The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1895-12-14

she was sobbing upon my bosom.
Here was a trying moment for
guardan! Here was time when he
had 10 keep "A watch upon forward
Young officer. But | was equal to- il. l
gaoothe,k her rich bIpwa hair and
AIAsperea,s con nsoiatfons / could
think OF IN her ear, withSon arm
asonnd her,iit is true, bat ShatNas %
l,old herT lest she Should Amt She
turned Hir tear-staned face. co .'Iiine.
Water" she whispered. For Gods
sake, water
/ saw that in another moment she
would be senscess. ! laid the droop-
ing head upon the sofa, and then rushed
furiously from the room. hunting from
chamber TO chamber for a caraffe. IL
was some minus before | could get
one and hurry back with it. You can
imagine my feelings TO find the room
empty and the lady gone.
Not only was she gone, but her cap
and her silyer-mounted riding switch.
which had lain upon the table, were
gone also. rushed out and roared for
the landlord. He knew nothing of the
matter, had never seen the woman be-
fore, and did not care if he never saw
her again. Had the peasants at the dior
seen anyone ride away? No, they had
seen nobody. j searched here and
searched there till at last | chanced to
find myself i'm front of a mirror, where
/ stood with my eyes staring and my
jaw as far dropped as the chin strap of
my shake would allow.
-Four buttons of my pelsse were open,
and il did not need me to put my hand
up TO know that my precious I>lpcrs
were gone. Oh, the depth of cunning
that turks in woman's heart! She
had robbed me, this creature, robbed
me as she clung to my breast. Even
while / smoothed her hair and whs-
pered kind words into her ear her hands
had been at work beneath my dolman.
And here / was at the very last step of
my journey deprived of the power OF
, carrying out this mission which had
, already deprived one good man of his
| life, and was likely to rob another of
| his credit. What would the emperor
say when he heard that had lost his
| of Etienne Gerard? And when they
heard that woman's hand had coaxed
them from me, what laughter there
would be at the mess table and at camp
fre i could have rolled upon the
ground in my despair.
But one thing was certain-all this
affair Of the fracas in the hall and the
& 1. a..
was "A piece of acting from the begin
ming. This villainous inn-keeper must
be in the plot. From him might learn
who she was and where my papers had
gone. / snatched my saber from the
table and rushed out in search Of him.
But the scoundrel had guessed what
would do, and had made his prepara-
tions for me. 1t was in the corner of
the yard that i found him, a blunder-
buss in his hands and mastiif held
upon a leash by his son. The two stable
hands with pitchforks stood upon each
stde. and the wife held great lnntGrn
behind him SO as toguide his aim.
Ride away, sir, ride awayl" he cried,
with cracking voice. "Your horse is
at the door and no one will meddle with
you if you 90 your way, but If you come
against us you are alone against three
brave men"
had only the dog to fear, for the two
forks and the blundcrbuss were shak-
ing about like branches in wind. Still
i considered that though might force
an answer with my sword point at the
throat of this fat rascal, still / should
have no means of knowing whether
that answer was the truth. IL would
be struggle then with much to lose
and nothing certain TO gain. L looked
them up and down, therefore, in way
that set their foolish weapons shaking
worse than ever, and then throwing my
self upon my mare Igalloped away with
the shrill laughter of the landlady jar
ring upon my ears.
/ had already formed my resolution.
Although l had lost my papers l could
make very good guess as TO what their
contents would be. and this i would
say from my own lips TO the prince of
SaNc-Felstcin rs though the emperor
had commissioned me to convey il in
that way. lt'Was a bold stroke, and
dangerous one. But il | went too far
/ could afterwards be disavowed. 1t
was that or nothing, and when all Ger
many hing Ia the balance the game
should not be lost If the nerve of one
man could save IL.
1t was midnight when rode into IIof.
but every window was blazing, which
was enough i'm itself in that sleepy
country to tell the ferment of excite
ment in which the people were. There
was hooting and icering as / rode
through the crowded streets, and once
a stone sang past my head; but | kept
upon my way, neither slowing nor
quickening my pace, until ! had come
To the palace. 1t was lit from base TO
battlement. and the dark shadows com
ing and going against the yellow glare
spoke of the turmoil within. For my
part, | handed my mare 20 a groom at
the gate, and striding i'm | demanded
a .l.s. .a.I,.