The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-06-06

shivering and stumbling in the morn
| ing chill.
'sThe fortsr' motioned Hardwood
with his lips. Look! There's hell to
payr'
Far across the shrouded country, in
| the pale dawn, five dim forts lowered
J crowned with clouds; and through the
| clouds, heaving, rolling, floating, bright
/ lightning darted Sudden yellow flares
of light, spirits of flame, swift crimson
| jetted flashes played under the canopy
OF smoke. The gerat fort of Issy
streamed from every embrasure; Van
! yes roared like a, volcano; from Mont
rouge, Ivry, Bicetre, peal on peal, the
reverberations rolled, until the hum
ming air, surcharged and overstrained
with sound, dinned in the ears with
muffied, deaGened echoes, that set the
sickened senses swimming.
And now it seemed as if the wi-d
had changed; the thunder blew clear OF
! the city as clouds blow before a gale.
There was a sudden silence, filled al
most instantly by roar from the
street in front of the house-the shrill,
frenzied howl of mob, The Prus-
sians!'
Hardwood ran back into his own
room and looked out into the street
It was choked with people, men, VIC
men, children, swarming over the ram
3,
ing, pointing. Officers stood out against
the sky on the bastion, the rising sun
warming their crimson caps and strik-
ing dazzling sparks from the brass-tip-
ped field glasses. Drums were beatin g
everywhere, down by the Porte Rouge.
in the parade of the Prince Murat bar
racks, on every bastion, in every guard
house. The line battalions filed at dou-
BILE quick from their caserne; the can
No inrc nf fh. n1r1Cf0r0d
over the epaulement and glacis, scan
ming the distant hills toward Virofiay.
Velizy and the plateau of Chatillon.
Up in the window Bourke knelt, his
marine glasses fixed on q hillside below
Chaville, where a single horseman
stood, immovable.
The horseman was a Prussian Uhlan.
Presently Harewoods glass brought
more UhlanS into focus.
Cecil he muttered. they're right
this time. The Prussians are here"
1t was true. The first Uhlans had ap-
peared near Versailles like buzzards
above wounded thing. When the rest
arrived they would sit around patiently
waiting for the end of the city lying at
their feet.
There's hell to pay at Point de Jour.
too, if anybody should ask you,'' OBJ
served Bourke, shivering in his night
do you see?"
''I see," replied Hardwood. soberly.
He turned with a sudden gesture. THE
siege of Paris has begun at last" he
said.
Bourke nodded.
After silence, Hardwood burst out:
Il wish to heaven we were out Of this"
What's that?" asked the other,
sharply.
But Hardwood turned away YEARLY,
saying: You can't understand. Never
mind. 1 wish I were-I wish I were"
"What?" demanded Bourke.
Dead" snapped Hardwood, sulkily,
and went out of the room.
What's the matter with him now"
unused the other, closing the window
and entering his own bed room.
When Bourke had dressed and de-
scended the stairs to the dining room,
he found Yole.tte sitting alone at the
table. She looked up as he entered.
There were traces of tears in her eyes.
1T is foolish she said, smiling. The
cannon have frightened us-Hilde will
not leave her room. 1 carried choco-
late to her, but she will not even open
her door. Has the siege begun?"
81 think it has said Bourke, lightly.
anything else. Where is Mr.. Hare
wood"
He has gone to the city He would
eat nothing. Are you going to the city
also?'
Yes said Bourke.
They finished breakfast in silence.
Yolette's blue eyes were half raised
from time to time, but Bourke's eyes
were on his plate. Before he rose he
locked up absently. Something in the
swift drop of Yolette's eyes arrested
his own. A light color touched his
cheeks and temples. He made an I'M
conscious movement to rise and go
the. first instinct of a prosaic man who
surprises the soul in a woman's eyes.
She made no movement. The white
sash curtains behind her stirred in the
morning wind.
Under such circumstances it takes a
truly prosaic man ten seconds to make
up his mind that he is mistaken. Eight
seconds were sufficient for Bourke He
slid into his chair, looked at YOlette,
swallowed his coffee with serious sat
isfaction, and helped himself to a, fin
ger bowl.
81 suppose" he said. that NJ Hare
wood has gone to the telegraph Office
Il don't know" said Yolette, without
raising her eyes
Does anything trouble you?" he ask
ed. He had no tact.
Yolette looked UP. confused, pink
with resentment.
why, of course not, NJ. Bourke."
Vaguely uneasy, he stood I'D as she
rose He was aware that some subtle
condition OF mind threatened to change
existing conditions. There was a sense
of expectancy already developing in
his own mind, a mental attitude of pre-
paration for something or other that
began to disturb him. He looked cur
iously at Yolette; he noted the white
neck, the silken black hair, the
eyes fringed deeply with the same
color.
81 am going" said Yolette, ito see
Scheherazade. If she bites me 1 shall
be very unhappy"
Bite your" repeated Bourke.
yes. The poor darling is almost out
of her senses with the cannonade. She
is so frightened she runs around the
garden, and sinks close to the ground
and snarls dreadfully.''
AS Yolette spoke she walked toward
the garden door, and Bourke followed.
He would not allow her to precede him
into the garden, and when they stood
together at the door, he unconsciously
placed his hand on her arm and stepped
in front
Let me go and call her." said Yo-
lette, starting across the grass; but he
drew her back with a sudden decision
that surprised her. 1t surprised him,
too, TO find that his natural soliciltude
for her amounted to sheer fright.
Monsieur" she said, II am no. afraid
of ny own lion"
There was something besides mutiny
in her blue eyes, as she started for
ward again, only to be firmly detained
by Bourkes sun-browned hand.
Il cannot let you do that" he said.
Call her from here
IN. Bourke!"
Don't CO." he said, beseechingly
Is it possible that Yolette enjoyed his
There was little thrill in her breast,
and a culver in her clear voice as she