The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-05-23

mesSieurS, nave you seen Inc
Which particular prophet do you
mean? I'm a little in that way my
self, said Bourke gayly, and 1
prophesy that we are going to have a
most delicious bowl OF cafe au lait in
minute or two.
Anybody can prophesy that" said
Hide; "Yolette means the cannon. The
soldiers have named it The Prophet
! everybody is talking about it; the
4 morning papers say 1t can throw shells
as large as a man and that it will be
terrible for the Prussians."
oh" said Hardwood, so they call
ii The Prophet
All the same" said Yolette, Il hope
1t will not need to prophecy"
They stood a moment looking at the
great silent gun, at the squad of sail
ors who were exercising around it, then
I folette laughed lightly and summoned
them to breakfast, leading the way
with her arm around her sister
slender waist
There is an awful creature" said
Hide, who calls himself the Mouse
and who came into the hallway early
| this morning and asked for Monsieur
| Hardwood"
Shouts of laughter interrupted her.
Bourke begged Hardwood to introduce
his friend, the Mouse. and Yolette in
sisted on inviting him for dinner. Even
Hide laughed until Hardwood, a littlz
red, explained who the Mouse was.
And you helped him TO hide from the
police?" exclaimed Yolette, Mortified.
That's just like Jim said Bourke,
who had enjoyed the story keenly.
! Hide said nothing. Her changing
face was turned to Hardwood.
What did he want with ne?' asked
! HARDWOOD, careiessly. Money!.
No. said Hide. with strange little
shudder He said: Tell him to so to
the "undertakers'' if he ever needs
| help"
THE undertakers," gasped Yolette.
IT'S not what you think; it's a sort of
a club in BeIleville; a nest where the
elite of the cut-throats congregate,"
said Hardwood, much amused. L sup
pose the creature is grateful to me for
hiding him. ] don't think l shall ac-
cept his invitation.
Gratitude is rare in that Species
observed Bourke cautiously. Il fancy
he'd cut your throat for franc, jim"
Probably he would" laughed the
other.
Hide listened in silence. When
Bourke slung his binoculars over his
shoulder and said ne was going to ST.
Cloud with HARDWOOD, Yolette insisted
on putting up for them little lunch
con- Hide aided her, silent. preoccu-
wrapping up two bottles of red wine.
At the front door Bourke stood, telling
Yolette not to keep dinner waiting, as
they might stay away all night, and,
as Hardwood started along the hallway
to join his comrade, Hide began care
lessly:
"Of course. Monsieur Hardwood, you
are not going to the-the undertake
ers?"
Why no." he said. surprised, 1--WE
are going to st. Cloud
Butt mean-you are never going
are your"
There was a silence. He looked at
her without stirring, one hand on the
door Again that swift emotion sent
the blood thrilling, tingling, leaping
through every vein. yet, even then, he
reasoned-evep then, when in her face
he saw reflected his own emotion-eVen
then when a fierce desire seized him
to stoop and take her in his arms-this
girl so close to him-Hilde, who would
not resist He stood there dumbly. one
hand twisted in the door handle, daring
neither to speak nor move-for her
sake The enchantment of her bent
head, the curve of her scarlet mouth,
the white hands idly by her side, held
him fascinated.
Bourke called impatiently, and came
through the hallway toward him. At
the SOUND Oh the VOICE IIilut ldiSSu iiIA
head as though aroused from dream.
With dazed eyes she moved toward the
door. holding. the little packet-Hare-
woods luncheon.
thine to start" said Bourke. with a
cheerful smile Are you ready?"
Yes" said HARDWOOD shortly.
He took the luncheon from Hides
listless hands. thanking her and saying
good bye. then followed Bourke out
into the Rue 'YpreS.
When they had gone Yolette went
back into the garden, where. slate In
hand. Red Riding Hood sat, accom-
plishing multiplication Hide fingered
by the door watching the sailors, rifles
en- bandoulere, drilling with The Pro |
phet." From the bastion the short !
commands of the officer cameb-clearly |
to the ear. La hausSe quinz cents /,
metres. Premiere piece, feu. La |
hausse a deuX miles metresI Pre- |
miere piece. feui"
Then, pretending that the gun had /
been fired. the two cannoniers in the |
center swabbed the piece as the briga- /
der and artihcier unlocked the breech, !
the two leaders hoisted in a dummy |
shell, and the aide poinetur affixed the |
lanyard. Mounted on the gun car
riage, high against the sky, the poin- /
tsur rested both hands on the breech |
while behind him two cannoniers i'm 4
from right to left. Then he Strengthened 1
up both hands raised, the movement /
ceased. the captain verified the eleva- /
ton, the aide pointeur seized the Ian
yard.
First piece. fire."
And the pantomime recommended, a
succession 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 Pandora, where, /
through brief interval of iron railing,
she could see the line of infantry
marching and wheeling to the sound of /
bugies. Down at the Porte Rouge a
solid column of wagons poured over
the OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES of every size
and shape, piled with furniture, bed
ding, grain, cabbage, or bales of hay
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 or old women, holding the
family clock. crowded against furni-
ture vans frcm Paris, loaded with the
bric-a-brac of prosperous suburban
merchants; oxen huddled behind smart
carriages driven by servants in livery.
cows, sheep, even turkeys and geese
pursued a dusty course through the
gates. and over all rose the cries of the
teamsters, the lowing of the cattle. the
ominOuS murmur of .-diSheartened
things. fleeing from the impending tenn
pest that was rolling on from some
where beyond the horizon.
In the eyes of the men there was
more of despair than of terror; the old