Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-12-16

coarSe-featured crew who surrounded her.
l had not taken two steps from my door be-
fore she sprang to meet me. her hands rest
ing upon my arm and her blue eyes spark
ling with joy and triumph.
"A French soldier and gentleman" she
cried. now at last 1 am safe"
Yes, madame. you are SAFE said I: and
1 could not resist taking her hand in mine
in order that l might reassure her. You
have only to command me-" l added. kiss
ing the hand as sign that meant what
l was saying. .... o. . 4.
81 am Polish" she cried. Countess Pa
lotta is my name. They abuse me because
l love the French. 1 do not know what
they might have done to me had heaven
not sent you to help me-
I kissed her hand again lest she should
doubt my intentions. Then l turned upon
the crew with such an expression as l
knew how to assume. In an instant the
hall was empty.
Countess" said l. 'You are now under
my protection You are faint, and glass
Of wine is necessary to restore YOU 1 Of
fered her my arm and escorted her into my
room, where she sat by my side at the
table and took the refreshments which 1
offered her.
How she blossomed out in my presence.
this woman. like flower before the sun!
She Ii up the room with her beauty. She
must have read my admiration in my eyes,
and 1t seemed to me that 1 could also see
something of the sort in her own. All.
my friends, 1 was no ordinary looking man
when | in my thirtieth year. In the
whole light cavalry it would have been
hard to find finer pair of whiskers. Mu
rats may have been a shade longer but
the best judges agreed that Murat's
were shade too long. And then l had a
manner. Some women are to be approach
ed in one way and some in another, just as
a siege is affair of faScineS and gabionS
in hard weather and of trenches in soft
But the man who can mix daring with
timdity, who can be outrageous with an
air of humility, and presumptuous with a
G he m w
mothers have to fear For myself l felt
that l was the guardian of this lonely lady
and knowing what dangerous man l had
to deal with kept a strict watch upon my
self. Still even a guardian has his privil-
eyes, and l could not neglect them.
But her talk was as charming as her
face. In few words she explained that
she was travelling to Poland and that her
brother. who had been her escort, had fall
len ill upon the way. She had more than
once met with ill treatment from the coun-
try folk because she could not conceal her
good will toward the French. Them turn
ing from her own affairs, she questioned
ME about the army, and so came round to
myself and my own exploits. They were
familiar to her. she said, for she knew
several of Ponatowski's officers and they
had spoken of my doings. Yet she would
be glad to hear them from my own lips.
Never have l had 50 delightful a CONVEX
Sation. Most women make the mistake of
talking too much about their own affairs.
but this one listened to my tales just as
you are listening now, even asking for
more and more and more. The hours slip
ped rapidly by, and it was with horror
that heard the village clock strike IL, and
so learned that for four hours 1 had for
gotten the emperor's business.
Pardon me. my dear lady" 1 cried,
springing to my feet. But 1 must on in
stantly to Hof."
She rose also and looked at me with
pale. reproachful face. And me-" she
asked. what is to become of me?'
I q
ready stayed far too long. My duty calls
NE. and l must CO."
You must go? And I must be abandon
ed alore to these savages. Oh, why did l
ever meet you? Why did you ever teach
me to rely upon your strength" Her eyes
glazed over and in an instant she was
sobbing upon my bosom.
Here was trying moment for
guardian! Here was time when he had
to keep watch upon a forward young
officer. But l was equal to it, l smoothed
her rich brown hair and whispered such
consolation as 1 cou1d'thn of in her ear.
with one arm around her. it is true, but
that was to hold her hst she should faint.
She turned her tear-stained face to mine.
Water" she whispered For Gods sake,
water.
saw that in another moment she would
be serseless: 1 laid the dropping head
upon the sofa, and. then rushed furiously
from the room, HUNTING from chamber to
chamber for caraffe 1t was some min
utes before l could get one and hurry back
with it. You can imagine my feelings to
find the room empty ard the lady gone.
Not only was she gone. but her cap and
her silver-mounted riding switch which
had lain upon the table, were gone also.
l rushed out and reared for the landlord.
He knew nothing of the matter, had never
seen the woman before, and did not care If
be never saw her again. Hal the peasants
at the door seen any one ride away? No.
they had seen nobody. l searched here and
searched there, till at last 1 CHANGED to
find myself in front of a mirror. where
stood with my eyes staring and my jaw
as far dropped as the chin strap Of my
sFa<o would allow.
-Four buttons of my pelsse were open.
and it did MOI need me to put my hand I'D
to know that my precious papers were
gone. Oh. the depth of cunning that turks
in a woman's heart, She had robbed me,
this creature, robbed me as she cluns to
my breast. Even while l srnoothed her hair
and whispered kind words in 10 her ear her
hands had been at work beneath my dol
man. And here | was at the very last step
Of my journey deprived of the power of
carrying out this mission which had al
ready deprived one good man of his life
and was likely 20 rob another OF his credit
What would the emperor say when he
heard that had lost his dispatches? What
would the army believe OF Etienne Gerard?