Waterbury Democrat., 1901-05-14

which it had taken him years to find materials for and to perfect. The white men were in ivory, the black in walnut, and were two opposing squad rons of French troops and of mounted Arabs. Stopping over them he did not notice the doors open at she end of the chambree until sudden silence that fell on the babble and uproar round him made him look up. Then he rose and gave the salute with the rest of his discounted and awe stricken | troopers. Chateauroy, with a brilliant party, had entered.
 The colonel flashed an eagle glance round.
 .Fine discipline! You shall go and do this pretty work at Bey1ick!
 The soldiers stood like hounds that see the lash. They knew that he was like enough to carry out his threat, though they were doing no more than they had always tacit if not open per- mission to do. Cecil advanced and fronted him.
 Mine is the blame, sir"
 He spoke simply, gently, boldly, standing with the ceremony that he | and his eyes met the dark glance of the Black Hawk unfinchingly. He never needed that there was gay, varied, numerous group behind Cha l teauroy, visitors who were looking over the barrack. He only needed that his soldiers were unjustly attacked and menaced.
 The marquis gave a grim, significant smile that cut like so much cord of l the scourge.
 I Whenever there is insubordination I in the regiment the blame is very cer- tain to be yours! Corporal, if you all low your chambree to be turned into the riot of public fair you will soon find yourself degraded from the rank you so signally contrive to disgrace" | Cecil stood mute, bearing the rebuke as it became corporal to bear his com mander's anger. A very keen observer might have seen that faint flush rose over the sun tan of his face and that his teeth clinched under his beard, but he let no other sign escape him. l The very self restraint irritated Cha teauroy, who would have been the first to chastise the presumption of a reply had any been attempted.
 "Back to your place, sir!'' he said, l with wave of his hand as he might have waved back cur. "Teach your men the first formula of obedience, at any ratev'
 Cecil fell back in silence. With a swift warning glance at Rake, whose mouth was working and whose fore | 1 l his lion skin and longed to be once free to pull his chief down as lions pull in | the death spring, he went to his place at the farther end of the chamber and stood, keeping his eyes on the chess carvings lest the control which was so bitter to retain should be broken if he looked on at the man who had been the curse and the antagonist of his whole life in Algeria. A voice woke him from l his reverie.
 "Are those beautiful carvings yours" He looked up, and in the gloom of the alcove where he stood he saw a woman's eyes resting on him, proud, lustrous eyes, a little naughty, very thoughtful yet soft withal as the deep est hue of deep waters. He bowed to Der with she old grace of manner that l had so amused and amazed the little | vivandiere.
 | "Yes, madame; they are mine."
 "Ah, what wonderful skillr' l She took the white king, an Arab sheik on his charger, in her hand and l turned to those about her, speaking of its beauties and it's workmanship in q l voice low, very melodious, ever so slightly languid, that fell on Cecil's ear l like q chime of long forgotten music. | He looked at her, at the gleam of the brilliant hair, at the arch of the proud | brows, at the dreaming, imperial eyes. | It was face singularly dazzling, im- | pressive and beautiful at all times, most so of all in the dusky shadows of | the waving desert banners. You have an exquisite art They are for sale?" she asked him. She l spoke with the careless, gracious cour- tesy of grande dame to corporal of chasseurs. looking little at him, much at the ivory kings and their mimic hosts of zouaves and Bedouins. !. sThey are at your service, madame"
 "And their price?" Old habits van quished; he forgot who and where he now was. He bowed as in other days he had used to bow iE the circle of St. James,.
 'Is--the honor of your acceptance, if you will deign to give that" He forgot that he was not as he once had been. He forgot that he stood but as . private of the. French army before an aristocrat whose name he had never heard. She turned and looked at him, which she had never done before. so absorbed had she been in the chessmen and so little did chasseur of the ranks pass into her thoughts. There was an extreme of surprise, there was something of offense, and there was still more of coldness in her glance, proud, languid, astonished coldness of regard, though it softened slightly us she saw that he had spoken in all cour- tesy of intent. She bent her graceful, regal head.
 T thank you. Your very clever work can of course only be mine by pur- chase"
 And with that she laid aside the white king among his little troop of ivory Arabs and floated onward with ho,. friapdS Caci1 navar ynovad fi11 tho