Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1890-05-03
THE RED FLAG.
~
M. 4. BRADDON.
Author OF lady Audlcy's Secret"

top OF the house, a bare garrett under the
thin hot roof, which was used only for soli-
tary confinement In very bad cases. 1t was
the blackhole of the convent.
Kathleen was marched up TO this place OF
durance vile, and kept there till evening
prayers, with the refreshment Of a slice OF
black bread-such bread as the coachmen
give their horses In that county;-and acnp
Of water. In the cool eventi,.e she wa let
ont Of her prison, which had been like an
oven all day, and she and Rose lay down
together side by slie In their narrow beds
at the end Of the long doJmitory, nearest
the door.
When all the others were asleep Rose
knelt by her sisters bed, and kissed and
comforted her; but the child was broken
hearted. She said she would die in that
miserable house. Lessons were given to
her which she could not learn, and then she
was punished for not learning them. She
had been frightened In that dreadful room.
She had heard t~hlngs-awful things-run-
ming about behind the walls, squeaking and
screaming. She thought they were demons.
They were rats, darling said Rose, ca
ressIng and soothing her. You shall never,
fever be put In that room again, II you will
be brave, and trust me-"
Rose shuddered nj the thought OF that
sitting garrett, under the Burning roof and
The rats running about behind the walnscot.
She had heard Of children being eaten alive
by rats.
"shall we steal out Of the house to-mOr-
row morning as soon as IL is light, and go
away and live by ourselves somewhere"
she asked, In a whisper.
II was an hour after bedtime; the other
children were oil snoring on their hard little
! holsters. There was no one 10 overheaf the
| sisters as they whispered and plotted. II
was no new thought with Rose O'Hara. She
! had been meditating upon it for a long
time, ever since the new rule had begun and
had made Kathleen unhappy. She had
never forgotten those words Of Miss Fitz-
pairick's. when you are grown up you
will have to get your " living, and then
you may have to be parted" The very
thought OF severance from Kathleen, this
only beloved OF her heart, was despair.
Rose made MP her mind that there should
be no such parting, Why should they not
work aud live together2 Rose felt herself
strong and brave, and able to work for botn'
She had wasted no opportunity that the con-
vent afforded her, she had learnt all ihat
her teachers had given her to learn and
now felt herself able t. teach as she had
been taught. Ii Miss Fitzpatrick were lett
free to plan their lives, she and her sister
would be parted; but II she took their fate
Into her W hands, they could spend their
lives together-prosper or fail together ;ahd'
In her young hopefulness, it seemed TO her
that failure was hardly possible,
She whispered the plan to Kathleen. they
were to get up at daybreak-at the mrs
glimmer OF light-dress themselves, and
creep out of the dormitory and down the
stairs, with their shoes in their hands. The
door opening into the garden was boited
only. They had nothing to do but draw
back the heavy bolts nolselcssly. The gar
den was guarded by high walls, except IN
one weak point which the girls knew well
An older wall, only eight feet high-a pom
derous old wall, with heavy buttresses Of
crumbling brick-diyided the western sid
Of the garden from an extensive orchard
sloping down 10 the river
This wall had been scaled by many
young rebel, in quest of plums and pears
and II would be no obstacle TO the sisters
escape. Rose would take a change OF liner
In a little bundle, and her fortune OF fifteel
gold pieces, Bid0y's legacy, In her pocket
and with this stock Of worldly wealth the.
would make their way 10 Paris, that won
derful, beautiful city, Of which they ha'
heard so much from some OF their schOolfel
lows, the daughters of Partisan tradesmen
who had been sent TO the Belgian conyen
for cheapness.
Are we going to walk all the wayP' ask
ed Kathleen.
Not all the way, darling. We can 20 b,
rail. But If we find the journey would cos
US too much We might walk part Of tn,
way" @<~-
~ will walk as far as you like, / am no
afraid" said Kathleen.
Their scheme prospered, In the dew,
morning they climbed the crumbling or
ehard-wall, where there was plenty OF foot
hold on the broken bricks, and ran acros
the wet grass to the edge of the river, fol
lowing which they came TO the high road
They avoided Bruges, the city OF churcI
towers, and steep roofs, and many bridges
anu made for the road to CourtraL Thel
first days journey of fifteen miles was owe
n dusty road-long, dreary, monotonous-i
long and weary walk; but they rested Of
the way at q cottage, where they enjoyed
meal Of bread and fruit which cost then
only a few pence. Not for rears had the
so relished any feast as they enjoyed thi
dinner of black bread and black cherries
which they ate in z little arbor sovere'
with a hop-vine, g q corner Of the cJtess
garden. They were three days ola the roa
to Courtrai, sleeping in humble cottages
and living on the humblest fare. At tn
railway-station at Courtrai Rose found tina
the price of railway tickets to Paris, eve
the cheapest they could buy, would make
great hole In their little fortune; so she an
Kathleen decided that they would walk a
the way. 1t was a long journey, but not s
long as that of the Scotch girl whom RIOS
had read about in Sir Walter SCOTS story
II should like 10 walk" said Kathleen
IL have been so happy to-day-no lesson,
no one TO scold us. The sky, and the flow
ers, and the fields all to ourselves"
Rose found a decent lodging for the nigl
In a weavei's cottage, and they started ne,
morning on the road to Paris, Kathleen
merry as q lark, Rose happy, but with
grave sense Of responsibility.
They were weeks upon the road, in Oh
balmy summer weather, walking n wall
ing, on and on, under a cloudless blue sky
for the heavens favored them, and the pee
less July weather lasted all through the
Journey, save on one day when they WEI
caught In a thunderstorm, and had to TAX
refuge in q deserted stable, were they 81
crouched together In a dark corner, viii
the thunder rolled over the broken thatcl
and the lightning sent lances of FIRE zigza,
cling across the dusky gloom.
They were often very tired; they wei
often half choked and half blinded by III
chalky dust of the long level roads; b,
they were happy; for they were togethe
aud they were free. 1t was the first re,
holiday they had known since they had el
tered at the convent gate. No lessons, u
burdens Of any kind. Every day they kne
In the cool shade of some strange church
pray. They heard the mass sung by strans
. priests before village affairs. They foun
; friends at the cottages where they lodget
The women all admired Kathleen's golde
hair and blue eyes, and sympethised wit
the sisters when told that they were orphan
beginning the world together. No one owe
charged OF robbed them. They were treate
generously everywhere. Their very defenc'
~lessness was their shield and breastplate.
And thus through toll, that had none
the bitterness Of toll, they slowly approach
ed the great city, which to their youn
i~maginations was like a fairy city. Thu
did not quite believe that the streets wei
paved with gold, but they fancied life won