Omaha daily bee., 1898-06-12
Copyright, 1898, by Robert w. Chambers.
CHAPTER XIV.

An Open Door. Ia
Tho sun. Embedded in terraced banks OF
cloud, glimmered like a cinder over Meudon
woods. the battery smoke, drifting across
the southern forts, turned to pink and pearl.
Soft thunder muttered among the westward
fedoubts; silvery electric stars pricked the
haze that yelled Valerien; the river slipped
past misty, meadowed shores untroubled by
a keel.
The house on the ramparts was very still;
Bourke sat in his room by the window
reading; HareEoo1 stood at his window ltoS-
ing out over the valley. Below him, the
Prophet, tilted skyward, doomed, ominously
swathed in its canvas winding sheet. The
sentinel stood motionless on the parapet,
head turned toward the hazy hills, where II
thin column of smoke mounted straight up
into the sky. Once a little whirlwind of
bugle music from the Porte Rouge filed the
street; once the wind veered and the heavy
defamation of the cannonade set the sultry
air a-quiver for a while.
The expectancy of evening brooded over all,
over the massive ramparts, over the fresh
grassy thickets on the glacis, in an imper-
ceptible wind that freshened and cooled the
face, yet scarcely stirred a leaf.
Presently there came a clatter of small
sabots on the stairs outside, the discreet
patter of stockinged feet, n knock, a happy
whisper. 1t was Red Riding Hood, come for
her evening visit. Hardwood kissed her
listlessly.
You bring twilight with you, little one,'
he said, turning back her thick black curls,
1.-The scarlet ribbon-it is very becoming
do you know it?"
Monsieur Bourke gave it," said the child
nesting closer to him. Come, let us sit
down, will you?"
JI,,o,,o.J nl,.,,,, l.o,. ol,oi, 10 a.
window; Red Riding Hood leaned against
his shoulder. They looked out over the val
ley in silence.
II might have been perfect" said Red
Riding Hood presently, "but Mile. Hide
could not give me my lesson today
Hardwood asked without turning, "Why?'
II do not know" said the child with a lit
tie sigh. Hardwood bit his lips; his heart
turned sick with the futile bitterness tina
follows-too late, the knowledge of conse-
quences. consequences that spread like rip
pies from a pebble in a troubled pool.
mile. Hide will hear your lesson tomor-
row." he said, looking from the window.
Tomorrow repeated the child.
He said nothing more. Perhaps he was
thinking of those endless tomorrows. pass
ing, passing, each one troubled as the
spreading rings in a pool disturb the placid
peace that once reigned there. And he had
cast the stone.
Look at me-" said the child.
He turned his head, her dark eyes met his
own.
as it sadness" she asked.
"Yes. little one s-..
She held his hand a moment, then let il
drop. He scarcely noticed it. A moment
afterwurd he heard the click, click of hel
little esabots down the stairs outside. Al
1&,,.. l,tzr ., A,tt-, ln,,r H. el~,,J a.,
scending the worn stairs silently, fearing
the very silence that he dared not break.
Yolette moved about the dining room
49, sinras -uLto herself in an undertone. He
passed. 20 the hallway and out to the birt
store, where Hide knelt among the wickcl
cages.
When she saw him she rose to her knees
hiding her burning face in her hands. HI
bent close to her and touched the flushed
cheeks between the hands. One by one h,
UNFINISHED the slender fingers, closely inter
locked, and at last he raised her head t.
his. But she would not look Mt him, he
sealed lids pressed the lashes tightly to he
check.
"Why have you hidden away all day." h
said.
Presently she answered: 'Can you ask I?
He raised her from her knees: her eye
~ 'thah wv De' " 81 sst oto
around his neck. There was silence. Whel
at last he released her and the quiet tear
had dried in her eyes, without falling, sh
went to the open door and stood there
looking out into the west. Earth came bacl
to her slowly through the heaven of thei
kiss-sounds grew through the music o
his voice; she heard the cannonade's dull
triple throb, she saw green tree tops stirrin
in the sun.
He came and stood beside her. Love
lassitude hung heavy on her limbs. II
took her unresisting hand-that little hand
so small, so smooth, fragrant and fraugh
with mystery, a cool white blossom wit
five slim petals I'D with pink.
The beauty OF life was upon her, tn
loneliness of the world was in her eyes-th
world so kind to her-so kind to ALTO all
In the red west a flaming belt OF haz
girdled the horizon; in the north plume
Clouds suspended-srom the zenith hung mo
tionless; the glass of the stream mirrored
single tree.
When their silence grew too heavy, to
sweet for such young hearts, they brok
it. and 1t broke unsteady, with the melod
of half-causht questions--a sigh, a littl
laugh re-echoed pure as the tinkle of tw
crystal glasses touched discreetly. The soft
est drumming of the guns stirred the pulsat
ing air like the distant drumming of
partridge; the gemmed azure, yelled wit
haze, swan and shimmered with its millio
brilliant atmospheric atoms--tiny points {
fierce white busting the blue like damon
dust.
When the sun vas very low and the lev,
meadows ran molten gilt in every harrow
the sparrows, gathered for the night o