Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-10-21

she said, as a young man in a white uni
form appeared between the whitewashed
Pillar at the further end of the veranda.
He gave her quick look from his brown
eyes as he came up to the table before he
shook hands.
The French are in the bay says the
Shan Van Voght,'' he quoted. laughing
Are the French officers coming ashore
at onee?" asked Cordelia with quite I'M
necessary interest. How delightful! You
know l like the French"
Col. Lennarj stared little at this. but
he had not been the father of a pretty
grown-up daughter for the last ten months
without learning that there things in
heaven and earth not dreamed of in male
PHILOSOPHERS.
Look at this. Cannon" Col Lennard
handed a letter across the table. Brasil
says the French are at us again and that
We must humor them in one way or an
other There Is, it appears, a little sore
ness among them at present, and he thinks
II we could give EN- q show in here and
Soothe EN- down a bit 1t might serve our
interests at a moment when some blamed
Idiot has been saying that Fort Tcheu is
being placed on war footing. How any
thing has leaked out I can't imagine. but
It's Internally awkward. 1 really don't see
how we are to please en-
Cannon raised his alert red head after a
moments thought.
Faith, I'd show them round sir That
would crafty them anyway, - 80
The commandant rose abruptly from the
table.
Don't be a fool Pat" he said testify.
L rather relied upon you for a suggestion.
tell you 1t seems to me just one Of those
stupid dilemmas that little tact should
help one out of. Yet I can't see my way
to 1t"
all at once I'd let them see things by de-
grees-round the northeast batteries for
instance"
You don's mean. Why, they will see
Il can arrange all they will be Interested
IN seeing In forty-eight hours. sir. They'll
be off in a week-after that
Lennard suddenly burst into a great laugh
as his subalterns meaning grew clear to
him.
Cad yes Pat-shOw EN- round"
Many things fell out as CordeIia I.ennard
mad roreseen. also some other things which
she had not-openly at least-predicted The
formal visits were exchanged the formal
sent out to the Loup-garou by a yellow
messenger IN a little white boat And
meantime Pat Cannon sweated and shaved
ana sWore, and hardly gave himself time to
sleep "hle ne worked continuous gangs of
men along the galleries of the old northeast
front. The mound for three days was "a
busy as an anthill although from the out
side IL appeared empty and placid enough
ana capt Merovfnge remarked to Francois
mat nothing was more offensive about the
Enshsh than their arrogant folly which
allo"ed them to take matters with so easy
an indifference that they were absolutely
doing nothing to strengthen an important
station such as Fort Tcheu while the mob
IN Paris were shouting "A bas Albionr'
G9hspuez Albion and the papers teemed
with hatred and menace. He confessed the
britsh fleet to be a sufficiently formidable
organization but the army-what of that?
Cohtemptibiy small. broken and .fragmeu-
tary. Already dispersed to the four winds
OF the empire-could not the gallant s,I
diers of France pick them CT the face OF
the earth as a fowl swallows insects on a
ran Gay? In these and many more tell
ing simiies did Capt Merovinse indulge. In
fact. mad Britain been preparing herself at
al points for war she would but have
gwen another evidence Of her ancient and
inalfenaole pe-fldy: yet since she seemed to
be merely going about her own businesa as
usual and with serenity the imaginary m
suit hung In the face Of France appeared
u 90 .p pI,ter and unforsivable in the eyes
oil the officers of the Loup-garou
But that Ii the way OF Frenchmen
ignorance Is the mother of a numerous
lanhy OF wrongs; thus Pat Cannon's ener-
appreciated by those who watched and
waited in the bay under the very mouths OF
me me guns which claimed so much of his
beauty sleep.
But whatever 1t might be to the others
there was one person to whom the week
was Time or reverish pleasure and excite
hieht- FRANCOIS went ashore with Nero
N4hSe, and was agreeably Disseminated in
! the daughter OF the commandment Of Fort
Icneu. She was blonde, and her teeth were
NOT IN evidence except when she smiled
ana then-trancois pressed one hand to his
heart ana blew away a kiss with the other
Wnen he recalled it. She was distractingIy
pretty and possessed of soft frankness
" manner which Is not to be met with on
me southern side of the English channel
ne found that his ihclinations and his dntv
| 70 france led for once in the same direc-
/ llon- He paid CUrfelia the most adorable
compliments and admired himself prndIg-
| In fin hA xl;d
lhiils 10 ingratiate himself with Mile Iso-
haTd that could be expected even from one
/ OF his gallant nation.
| ne uihher party ashore was a grand af-
| fair for the place and CLINE Old wines
| came up from the bowels OF the fort Cap
Iaih Meroyinge spoke wittily of the arts of
asis; with an airy pointedness of Cairo
ana tnen passed on with q fine enthus a SIN
| 10 oWeil on the twin services and their at
| Iecuon Tor each other. While Francois
speaking into a small, shell-like ear, dwelt
| on music. on song. Overwhelmingly prob
| lens. His original desire to ingratiate him
| ser into the good graces of the English
slri tor Time had by the conclusion OF
| the evening merged Into a resolve to win
her 1avor FOR always. 1t matters not at ali
that Frenchman's always" ia often
bounded by the day after tomorrow.
| Let II be owned. and at once that Cor
| della behaved outrageously. Colonel Len
| nard did not appear to notice Pat Cannon
who had spent the whole night and part
like NAVY with successive gangs IT
| men behind the northeast face of the for
| tiffcation. II he disapproved, did so unoh-
| trusively. and the French Commander
! beamed propitiously around him AS FOR
Francois. cold English cannot convey his
| sentiments.
| After dinner they went up to the roof
ana the young Frenchman murmured In
| the moonlight of loneliness
| Yes. l am very lonely-sometimes." adj
| mitted Cordelia with little air of sadness
! which seemed from the heart
| Speak to me-tel me Of your Ione,v
| hours, mademoiselle: can feel for you
| also have been lonely"
Madsmoiselle merely smiled divinely.