Omaha daily bee., 1898-05-29
BY ROBERT W. CHAMBERS.

through the palace grounds. staring up at
the exquisite gray facade with unaccus-
TONED emotion OF curiosity and apprehen-
sion.
A group of mounted officers. returning
from an inspection Of the Haras carrefour,
passed slowly beneath the terrace. spurs and
helmets jingling. breastplates glittering like
mirrors. One OF them, a slim young fellow,
splendidly mounted. turned his head to look
again, laughed and waved a gloved hand.
who's that? % asked Bourke.
General Bellemare, commanding at st.
Denis,' said Hardwood. Hes going to let
me know when anything is up in that direc-
tion.'
1t was sunset before they rose TO go, with
a last glance at the distant splendid city,
where the Arc de Triomphe had turned to
an arch of pearl, the obelisk to a flaming
torch-battlements, spires, bridges, impalpa-
BILE as structures of opalescent mist, faded
as the enchantment waned, fainter, DINNER,
until in the rosebank haze a star broke out;
another %glimmered in the zenith. Then, as
the shadows fell on forest and palace and
somber silent pools, far through the velvet
twilight, between the avenues of trees, the
moon, blood red, rose shove the edges of
the plain.
Come on" said Bourke. strapping his
binocular and starting down the terrace
steps.
Hardwood followed him, entering the
hedged avenue just as the cuirassiers rode
out of the court. In the twilight one of the
passing cavaliers stopped, calling to Hare
wood in English, tinged with an accent:
1T is you, my friend? Ma fol. you are
not amiable-no, scarcely amiable. l am
glad TO see you again.
Hardwood shook hands with him as the
horse passed, saying: Good evening, Cen
eral Bellemare. / am coming to see you at
st. Denis SOON
II shall expect YOU" said General Belle
mare, turning in his saddle. Don't forget
-Ru dAthis-au revoir, mon cher" and
passed on with the cavalry into the dusk,
saluting them both with easy grace.
The two Americans pursued their way to-
ward the river, saying little to each other
until they were standing on the deck of a
bateau mouche, speeding through the twi-
light under the high viaduct of the Point du
Jour.
Red and green lights on the fleet Of river
gunboats sparkled under the shadowy arches
of the viaduct. On the eastern bastions an
electric light sputtered blue and binding,
casting luminous shadows over quay and
dock and long rows of polished siege guns,
lying on car trucks below the ramparts.
olleE bOdlS passed. IneTl, clustered lights on
bow and stern, rows of Illuminated windows
and ports staining the dark waters with
golden beams as they passed. The little
waves danced along the wake, criss-crossed
with green and crimson streaks. distorting
the lantern reflections until the black water
surged under a polished surface, shot to its
depth with jagged, trembling shafts Of col
ored light.
That's the gunboat Farcy," said Bourke,
as a ~shadowy shape doomed up in mid
stream. She's got a big gun aboard. but,
to my thinking, the recoil must raise the
mischief with her plates" i
Already the dark, endless facade of the
Louvre appeared on the left, bridge after
bridge SPAWNED the river, bright with fes-
toons of gas lamps, until a black bulk surged
up before them, crowned with clustered pin
nacles, lighted only by the stars. 1t was
the Cite. Their voyage had come to its end.
AS they climbed the steps OF the quay below
the Palais de Justice, away in the south a
ball of fire sped up into the sky and burst,
spraying the night with vermilion stars.
whats that signal?" muttered Bourke.
The distant report of a cannon confirmed
the answer that the newsboys were shout
ing along the boulevard: Extra! The Or
leans railway blown up between Albion and
Athis! The Prussians have reached the for
est of Senart! Extra!"
Hardwood bought a paper and stood read
ing 1t under n gas jet, while on every side
an increasing tumult arose from the
crowded sidewalks as rocket after rocket
whirred up into the night and the dull thun-
der muttered from the forts of the west.
In the glare of the lighted shop windows
black masses Of people gathered, gesticu-
lating, blocking the street, lingering in
knots under the gas lamps, where some
boulevard orator alternately read from a
newspaper and harangued his neighbors.
Hoarse voices with the sinister intonation