The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1893-11-27

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She looked Ufldly round as If seeking q
means OF escape.
Remond looked Mt her with cynical
smile, and then hearing Pierre outside
the door he coolly sauntered back to his
seat. THAT was neatly done. Really D
bad character is useful to one sometimes
In escaping from difficulty. Now, If
had been one Of your virtuous young
men, she would not have been 30 anx-
ious to get away"
Pierre came in with many excuses for
having kept them waiting. But he said
he had been detained by the arrival Of
the sous-oficier Of gendarmes from the
next poste with three of his men, who
were now seeing their horses being put
up and who would be in presently to
their breakfast.
HE is capital company, is the briga-
der" added Pierre in all innocence Of
heart. "rm sure you'll get on capitally
together. It's a pity yeu are not mount
cd, too, or you might make a stretch Of
the road together. They're out on duty
and must hurry on as soon as they have
had something to eat and rested the
horses"
Pierre's interlocutors did not, however,
as may be conceived, share his views as
to tho good fellowship of gendarmes.
Their "reminiscences Of stretches of road
traversed in company with such gentry
were unpleasantly associated with hand
cuffs and stout rope, at one end of
which they pursued their unwelcome
journey, while the other was attached to
the saddlebow Of an individual whom
they did not find at all capital COM
pany." Nor were they at all reassured
when Pierre went on to inform them that
Roger, the brigadier, and his men were
out after couple of forcats who had
escaped from the prison of Lyons, and
who, according to the latest intelligence,
were supposed to be lurking in the forest
of La Marche. Desperate ruffians, too."
finished Pierre. 1.-THE brigadier has or
ders TO bring them in alive or dead" So
saying, he turned away to attend to
something else, when Bertrand, frighten-
ed out of all self control, started to his
feet as if to run.
"Infame," muttered his companion,
'would you ruin us? Sit down, tell
you" And he had only just time to force
him back into his seat when the door
opened, and the brigadier clattered into
the room armed to the teeth, his profess
sional eye takingin the room and its oc-
cupants at glance.
Marie, who, sunk in thought, had heard
nothing Of Pierre's conversation, was
reused by the sudden entrance Of the
armed man and gave him startled look
which he did not fail to perceive. But
= his eye passed On TO rest more searching
ly on the two men, whose appearance
did not at all please him. ''1t seems to
me I have seen them before" he said to
himself as he looked at them more in
quiringly than they found at oil agree
able, for they at once recognized him as
the gondarme who had inspected them
and their passports so suspiciously the
previous day. Tho brigadier very soon
recalled where he had seen them and
decided that he would keep his eye on
them.
"Now, Pierre" he said, "hurry with
breakfast and don't forget some ham. /
know Of old how good your ham is. And
tell my men to hurry with the horses
and come in to breakfast. We have not
much time TO lose"
Pierre hurried off TO execute his orders,
while the brigadier, still keeping an eye
on the two men, took out his pipe and
began to prepare it for his after break
fast smoke. Marie, who had been watch
ing for an opportunity to leave tho room
unobservcd, now got up and slipped
quietly out, much To tho relief of Re-
mond, who felt that her absence vastly
improved the chances of himself and his
companion. SO much so that having
finished his breakfast he began to hum o
tune, crossing his legs as no lay back in
q chair filling his pipe and looking at
the brigadior with ON air Of easy assur-
ance which took Bertrand's breath away
and nearly made him choke with sheer
terror as he swallowed his last mouth
full.
Just then Pierre returned, bringing the
ham and followed by tho other gen.
darmes=fonr of them.- -I,hax all-sat
down to table and proceeded to discuss
their breakfast with excellent appetite.
The brigadier asking Pierre in q low
tone where those rnen had come from,
indicating the pair in the corner by q
slight movement OF his elbow, Pierre
informed him that they were strangers.
who had slept that night at Les Bous