The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-07-04
THE s1sT OF OCTOBER.

All day Sunday Hide sat at her win
dow, looking out over rhe gray land
scape beyond the Notifications. Few of
the forts were firing; at long intervals
the. majestic reverberations from Mont
Valerien shook the heavy air. The
southern forts were mute. At times
she fancied that she could hear can
nonading in the north, far away toward
LIE Bourget, but when she held her
breath to listen, the beating OF her own
heart was more audible.
She slept badly that night, dream
ing that Hardwood was dead, and she
awoke in an ecstacy of terror, calling
his name. Yolette came to her and
ccmfOrted her, curling UP close to ~ = in
the chilly bed. But she could not sleep.
And when at length Yolette lay beside
her, slumbering with a smile on her
lips, Hide slipped from the bed and
climbed the dark stairs to Harewood's
empty room. 1t was something to be
in his room-it helped her to look out
into the darkness. For he was some
where there in the darkness.
Shivering. she sat down by the wiz
dow. On the Notifications below the
unwieldy bulk of the Prophet doomed
up, tilted SkyWard, a Shapeless monster
in it's waterproof covering. Rockets
were rising slowly from Mont Va
lerien; in the east the sky lowered,
tinged in somber lurid light, perhaps
the reflection of some hamlet, fired by
the Prussians, burning alone at mid
A wet wind blew the curtains back
from the open window; her little naked
feet were numb with cold. The never
ending desire to see his room, his clothes
his bed again, came over her. She dared
not light candle-if was forbidden to
those who lived on the ramparts-so she
rose and passed along each wall touch
ing the objects that had been once worn
by him. She knew them already by
touch, his gray coat, his riding jacket,
his hats and caps and whips and spurs.
She rearranged the brushes and toilet
articles on his bureau. her light touch
caressed his books and papers and pens
where they lay on the little table Then
she went to the bed and buried her head
on the pillows. crying herself to sleep
sleep of vague shapes, a restless sleep
that stole from her heavy lids at dawn,
leaving her TO cuench the fever in her
eyes with tears again.
1t was the last day of October. Bourlxe
had gone away to the city before break
fast TO verify an ominous rumor concern
ing Metz, published in a single journal
of the day before. and vigorously denied
by the official journal.
Yolette and Red Riding Hood were in
the cellar. storing more cases of canned
vegetables and mourning the loss of
Scheherazade. who had been sent on Sat
urday to the geological gardens in the
Jardin des Piantes Bourke had insisted
on it; food was becoming alarmlngiy
scarce; there was no fresh meat TO be had
except horse meat, and even that was to
be rationed the first week in Novmber.
The lioness had been carted off sorely
against her will She snarled and growled
and paced her cage with glowing eyes.
in which the last trace. of gentleness and
affection had been extingu.shed
Hide, deep in her own trouble, scarcely
needed this new one. Scheherazade had
been changing in disposition ever since
the first cannonading. Sullen, furtive. she
haunted the depths of the garden, ignor-
ing Hides advances until Yolette began
to fear the creature. So now, when it was
necessary to send the lioness away, Hide
said nothing and Yolette was not sorry.