Evening star., 1898-07-30

him to the window-he was scarcely strong
| enough to standard he laughed and ad-
| JuSted the crutches. as she steadied him to
| the door where the foot artillery were pass
| ing down the winding street to the mo-
| notonous tap, tap Of a drum.
After them came the Mobiles. bugles
! sounding stridently in the sharp. crisp air.
| He wished to go to the ramparts; she
! dreaded the bits of ice and snow; but he
| had his way, and she guided him across
| the parade and UP the sanded incline to
| the parapets above.
The sun hung over the distant city, gilt
| tering on million windows, gliding dome
and spire and frosty river, reddening the
| long gray palaces. flooding quays and roofs
| and bridges with hazy radiance that
turned the streets to streaks of rose and
| pearl A mist of amethyst veiled the
/ heights of ChatiHon. Behind 1t the Ger
man cannon lay. stretching from Clamart
| northward, then east and south and west,
| in one enormous iron circle, back TO Fon-
| tenay aux Roses. Across the river from
| the fort, between Chatou and Croissy, the
| Prussian cavalry were plainly visible,
moving at gallop over a wasted meadow.
Beyond them rose the smoke of camp fires,
n marking the long line of trenches east
ward to Houiles.
In Paris there is little smoke" said
Hide sadly. Jim. can scarcely wait to
| CO. What do you suppose the shells have
| done to the city? Think of it! Twenty
days of ceaseless bombardment, and my
| sister there
There was more risk in the fort here
said Hardwood; I'VE have been under fire
| longer. 1t has pounded the barracks to
powder, but you yourself know that we
| have not lost many killed.
He continued: The Mouse has not reap
peared, has he, dearest" Hide shook her
| head.
WELL" said Hardwood, hes In Paris
| again, unless he was shot outside the low
er parapets. Did he say nothing about
| going, Hilde?''
No, Jim. He hung around the case
mates for a week. Then an officer COM
planned of missing his gold watch. and
asked me whether the Mouse was your
| servant. The Mouse was lstening-I saw
him behind the door. That night Mobile
lost some money and went about the pa
| rade swearing terribly. The shells were
falling, striking the barracks every min
ute, but the Mobile didn't notice them and
kept right on swearing that the Mouse had
| taken his money. In the morning the
Mouse had vanished"
Hes a strange beast" unused Harewood.
81 know less about him than did the first
night / saw him. Yet Paris is full of such
| mice-and 1 have seen many.
Hide sat down on the parapet and looked
out over Paris. Hardwood watched her.
Care and suffering had not narrowed the
| lovely oval of her face; her eyes were
clear and sweet; the rounded chin, the
delicate straight nose had not changed.
| Trouble had once effaced a certain child
| like beauty in the lips and eyes; trouble
perhaps brought it back: yet now that un-
conscious innocence. the frail bloom Of
childhood, was strengthened by something
more subtle more exquisite. maid Is al
ways a child until knowledge Of sorrow
| comes to make her a woman.
A sparrow, the first they had seen for
many month, alighted in the snow under
| the muzzle of big gun.
'Hilde. do you remember when we freed
your birds?" he asked.
Yes, jim"
After pause he said. wistfulIy: How
young We were-in those days"
Yes she said, I'VE were very young'
Her serious. sweet eyes met his; her
hand stole across the parapet and nestled
pfn his. Some soldiers came through the
snow, bearing dead man on a stretcher.
As they passed the cannon the sparrow
futtered up. high overhead, flying across
| the gulf to Paris.
Tonight We will follow it," she mur-
INJURED. .'Oh, Jim, 1 am SO tired of the
snow! l am so tired of winter and white
| ness and death."
You shall see the spring come In the
Breton forests he said. You shall see
! miles Of primroses and pinkthorn: YOU SHAH
see shaded giades purple with vioets and
everywhere young leaves, young blossoms
"a young world. Hide. and ali for u.s."
"A young world" she sighed; that Is
So,,,b wMai ! ioveugreen leaves, sunlight and
Youth is kinder" he repeated
me CLOCK in the citadel struck heavily. >.
the nag on the iron pole fiuttered to the
i ground. -s
fhe garrison is going" said Hide. ..Do
you think they win remember us? They
promised me two places in an ambulance :,
LOOK at the high road below said
hardwood See the carriages and wagons
coming out from Paris. That is the Nan
terrc road 1t leads to the gates ~ tra
north"
They leaned over together, watching the
sunshine flashing on the polished eou,-
pages. on wheels and lamps and harness