaimed,
Die. insultcr andp.ungeditto theh ilt
uto the mans body The soldier stag
,ercd toward him but fell, uttenng cry
on help as he did 80. De Lille knew he
would be overpowered, perhaps killed,
n the next few minutes. lie therefore