The sun., 1898-07-31

nv ROBERT w. CHAMBERS.
CHAPTER xxvIII.-coxr1xuHD.

kFui N.
ain bore It on. intonng atonement. atonementl
A. first she went. leaning on the icy parapet;
,or the Justice OF God is fearful thing. and she
was young But her tears froze on her cheeks,
and she went down through the house and out,
and far into the city to the gates. They would
not LET her pass. She came back through the
hind dead avenues. seeing nothing, hearing
nothing. until at her own door she paused. her
hand on the wall her listless eyes closed. 1t
was dawn. Rod Riding Hood came out with
covered basket, to take her place in the line at
the butchers.
Hide smiled when she saw her, and. stoop-
ing kissed the child. Tell them have gone
TO the Nantcrrc Fort" she said
So she went away into the city. to the gates
nrain. where cavalry were passing. And she
rasscd out among the horses and the troopers.
Nobody told her the road. At crossway, In
the centre OF dismantled hamlet tho stupid,
freezing troopers wheeled TO the west. Hide
kent on. her white face fixed on the road The
gray dawn came UP behind the fortress OF the
east the bombardment ceased as the sun APP
pearcd. but from the forts the smoke riffs fled
AWAY and the guns flashed steadily, pounding
the heights of Chatilon and the parapets OF st.
Cloud, where the suen Prussian artillery lay
breathless waiting for the night again to strike.
Tho frozen road seemed endless The dew
astatcd treeless fields stretched fiat on either
hand To Hide they seemed burning with the
glitter of the sun. kindlng each ice crystal to
living coal. Her tired. hot eyes dropped. her
feet dragged but the fever in her breast gave
her no rest, and she moved on unconscious OF
her exhaustion.
There were men who called to her at times;
she saw they were soldiers, but she neither
heard nor answered their hoarse halls. Per-
haps the pickets thought she was some crazed.
xrhn atNfTa md
driven her from the doomed city: perhaps they
took hcr for nurse. for she still wore the gray
wool and the red cross band above her elbow
A squad OF Franc -tireurs outside the out
posts called to her to 60 back. She did not even
raise her head A peasant crouched before
FIRE in ditch by the roadside warned her that
Uhlans had been there the night before. She
looked at him and passed on.
There was a shell OF blackened village be-
yond her-a mere hamlet, charred. crumbling
half hidden in the snow. She entered the main
street dragging her tired little feet over burned
timhers and piles OF brick and stone. Twice
she stumbled to her knees. but she rose and
went on. her gray skirt powdered with snow.
There was man in the street. walking ahead
soldier. He heard her and waited for her. 1t
was some minutes after he had dropped along
side that she heard him talking. but even then
she did not look at him until he took hold other
arm. still talking and grimacinR.
The man was Stauffer He still had her arm
she wrenched it away and moved faster. but he
followed and held her back. From sheer weak
ness she fell to her knees; then she hid her
face in her hands. crying as though her heart
would break. She could scarcely rise again
her head swan and the glaro on the snow
dazzled her.
She noticed there were two men beside her
now; how the other came she did not know.
but she saw. with no surprise. that one Of them
was the Mouse. He had the other man by the
arm and was leading him back toward Paris.
"Tiensl" said the Mouse: Capt. Stauffer-
here. don't run away-Capt. Stauffer. you are q
little rough with ladies-come now. admit you
are little ardent-eh. Captain ?"
Stauffer turned a frightened face to the
Mouse. What are you doing2" he DRIED.
struggling; let go!"
Come on" said the Mouse amiably. "let ua
get around this house-so-where the lady can't
see us. It might frighten her."
What do you mean 2" stammered Stauffer
wrenching himself free and turning toward the
road again.
Wait" said the Mouse. barring his way u
want to tell you something amusing. Do you
remember giving me German gold piece tc
march with you and your carbineers on the
Hotel de Ville2 Bon You said it was for plum.
der. You lied it was for NJ. Bismarck"
Saulrer took a step backward and drew a re.
volyer: the Mouse cleared the space between
them at single bound; there was a shrek. q
furry Of snow.
The Mouse stepped back. wiping his red
knife on his trousers
Now go and sell the Nanterre fort" he
sneered
staufrer. stabbed through and through. rolled
In the snow. trying to rise.
u Go and sell Paris. Hurry or you'll be late. ,
said the Mouse. moving Off The miserable
wounded wretch dragged himself after him
calling for mercy. moaning and sobbing. pray
ing he might not be left to freeze in the snow
He followed the Mouse on his hands anG
knees. his agonized face raised The Mouse hest
tated. watching the writhing creature askance
Then he went back and destroyed him.
When he came up with Hide again, he sale
nothing. She neither looked at him nor spoke
to him. for already. over the snowy plain. he
strained eyes. were fixed on low hill that rost
hlnek anu solitary from the spotless level. tht
The Mouse saw it, too.
vhrraE hhraEtnE tTan, smoke s drapsd the battlements
mortar Hired slowly Other guns. concealed By
1e rocks in the rear Of the fort sent the smoke
%hlrlnE mp over the citadel. obscurng the fiaE
HEhH thcre until current OF wind revealed 1t
soor Om they went, on. on. and still on, The for
seHmed FSrnad no t nearer They crossed dismsntet
RIlpped on the twisted rails and rose swearing
lhe sun beat down on the eXpanse OF ice AM
snow; the reflection was intOlerable. Once, fa
out On the plain, something dark appeared Th
DlOXe knew what 1t was, and he halted, shak
lnHfrom head TO foot. Butthe squad OF Uhlan
sleher did not see them. or else feared a sho
Hom the gatherings on the glacis Of the fort
Er they disappeared after a while. followed b
fth" hearty curses OF the Mouse.
/ About noon. when the fort seemed within
lock To- the left.
."y9luntcer nurse and attendantw bawle
thr Mouse in answer to the summons
twenty minutes later they were climbing a.
iGy ROAD that wound up the hillside Dens
ahirKetS screened il; squads Of artillerymen Ii
arlncss shecpskin coats passed them. scarcel
nouclng. The road took abrupt angles eac
aug was covered by cannon. Gatlings an
imltraill"us"s gmmcred behind parapets jut
gim img from the rock long field pieces peere
fhruugh abatls work on every side. Two grea
rnN gates were passed the sentrles fallin
sleeve, Then they turned into a level stree
paved decorated with lamps. running betwee
s"ilu walls OF masonry. Another iron gate ad
lhllItil tIpm to a gUlaTn also DaVaI and face