The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1897-01-06

Pavannes'-the other M. de Pavannes'
suspicions had been well founded.
Worse than Beers was she? Ayl worse
o hundred times. AS much worse as
treachery ever is than violence; as the
.pitiless fraud of the serpent is baser
than the rage of the wolf.
II thought" Croisette added, softly,
not looking at me, when discovered
that you had gone off with her, that L
should never see you again, Anne. l.
gave you up for lost. The happiest mo-,
nent of my life think was when saw.
you come back"
"Croisette," whispered, piteously,
my cheeks burning, "let us never speak
OF her again."
And we never did-for years. But
how strange is life. She and the wicked
man with whom her fate seemed bound
up had just crossed our lives when their
own were at the darkest. They clashed
with us, and, strangers and boys as we
were, we ruined them. l have often
asked myself what would have hap
pened to me had / met her at some ear
lier and less stormy period-in the
brilliance of her beauty. And find but
one answer should bitterly have rued
the day. Providence was good to me.
Such men and such women, we may be-
lieve, have ceased to exist now. They
fourished in those miserable days of
war. and divisions, and passed away
with them like the foul night-birds
of the battlefield.
To return TO our journey. In the
morning sunshine one could not but be
cheerful, and think good things possi-
BILE. The worst trial had came with
each sunset For then-we generally
rode late into the evening Louis
sought my side to talk to me Of his
sweetheart. And how he would talk
of her! How many thousand messages
he gave me for her! How often be re-
called old days among the hills, with
each laugh and jest and incident, when
we five had been as childrenl Until
would wonder passionately, the tears
running down my face in the darh ess,
how he could-how he could talk 0 her
in that quiet voice which betrayed no
rebellion against fate, no cursing of
providence! Low he could plan for her
and think of her when she should be
alone!
Now understand it. He was still
laboring under the shock of his friends
murder, He was still partially stunned.
Death seemed natural and famil,
lar to him, as to one who had
seen his allies and companions
perish without warning or prep
aration. Death had come to be normal
to him, life the exception; as | have
known it seem to child brought face
to face with corpse for the first time.
One afternoon a strange thing hap
pened. We could see the Auvergne
hills at no great distance on our left
the Puy de Dome above them-and
we four were riding together. We
had fallen-an unusual thing-to the
rear of the party. Our road at the mo-
ment was mere track running across
moorland, sprinkled here and there
with gorse and brushwood. The main
company had struggled on out of sight.
There were but half a dozen riders
TO be seen an eighth of league before
us, a couple almost as far behind. /
looked every way with a sudden surg
ing of the heart. For the first time
the possibility of fight occurred to me.
The rough Auvergne hills were within
reach. Supposing we could get lead
of q quarter of league, we could hard
ly be caught before darkness came and
covered us. Why should we not put
spurs to our horses and ride offS
"Impossible!" said Pavannes quietly,
when spoke.
''Why?" / asked with warmth.
First" he replied, "because / have
given my word to go with the vidame
to Caho.e."
My face flushed Aotiy. "But," ]
cried, what of that? You were taken
by treachery! Your safe conduct was
disregarded. Why should you be scru.
pulous? Your enemies are not. This is
folly!"
81 think not. Nay" Louis answered
Shaking his head, you would not dc
it yourself in my place."
81 think l should" stammeped awk
wardly.
"No, you would not, lad," he said
smiling. 81 know you too well. But il
would do it, it is impossible" He
turned in the saddle, and, shading his
eyes with his hand from the level rays
of the sun, looked back intently. "It
is as l thought" he continued. zone
of those men is riding Gray Margot
which Bure said yesterday was the
fastest mare in the troop. And the MAI
on her is light weight. The othel
fellow has that Norman bay horse W,
were looking at this morning. 1t is I
trap laid by Beers, Anne. If we turned
aside dozen yards those two would b
after us like the wind"
''Do you mean cried, that Bezer
has drawn his men forward on pur
poser
n Precisely" was Louis answer
'That is the fact. Nothing woul'
please him better than to take m.
honor first, and my life afterwards
But, thank God, only the one Is in hi
power"
And when came to look at the horse
, men, Immediately before us, they con
firmed Louis view. They were tn
best mounted Of the party; all men o
light weight, too. One or other o
them was constantly looking back. A
, night fell they closed in upon us witt
/ their usual care. When Bure Joined Il