Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1898-07-13

tains indistinctly a. Tia Journey fr0m
Moulins into the Auvefene. but not like
this While she gaxed. they seemed to
rise higher and higher. till their rose
fiecked SUBMITS pierced the saffron
tinted sky, still glowing with the ex-
quisite tints of sunrise; the imagina-
tive girl told herself that Heaven had
indeed opened to her gaze, SO lovely
were the cool grey shadows and silver
sheen OF radiance which lit up the
giant packs before her.
Her exclamation OF delight brought
Laval to her side.
EFT is fine spectacle, is it not? But
on such chilly morning does it not
freeze you to regard it?'
ooh, no! l love the mountains! |
could look at them forever" she said
simply. Facing those grand. inscrut-
able heights, untrodcen by man, it
seemed to her that the dark, scheming
face beside her, handsome though It
was, could not fully grasp the awful
ness of their truth and sublimity.
They rode on for several hours al
most in silence, and then halted for
breakfast. She looked around her, but
she saw that her maids and Gaspard
were too near for her to hazard the
question she longed to ask LavaI-the
result of his interview with the King.
She resolved to wait until they reach
ed St Bonnet. She had become very
weary, when the next zigzag OF the
road brought them in sight OF a puny-
looking. weather-stained building on
the hilltop.
There is the hostel Of La Verite,"
Laval said. est Bonnet lies at the foot
of the hill" He turned to Raoul, and
babe him take the soldiers on to the
village.
Jean thought the inn looked un-
promising: its windows were small and
few: the walls were damp and mouldy;
manure heap in front, and sheaves OF
yellow beanstalks drying outside the
windows gave dirty, neglected aspect
to the place.
A long pole projected above the en-
trance door, and from it hung the
nude figure of a woman; at her feet,
in irregular brown letters, which had
once been gilded, were the words LA
Verite."
The figure drew some coarse laughter
and joke from Gaspard; and assured
ly the sculptor of the figure, which
was carved in wood, and grey with
exposure to the weather, had not made
Truth in any way attractive But the
mans laughter was hushed as a wo-
man came forth from the door below
the sign. She was very tall and erect;
her face had stran gely-repellant ex-
preston; yet Jeanne felt that she rec
ognized it. She asked herself where
she had seen its like.
Laval lifted the girl from her horse,
and she turned to the woman, who
greeted her without any of the effuslve
reverence she had lately received
Il am sorry that madame has dis
mounted" she said; II have no cham
Der fitted to lodge lady and her wait
ing women"
Laval had turned away to speak to
Gaspard, and as Jeanne looked intent
ly at the hostess she surprised glance
of terror in the woman's eyes that at
once reminded her of her arrival at st.
Feriol.
So low that even Mathurine, who
stood nearest her, could not overhear,
Jeanne said:
You have nothing to fear from me
or my women, but warn you, do not
find room for the men," then, as she
looked into the dark eyes, now flashing
back significantly at her own, she I'M
derstood the face before her and where
she had seen It's like. II have stayed
at Moulins," she went on, "at LIE
Occur Loyal, and l have spoken with
Therese Vougeon. Mathurine"-she
turned quickly to her attendant-"bid
Anne follow me closely. This good
dame will show me to my chamber"
Mathurine had not heard, but she
had seen the hostess turn pale, and she
felt inuuisitive. She had seen Gas
pard go UP to Anne when the Count
left him, and she was glad to call her
companion away from the fellows
whispers. Mathurine believed that
Gaspard had turned her companions
head; Anne had been Of late sulky and
silent.
The hostess led the way into the
house. and as the girls followed their
mistress, Laval came back to Gaspard
Listen" he said, that little fool
must tell you all she sees and hears"
Gaspard nodded-"but 1t will be best
for us not to lodge in the same hostel.
We must not awaken suspicion, but
we must be near at hand. There Is,
doubtless, another outlet at the back;
you must watch it; the rat Is, l think,
this time In the trap, and she must not
find it easy to leave it. There Is much
to be done before nightfall"
(To be Continued.)