Omaha daily bee., 1898-05-22

pointeur afnxed the lanyard. Mounted on
the gun carriage. high against the sky. the
pointeur rested both hands on the breech.
while behind him two cannoniers imper-
ceptibly swung the enormous gun from
right to left. Then he Strengthened up both
hands raised. the movement ceased. the
captain verified the elevation, the aide
pointeur seized the lanyard.
First piece. Hre!'
And the pantomime recommended. a sue
cession Of figures trotting backward and
forward. suddenly rigid, then an abrupt
gesture. a command. and the dark blue
! figures trotted to and fro again. Hide
| looked at the barracks beyond the Rue
Pandore. where, through a brief interval OF
| iron railing. she could see the line OF in
| fantry marching and wheeling to the sound
Of bugles. Down at the Porte Rouge a
| solid column OF wagons poured over the
! pont t-evs-vehcles of every size and
shape, piled with furniture. bedding grain.
cabbage, or bales OF hay and potato sacks.
| The country people and the inhabitants OF
the suburbs were coming into the city in
constantly increasing numbers, bringing
with them furniture and live stock. Farm
wagons. piled high with bedding, on which
sat children old women, holding the
| family clock. crowded against furniture vans
| from Paris, loaded with the bric- a-brac OF
| prosperous suburban merchants; oxen hud-
died behind smart carriages driven by serv-
! ants in livery, cows, sheep, even turkeys and
, geese pursued dusty course through the
gates, and over all rose the cries OF the
teamsters. the lowing of cattle, the omnous
murmur of dishearened things. fleeing from
! that impending tempest that was rolling on
from somewhere beyond the horizon.
-
despair than of terror; the old people were
dumb, peering through the dust with hope
less eyes, fearless and resigned Even the
children, laughing up into their wistful
mothers eyes, grew sober, and sat on the
! heaps of bedding staring down at the hud-
died cattle trampling by on either side
To Hide, however, the distant wagon
! train, half hidden in dust was scarcely
visible, except where it wound through the
gate. Even there she could not distinguish
features or age or sex. for the Porte Rouge
was too far away, and the foliage of the
chestnut trees hid great deal How much
she OWNED is not certain, but she turned
away into the house, a new weight on her
heart, a sudden heavy foreboding.
| In the bird store the canares were sing
! ing Justify in the sunshine Rocco the
: monkey cracked nuts and ate them with
= SIllhtCSS u NeHtluel All the
rot, who looked at him enviously, upside
down. Hide dropped some fresh melon
seeds into the parrots china cup, renewed
the water in all the cages, stirred up the
squirrels bedding, and sat down, her dim
pied chin on her wrist.
She thought of Harewood Of the first time
they had entered the bird store together.
She thought Of that moment when, before
she knew 1t, he had bent and kissed her,
and, wonder of wonders she had kissed him.
( Why? The eternal question-always re-
turning-why? Why? 1t wearied her to
think and what was the use? Until he had
kissed her she had always supposed that
such kiss was sin. The sisters at the con-
vent said so. Now she did not know-she
knew nothing except that they had kissed
each other. She had not resisted. She had
never thought of resisting. In his presence
she was satisfied and yet frightened, con-
tented, yet restless She never tired of
watching him. She was curious too, about
him, wondering what his thoughts were,
Twice since that first day he had looked at
her in the same way, with the same unex-
Iplained question in his eyes-a question that
left her breathless, confused. dazed. Sad
ness, too. came later and wistfulness, a
fatigue, a weakness, that made her eyes
grow tired and her limbs heavy.
She went slowly into her bedroom only to
stand before the faience Sainte- Hide, think
ing thinking. She had never asked Sainte-
Hide of Carhaix for aid because she did
not know what to say, and when she tried
to think the gold and azure mantle of the
sainte distracted her attention. How often
had she counted the links in the chain
around Sainte- Hides china neck; how often
had she stryen to understand the placid set
smile on her polished face-yet always
thinking Of something quite different-of
Harewood-and the kiss-and the question,
unanswered, in his eyes.
And, as she stood musing In the twilight
of her chamber, suddenly the room swan,
the floor seemed to fall beneath her,
frghtful explosion shivered every window
pane in the house.
Hide reeled clutchng at chair; Yolette
crept in, pale, shaking in every limb.
1T is nothing" she gasped; "they have
fired The Prophet The Prussians are in
Meudon woods!'
ITO be Continued.)