Evening star., 1898-07-16

| SHc NpuuGSu anu tIe ClOakS OF nurses. ll6
| whole quarter echoed with the noise of de-
parture, from every street the wailing of
| the sick. the groaning of the stricken, the
| sharp, nervous orders of the surgeons rose
| and mingled in one monotonous plant, At
| length. when the house was empty and the
| last stretcher had passed cut to join the
torchlt procession in the snow, Hide sat
| Gown on the sofa and buried her head in
| 1oiettes arms Her tears were tears of
| sheer physical weakness, for she had eaten
| nothing since the night before, saving
every scrap for the wounded, in spite OF
| Bourke's protestations.
And now, because the wounded had need
| ed so much Bourke found his cellar empty
| He had sent Red Riding Hood to procure a
| ration card, and that night they ate the
| government rations for the first time.
| Yolette tried TO make light of II, saying
| that the soup was good, and that she did
| rot believe 1t could be anything but beef
| broth. Hide and Bourke ate their portions
and swallowed the coarse humps OF black
| bread too tired to care what they were
| eating.
This can't last long," said Bourke. 1.-THE
| siege Will end one way or another" He
| looked anxiously at Yolette as he spoke
| Her forced gayety was heart-breaking
| What In the world was he to do? His mon
| ey was gone: the last tin Of provisions had
| been given to the wounded.
| Who cares?" said Yolette lightly. 'If
| the army eat horse, surely we can eat It,
| Shame on you, Cecil-you, a great strong
| man! What would NJ. Harewood sayI''
1 jim Is prODaDiy not dining on horse,
| said Bourke cheerfully. Ten to one he's
| in Bordeaux living like prince and won
| oer1ng how long we Farisians are going to
| stand it."
| 81 know" said Hide, flushing. "that if
he could come back he would come"
| of course he would" said Bourke. Hell
! come the minute the gates are opened. any
way 1t won't be long now, one way or
| the other"
There is but one way" said Hide grave
ly.
''Of course-of course, We must win.
| don't mean to say that the city will sur
| lender said Bourke hastily
1.-The governor of Paris has promised not
| to surrender" announced Red Riding Hood
| as though that settled the matter forever.
| After moment Yolette began: Have you
| noticed that the cannonade grows louder
every evening? / have thought that per-
| haps the Germans are getting nearer the
forts of the south. Today could see smoke
all along the Meudon hills
Bourke said nothing. He knew that to
| the astonishment of the government the
Germans had suddenly unmasked siege
battery and were pounding the barracks of
Issy to powder.
Il have been thinking, he said after a
| moment. that perhaps we had better move
this week. In fact have already engaged
three rooms for in the Rue Serpente."
Yolette looked at him In amazement
1T is well to be prepared he continued
with smile. Our ramparts here are not
far from the southern forts. and, in the
4
batteries, they might take Ii into their
heads to send their big shells sailing over
| the forts to our own rampartsI'
And If NJ Harewood returns?" said Hill
de family.
He'd rather find our house in ruins than
ITS tenants blown to pieces-wouldn't he?'
smiled Bourke: Anyway, this house is
not the place for you at present
Hide said nothing Yolette leaned across
| the table and began a low, murmured con-
versation with Bourke that only ended
when Red Riding Hood woke up from the
sofa and began to whimper with the cold.
The next morning Bourke went to the
house in the Rue Serpente, taking man
to carry his personal luggage. By after
noon Yolette's and Hides slender ward
robes were deposited in the furnished rooms
at 10 Rue Serpente and in the tiny kitchen
Red Riding Hood was installed on a cot.
It was the 4th Of January; on the 9Th they
We're to take possession, and the house on
the ramparts was to remain closed until the
end of the siege of Paris.
All day long Yolette and Hide were busy
with the furniture and bedding They dust
ed and aired the familiar rooms, packed
table linen and plated ware away, arranged
the kitchen dishes, locked and boIted the
garden doors and windows and closed the
shutters.
! There had been meager distribution of
ratlons that day; Bourke had no monay to
buy food, and there was nothing to do but
wait for the morrow.
AS they sat there by the dining room win
uoWS idte III the afternoon Olette thought
of that afternoon when Bourke had told
her tnat he loved her. Hs was sitting now
| just as he had sat that day-the day that
| seemed already years away. Bourke raised
| his head.
"Are you thinking of it, too?" he asked,
! gently.
Yes, Cecil"
Hilds rose and slipped away to her own
silent chamber. The azure-mantled faience
saint looked down at her with the same
| complacent smile on her china face, the ro-
sary hung beneath. For the last time shs
| knelt and prayed for the man she loved
| for his return if living-for his forgiveness
| If dead Her eyes filled. her hot head swan;
| she sank back against the bed in a passion
OF weeping, her hands clasped over her
| head.
2 Through the evening clouds the setting
| sun CLEANED for an instant; a long red ray
| stole into the room She rose to her knees
| and looked out a the clouds, where, for the
| first time in so many days. the sun gilt
| tered. As she looked a speck grew before
| her syes, nearer, nearer, slanting down.
| ward, seeming to strike her window She
sprang up. A white pigeon fluttered at the
pane-a tired, frightened little thing that
| let her take 1t in her hands ard smooth it,
| and murmur to it sanseless, pitiful words.
| Under one wing, fastened to a quill, was
the message for the governor of Paris. She
! touched the quill with hestating fingers
and, finding it secure, folded back the
pigeons wings and warmed it in her breast.
Then, knowing it was rested and ready to
resume its Journey she kissed the little
feathered head and let 1t go. The bird rose
high in ths air, circled twice, then slanted
westward and was lost in the cannon haze
| drifting in from the distant forts
An hour later the governor of Paris knew
| that the army Of the east had been annihi-
| lated.
CTo be continued.)