Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1896-01-10


1t opened " itself ut n place where was
displayed, as within n brave flourish was
declared, "A New Chart of the Gulf or
Bay of Bengal, with part OF tho Indian
Ocean" IL was worn, thumb marked md
scrawlcd with corrections in Ill spelled
French, aud al down tho Indian coast
were marked at irregular intervals little
red crosses.
There was no installing whit they
meant. Curtis with an innrticulato OK
preston OF disgust, closed tho book, and
crossing to the fire threw himself YEARLY
into on NJ the gilded nriuchairs that stood
there and foil to grring ut tho cracking
logs.
AS no sat thus in silcncn tho American,
still anxious began 10 reflect that his COM
panion had not addressed n word to him
since they entered, md tlombting II he had
not mistaken his man hsd mind to re.
pcAt his basty treaty with so feather head
ed an ally. In another mNmcnt II occur
red to him 'jiat nothing could have created
So well an impression that they were old
ncquaintanccs rs the Enyllshman's OF
hand behavior. and q pleasant feeling Of
confidence supplnnt I'd his DOUBTS rs he saw
It was almost impossible Tor them to i'd
dress each other without bGsraylng that
they were strangers.
He turned to scrutinize tnp man again
and saw, to lis surprise that he had falleL
fast asleep. The long yiglls Of his wander.
ings, and tho warmth, anG the clarct had
done theis work. The American could
scrutinize at his leisure.
II was rain and PLEASANT book to
read, rs the freight hutteied on the fresh
aud well balanced features 1t was face
resnluto and confident, for, though boyllko
q.
that como 10 one who has commanded men
with success--nn uncons.i ous mastorful
face, that would never knc ", us the Amer
lean strangely said to hin, self, how easily
women would love it.
Thus, under tho influence OF his COM
panlon's healthy personality, he found
himself falling into quite pleasant train
of thoughts Gs no dried hltnself By tho fire
AMI In spite VI the silence within and tho
riot Of the wind withous it might well
have continued but for the old woman.
She had resumed her work OF setting
out supper, in witch they had interrupted
her Her movements ware quick, direct
and unlngging as she fitted from board
I to table and ratified the cookery, and hor
whole motion was market with Hn unnat-
! ural activity that was nut Is DO looked for
/ In one 50 old 1t was like dance of
death, and In the silence OF the room the
hard ticking clock seemed used to beat the
! time.
"Whorc is your SOM" he asked sudden
| ", 10 break the spell she was putting on
his nerves, but 1t was in voice that sur
prsed him with its hoarscncss.
Shu paused IA moment in her hurry to
md fro TO look Mt the American cunning.
ly, and then she answered:
"At the chatoau--where clseS ! don't
deny it--why should II He always said
he would have business there sooner or
later
But what Is his buslncss9" asked tho
American, with no lessening Of his uneasi.
ness. for he old woman had finished with
q very evil Chuekle.
why, The same MS svery ones, sho rc-
piled. But tho mllksups would never
have dono thinking about 1t n It hndn t
boen for lin. My boy don't think long
He'll teach en-"
"But what is it that is every onos bust,
nessf"
She looked Mt him suspiciously, stopping
again in her unrest.
"You know we'll enough" she said.
Indeed don't. / have only Just land.
cd from Brost."
"Brestl Arc you sure 1t was BrcstH 1t
might have been Jersey, you know"
e. Blues don't come from Jersey, my
good woman, nor navy officers either.
"That's truG too You nre Blue 50
Twill tell YOU Not that there's much
good In talking. with Chounns about,
though They arc scared enough nt my boy.
He's too clever for 'en, and too ugly but
he found IL out none too soon. IL was Just
after we heard the English were coming "
"The Englishi'
"Ycs; you know that as we'll MS do
Tho bloody English coming again to join
tho Chouon brignnds, and cut all our
throats, and eat the children, the same as
they did In the days OF tho old ancient
kings. And that dcvil of an aristocrnt up
at tho chateau was going TO give up Fangu.
port 70 let them in"
why, how could he do thatf"
"iow should q lone woman know But
he was going to, sure enough. My boy
found out, No more Toulons, says hc,
and away he goes to the chateau. He'll
teach cm, hei hel my boy will"
1t was but last year that Toulon and tho
fleet TINT lay there had been surrendered
a. Lord Hood and the horrible venganuc
that had been wrcs.kcd upon tho wruiuhud
Inhabitants by the republicans was still a
groom memory. When Ito American heard
tho old wonians reference to IL, he knew
the very worst that no feared hnd happen
cd. His impul'e was TO fly to tho countess
assistance. lie was nman Of magnaninious
impulses, but there was chill In his sur.
roundlngs that OF Itself was enough to
check the impulse ripening to purpose.
a moments consideration comfortable
convinced him OF the futilty OF his idea.
II was clear from tho cronus broken tale
that the people of Fangeport ind beun
seized with one Of those insane ilts OF fury
with which, rs he well know, tho terror Of
secret enemies had again and again az.
fcctcd whole districts. The ru,nor OF "a de.
sign OF the Chouans to deliver Fangeport
into the hands OF British squadron was
not new thing to him. Indeed. II was
part OF his instructions to investigate IL,
md though he could no longer doubt that
1t was nothing but panic 1t was none the
moro pleasant to deal with.
Tho now thing TO him was that the
Imaginary treason had been saddlod on tho
count, and that the man he was waiting
for. and with whose personality he was al.
ready unpleasantly impressed wns prob.
ably the ringleader Of the outhurst. Still.
without being sure OF his ground IL would
be madness to moye, aud so his impulse
ended In resolution to get further infor.
nation.