Evening star., 1898-07-23
WRITTEN FOR
nhe EVENING STAR
lBGROBTw BTw.CHAn5eRS

colorless lips scarcely moved. Yolette put
one arm around her and turned to the
Mouse.
What message have you for NJ
Bourke?' she asked. did NJ. Harewood
not send message?"
Yes" said the Mouse. 'He wants to see
him. 1t was not until last night that those
sacre PruSsians gave me a chance to leave
the fort. We have been there since LIE
Bourget when monsieur was shot as he
left the church"
He did not add that he had half carried.
half dragged Hardwood across the Mollette
under frenzied fusllade from the Prussian
pickets. He was a coward as towards 60
His very ferocity proved 1t. Yet he mad
instinctively clung to Harewood when a
bullet through the leg knocked him sprawl
ing. He had hauled him out of the Prus-
sian fire, much as a panther hauls its
young from a common danger, with no
reason in the world that human minds
could fathom, totally unconscious that he
deserved credit. The Mouse had received
HarewoOds thanks with ennui if not sus-
picion, and now it never occurred to him
to say that he had saved Harewood's life,
although, like most criminals, he was a
keen appreciator of the dramatic. No
what occupied the meager brain of the
Mouse was the fear that Bourke might re-
turn and learn from Hide and Yolette
that he, the Mouse, had been looting.
He looked sidewise at Yolette, who was
leading Hide to the bed room. He listened
stupidity to the paroxysms of grief when
Hide fiury herself on the bed. That was
, all very confusing. but what would Bourke
say? He looked down at his blackened
hands. at the bludgeon still gripped in one
bleeding fist, evidences Of his share in the
riotous nights work.
"Mincei je me sauver he blurted out,
and at the same moment he saw Red Rid
ing Hood staring at him from the sofa
What are you making eyes at, heinz
he demanded sullenly. Perhaps you are
going to say 1 was pillaging houses"
The child, seized with a fit of shivering,
covered against the wall, drawing her feet
IN under her nightdress.
The Mouse regarded her fiercely, twirling
his bludgeon between his blackened fingers.
Then, apparently satisfied that she was
too terrified to understand, he pulled his
cap over his sightless eye, put the bIud-
geon in his pocket and started toward the
door. Before he went out he hesitated
The sight of the frightened child seemed
to exercise a certain fascination for him
He looked back, frowning Just to see
whether it would frighten her a little more.
IL old, but strangely enough her fear gave
him no qualification.
Voyons, petite, do I scare your" he
asked, curiously
Yes whispered the child A curious
sensation, an unaccountable thrill some
th1ng that had never come over him before
sent the blood tingling in the Mouses
rowly.
Don't look like that" he said. for I
amt going to hurt YOU"
Inc child was silent.
You're cold" said the Mouse awkuard
ly- Go to bed
I'm afraid" she whispered.
VI me-? asked the Mouse, with
strange sinking of the heart
yes; and the Shells
TN knock the head off anv mig or q
Prusslan who harms you," said the Mouse
waving his club. You never mind the
snehs; Ihey won't hurt you. Now are
you afraid of me. little one?"
~ No, signed the child. A glow of pleas
ure suunsed the Mouse's ears again. Then
ne felt ashamed, then he looked at the
chlid, then he wondered why he should
tahe pleasure in telling the little thing not
70 De a1rail For while they contem-
pl%1eo ;5 SaGh ether in silence; then the child
5ald: w hen you were in the Rue d'Ypres
remember N Do you
Yes, said the Mouse much gratifed
"a Ah3 q you We're afraid of the iion," pur-
Dame muttered the Mouse "I am
afraid yet" 0iH
me child laughed-such a sad. thin IT.
Tie laugh; The Mouse, to please her. made
sightless eye Will MS
child asked the
The innocent question completely unset
tho mouse. The idea that he was wanted
~ 4t; mHeIe, the sensation of protecting any
ming was so new. so utterly ASTONISHING
mat even his habituai suspicion was naS'
[ien away IN the overwhelming novelty or
the proposition -0'ets vi
fed Riding Hood rose from the sofa
went to the bed and climbed in then 80
ed gravely to the Mouse. II
Don't let anything harm us - che cot,
Good night '"o saiu
FOR long time the Mouse stood and
''areu at the pale little face on the pillow.