Evening star., 1898-06-18

Theirs. and WHICH cost Paris the commune.
So Major Flourens fiourished his heels
IN security. and sBuckhurst emboldened by
the t governments apathy: refused admit
government officers, while Speyer and
Stauffer whispered discomfort and treason
among the carbineers.
The week passed slowly 1Dr the Mouse
He was waiting fer revenge. 1t passed
more swiftly for Rourke: he was in love-
AS for Hide and Hardwood the days an
peared and vanished like April rainbows
He was with her in the evenings In the
mornings he haunted the war office ears
open, for any bit of gossip that might indi-
cate the date of the next sortie
Inc war office remained in state of in
describab.e confusion. Everything Law at
loose ends. There appeared TO he no svs
tenn, no order. The place was througed by
irresponsible young officers who knew
everything and nothing, and who talked,
talked. talked. Surely it needed no extra
ordinary spy system on the German side
10 Keep M. Bismarck au courant with the
daily life in Paris, with the physical and
nora conditions of the French army
Every movement contemplated was dis
cussed with unheard-er care.essDess every
secret project aired every plan shouted
aloud to anybody who cared to listen The
vital necessity of secrecy in arranging for
sorue was absolutely ignored Is If Ihen
any wonGer that hours before a sor,;a ~.
Germans knew of it and were already
massing in the threatened zone?
aaiewoou' always welcomed among men
Wherever he went, found no dittcuItv IN
learning whatever he wished to learn
TINS knowledge he used he bought bu,.
ureos OF TINS OF meat and vegetables. all
the nour he could get, all the biscuits and
Preserves. He had heard things fro,r l;.h
sources that appalled, him. and ne Jo,Lsd
ieaf1ully at the lines of people beginning
10 gather in front of the provision deDots
Fuel and candles he bought, too. but he
could purchase no Oil, although petroleum
was cheap. The Oil was used 10 int 70
balloons; the petroleum could not be burn
ed in lamps
Hide ana folette were very busy storing
provisions in the cellar and botI,ins ra1
Wine, aided by Red Riding Hood ara tho
Mouse. "-O '"e
The Mouse, cleaned and chas:anel ard
warmly clothed, worked as he was biddan
to work-not because he wished 10 hut h.
cause Hardwood told him to DO ,o rr cat
out To find himself working was an end.
less source OF painful amaxemeat to The
Mouse. '-S
"MaIheur-si ca fait pas pitie;. ba uou,I
exclaim, regarding his apron and s,bo.s
with unfeigned astonishnent But he c.r
ried and fetched and scrubbed and ruhhed
living half in daze, half in a nightmare.
He was not resentful. however. he Lna,v
his skin was safer there than in Ra,,a,,iII
But the degradation OF manual toll crushed
MIN to state OF gloom only lighted hv
tnIee 1uil meals day and Harewood's
nothing for Yoletfe or Hide. ba ,,nars,d ed
Mehemet Alit he tolerated Red riding
Hood, he 1oathed ,aScheherazade with q
loathing that turned his blood to w.ter
Bourke he reysred because that youn@ man
had mastered him - Hardwood he foiIow"d
when Harewoad did not drive him OF about
his business.
81 All 1 day long the forts Of the south pound
eo away at the wooded heights beyond. all
day long the bouleNards In the interior 1,t ~
the city echoed With the rattle of crnms
There were fewer. cabs and omnibuses now.
the governmshtr Was constantly se,Ine
horses for artillery and train service. HorSs
meat, too, began to appear in the markats
but the government at first Restricted irs
sale to certaiRl designated shops.
Toward the middle of the week the GOV.
ernment published an order in the Offictal
faaoning the INHABITANTS of Paris and as
suming control OF feyery butcher shon n
the city. Bourkes returned that night
bringing with him printed card shor,inS
the number of people in their house their
names, and the amount of meat ailon,d
esch-100 grammes daily
1T looks serious" he said. hanfJtnp-+h.
card to Yolette I'VE are also ohligsa to
secure three days rations at a time.
The name Of the Mouse did NOT anna.r ~,
the card. They Invented a name for him
that served its purpose. But the Ala rmirg
fused to nourfsh Scheheraxade at tts az.
pense, and even suggested sending her fo
the Zoo in the Jardin des Plantes
''Neverf' cried Hide, putting both aryf,e
around Scheheraxade's neck but the tonaas
no longer responded, and Hide looked AZ
her sorrowfulIy. mourning the change In
her gentle favorite. -.
It was Thursday. October n. Harexood
had gone as usual to the war ofaca. Bourke