The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-07-18

E1lluc Crept into Hcr gray WOOL gown
held her wrists out FOR Yoietto TO fasten
the lisen cuffs. then. pinning on the
nurses apron. she went downSt airs
Around one arm just above the elbow
the volunteer nurse.
The sisters of mercy greeted her in low
voices. and told her that the empty places
on the straw had already been filled. A
fresh convoy of wounded was az the
Porte Rouge. The whole quarter had
been turned into . vast hospital. and
nurses and surgeons were coming from
the Luxembourg and Sorbonne.
That night, however, orders arrived 10
transport the wounded 10 the LuXerl-
bourg. and amid the confusion OF passing
cavalry. the crush of aTabulances the end
less professions of stretchers. the throngs
o, nurses, priests and soldiers. the
wounded were carried out once moro to
their straw-wadded wagons. 1t was
showing heavily; across the lurid flames
covering the blankets of the wounded ana
the cioaks of nurses. The whole quarter
echoed with the noise of departure from
every street the wailing of the sick. the
groaring of the stricken. the sharp, nery-
GUS orders of the surgeons rose and min
gled in one mOnotonous plant. At length,
s,Fetche- had passed out TO join the
torchlit procession in the snow, Hide SAT-
down on the sofa and buried her head in
| Ioletto's arms. Her tears We're tears
of sheer physical weakness. for she had
eaten nothing since the night before.
saving every scran for the wounded, in
y
And now, because the wounded had
ineeaed so much Bourke found his cellar
! empty. He had sent Red Riding Hood
10 procure a ration card. and that night
they ate the government rations for the
| first time.
Yolette tried to make light of it. saying
! that the soup was good, and that she did
not believe II could be anything but beef
broth Hide and Bourke ate their por-
! tions and swallowed the coarse Jumps of
black bread, too tired TO care what they
! were eating.
This can't last Ions" said BeuylSe.
..fhe siege will end one way or another"
] spoke. Her forced gravity w2s heart
! breaking. What in the world was he TO
| do his money was gone; me last tin
/ OF provisions had been given 10 the
Who cares?'' said Yolette lightly. If
| the army eat horse surely we can eat il.
Shame er you, Cecil-you, a great strong
man. What would nj. Hardwood say!'
jim - probably not dining on horse,
said Bourke cheerfully.., Ten 10 one hes
] in bordeaux, living like a rrince and
wondering how long we PaTisians are go
| ing TO stand it..
I know" said Hide, fishing. that if
! he could come back he would come.
of course he would, SAID Bourke,
Hell come the minute the gates are
opened, anyway LAY way u wont be long ncS'
There is but one way" said Hide.
or course-of course We must win
render, said BouTke hastily.
the governor of Paris has promised
not TO surrender, announced Red Rid
ing Hood. as though that settled the mat
j ter forever.
After a moment Yolette began: Have
! you noticed that the cannonade grows
I that perhaps the Germans are getting
nearer the forts of the south. Today /
/ could see smoke all along the Meudon
! hills"
: Bourke said nothing. He knew that. TO
the establishment of the government, the
Germans had suddenly unmasked siege
battery and were pounding the barracks
/ of 1ssy to powder.
Il have been thinking" he sai1. after a
moment. that perhaps we haC better
move this week. In fact. 1 have already
8 engaged three rooms for US in the Rue
Serpente."
! Yolette looked at him in amazement.
1T is well to be prepared" ne continued
with smile. Our ramparts here are
not far from the southern forts, and, in
the event of the Prussians establishing
siege batteries. they might take it into
+ their heads TO send their big shells sailing
over the forts TO our own ramparts!'
And if NJ. Hardwood returns?p said
! Hide family.
He'd rather find our house in ruins
than its tenants blown to pIeces-wouldn't
hep smiled Bourke. Anyway this house
is not the place for you at present"
Hide sad nothing; Yoette leaned
across the table and began a low, muir
INJURED conversation win Bourke that
only ended when Red Riding Hood woke
up from the sofa and began TO waimper
with the cold,
The next morning. Beurke went 10 the
house in the Rue Serpente. taking q man
to carry his personal luggage. By after
noon Yolettes and Hides slender ward
robes were deposited in the furnished
rooms al 10 Rue Sefpente, and in the tiny
kitchen Red Riding Hood was installed
on cot.
II was the 4th of January; on the 5th
they were TO take possession, and the
/ house on the ramparts was to remain
closed until the end of the siege of Paris.
All Gay long Yolette and Hide were
busy with the furniture and bedding.
hey busted and aired the familiar rooms.
packed the table linen and plated ware
away, arranged tbs kitchen dishes, locked
and bolted the garden DOORS and windows
and closed the shutters.
There had been a meagre distribution
of rat!ons that day; Bourke had no
none! to buy food. and there was moth
ing to do but wait for the morrow.
As they sat there by the dining. room
windows. iate in the afternoon. Yoette
thought of that afternoon when BourlSe
had tod her that he loved her. He was
sitting now just as he had sat that day
the day that seemed already years away.
Bourke. raised his head.
Are you thinking OF it, too?" he asked
'.Yes, Cecil"
Hide rose and slipped away TO her own
silent chamber. The azure-mantled fai-
enee sainte looked down at her with the
the rosary hung beneath. For the last
time she knelt and prayed for the man
she loYed-for his return If liying-for his
forgiveness If eead. Her eyes filled, her
hot head swan; she sank back against
the bed in a passion of weeping, her hands
clasped over her head.
Through the evening clouds the setting
sun Cleaned for an instant long red
ray stole into the room. She rose TO her
knees and looked out ct the clouds where,
for the first time in so many days. the
sun glittered. AS she looked, a speck
grew before her eyes, nearer. nearer.
siantipg downward, seeming to strike her
window. She sprang up. A white pigeon
fiuttered at the pane-a tired, frightened
little thing that let her take il in her
hands ar, smooth a. and muru4lr To IN
sepseless, pitiful words. Under one wing.
fastened TO a quill, was the message for
the governor of. Paris. She touched the
quill with hesitating fingers, and, finding
it secure. folded back the pigeons wings
and warmed IL in her breast. Then,
knowing il was rested and ready to re-
sumo its journey, she kissed the little
feathered head and let il go. The bird
rose high in The air, circied twice then
slanted westward and was lost in the
cannon haze drifting in from the distant
forts,
An hour later the governor of Paris
knew that the army of the east had been
annihhated.
(To Be Continued Next Monday
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