Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1893-02-05

noy you; and from this moment your
own apartment is sacred"
II think, Annie" said Madame,
quietly, that you had better show
these gentlemen the rest OF the house.
l will stay with the child"
eyes, Madame" said Annie. Come
along, sirs." :.
'Oh, Renel Rene! you don't dnow,"
cried Madame Forester, when the
door was closed, "but you have saved
him"
Madame FORESTER, as the big Prus-
sian officer had warned her, had to put
ND with the company Of six great hulk
ing Germans for some weeks after That
eventful night, She was a very wise
little woman, was Madame Forester,
for she absolutely forbade her servants
(who were old and well trained in ways
OF obedience) to make the slightest fHss
about the Prusslans. She fed them
well, she lodged them well, and she be-
came the greatest of friends with the
officer who was in commnd OF the little
party. Only the old man servant,
JACQUES, dared TO say to the mistress
something of what was in his mind.
"How the mistress can degrade her
self" he murmured to her one day.
s'by sitting down at the same table and
eating wit this Prussian pig, no French
man can understand"
JACQUES" said the little English wo-
man, looking him very straight In the
eyes. "do you doubt your mistress
love for your master?"
"No, no, madame, not at all, not so
but madame may believe ne, il the mas
ter should ind mis- way home this Prus-
sian pig will have no mercy because
madame has entertained him royalty"
when l ask this gentleman to do
anything out OF the ordinary rules Of
war for me, Jacques" said Madame
Forester with much decision, Il Know
that he will do IL. For the present, it
Is not for you to trouble about the mas
ter; it is for you to obey my orders, and
| insist-and I think, Jacques, it is the
frSt time have used that word to you
Il insist that you treat this German
gentleman and the FIVE men who are
under his orders as you would treat your
own master. Some day, when all this
trouble has gone by, will explain why
I wish you to 90 this, and then, Jacques,
YOU will not only understand me but
YOU will feel ready 70 put your neck
under my feet and let me trampIe on
you"
The old servant bowed, murmuring
something about his chiefest desire be-
ing TO serve the house of Forester, and
he took himself away TO his own pantry,
where he busted himself in polishing
the bits Of plate which still remained to
the family.
'She's an Englishwoman," he muir
INJURED to himself, or to the walls, "she's
an Englishwoman, and the English are
an astute race. What has she in her
head? Has she had communication
from the master? Has she even seen
him? What is it, then? She's not
against US, although she's English; she's
a meaning for all that she does; she's
not coQuetting with this Prussian pig,
as some of the fools among the women
do with his hukinZ followers. No,
she's an EngliShwoman and the English
are an astute race"
But in spite Of all his reflections
Jacques learned nothing. He tried to
pump Annie, the English nurse, as TO
what she knew, but Annie secuted the
idea of knowing anything.
"Lor', Mr.. jacques" she said limo
Gently, what have you got In your
head? Surely It's better for the mis-
tress to keep on civil terms with this
brute-especially if she saves the cha
teau by doing It, As TO the master
why she worsuips the very ground he
walks on. Surely you don't doubt 1t
now-why you ought to be ashamed OF
yourself"
Aunie's French was not OF the best,
she managed TO make the old servant
understand her, Notwithstanding, and
meantime went on her way, flirting
pretty hard with any Of the big Prus-
slams who came across her path.
And so the weeks went over, and In
the occasional absence of her visitors,
I Madame Ferrestier and Annie contrived
to replenlsh their store of provisions in
the secret chamber below madame S
bed room, and, although Forester felt
Ike q rat trapped in cage and chatfed
and fumed aud fretted at the notion OF
being absent from his regiment, still,
after all the hardships through which
he had gone, and the weakness conse-
quent on the loss Of blood from his
wounded arm, 1t was well for him that
he had this chance OF peace and quiet
ness.
So the days crept over until the army
OF occupation pressed on towards Paris,
having laid bare the country like a
swarm of locusts. Then when the dan
ger was past and it was fairly safe for
the master of the chateau 10 come ont
from mis- hiding place, Madame For
restier sent FOR old Jacques 10 come TO
her bed room.
JACQUES, =" she said, In a queer, shaky
little voice midway between tears and
laughter, 'you wondered that l was so
civil to our Prussian guests. l am go
ing now to tell you the reasOn-surely
you had forgotten the secret chamber
beneath my bed room?'
Madame, said Jacques, in a culver
ing voice, sis it possible"
Eyes, Jacques" she said, ait IS quite
possible; more than pOSSible-it Is true
your master has been in this house
since ten minutes before those PrusSiauS
arrived here. ! did not keep it from
YOU because I did not trust you,
Jacques, but because l knew it would
be easier for you to keep the secret il
you did not know It,"
But they searched the room?" he
cried.
$50 they did" she cried with laugh,
"but we put Master Rene on heap Of
cushions just over the trap-door aud
they never thought to search the middle
Of the room. IL was baby who saved
his father"