The Redwood gazette., 1901-06-12
Where is it. then ~
4 have no country now"
But the one you had %
81 have forgotten ever had one"

I s ( -
/, Had you anylag you cared for IN
1t
..Well-yes.'
What was it-a woman? 2"
mo; a horsev'
@ He stopped his head little as he said
it and traced more figures slowly in the
sand.
'Ah!'
She drew short, quick breath. She
understood that. She would only have
laughed at him had it been woman,
Cigarette was more veracious than,
complimentary in her estimate Of her
own sex.
Your cigars are good" she said im--
patiently as she sprang up, her 1.-THE,
elastic figure in the bright vivandiere,
uniform standing out in full relief
against the pearly gray Of the ruined.
pillars. the vivid green Of the rank veg
citation and the intense light of the
noon. Your cigars are good, but 1t is
more than your company is! If you
had been as dull as this last night, l
would not have danced single turn
with you in the cancan!'
And, with a bound to which indigna-.
ton lent wings like a swallows. the
Friend of the Flag, insulted and amazed
at the apathy with which her advances
to friendship had been received. dashed.
off at her topmost speed, singing all
the louder out of bravado "To have
nothing more to say to me after dane
ing with me all night" thought Ciga-
rette, with fierce wrath at such con-
tumely, the first neglect the pet Of the
spahis had ever experienced.
She was incensed, too, that she had
been degraded into that momentary
wish that she knew how to read and.
looked less like boy, just because a.
chasseur with white hands and silent
ways had made her grave bow, She
was more incensed still because she
could not get at his history and felt
despite herself, a reluctance to bribes
him for it with those cajoleries whose
potency she had boasted to Tata Le-
roux. Let him take care!' muttered
the soldier coquette passionately in her
little white teeth, so small and so
pearly. though they had gripped q bri-
die tight before them when each hand
was filed with a pistol. "If he offend
me, there are 500 swords that will
thrust civility into him, 500 shots that
will teach him the cost Of daring to-
provoke Cigarette"'
She loitered in thousand places, for
Cigarette knew everybody. Finally she
paused before the open French window
Of a snow white villa, half buried in
tamarisk and orange and pomegranate,.
and, balancing herself lightly on the sill
for a second, stood looking in at the
chamber ';sS@ss-r,--
"Ho, NJ lie Marquis! The zouaves
have drunk all my wine up. Fill nay7
keg with yours for once-the very best
burgundy, mind. I'm half afraid your"
cellar will hurt my reputation"
The chamber was very handsome,
| hung and furnished in the best Paris
/ fashion and all glittering with amber
| and ormolu and velvets. In it half a.
| dozen men-officers of the cavalry
were sitting over their noon breakfast
and playing at lansGuenet at the same
| table. He whom she addressed, NJ. le
Marquis of Chateauroy, laughed and
| looked up.
"Ah rs it thee, my pretty brunette"
Take what thou wantest out Of the ice,
pals"
'The best growth?" asked Cigarette
with the dubious air of caution of a.
connoisseur.
Come" said the marquis, amused
! with the precautions taken with his
cellar, one of the finest in Algiers.
| Come in and have some breakfast, my
pretty one. Only pay the TOLL
| Where he sat between the window
and the table he caught her in his
arms and drew her pretty, face down.
Cigarette, with the laugh Of saucy
child, whisked her cigar out Of her
mouth and blew great cloud of snQlaa5
in his eyes. She had no particular
fancy for him, though she had for tfs
wines. Shouts Of mirth from the other
men completed the marquis diseom-
future as she swayed away from him
and went over to the other side of the
table, emptying some bottles uncer-
enormously into her wine keg-iced.
I
not have bought anywhere for the bar
| racks
Thou art not generally so coy with
thy kisses, petite" cried the marquis.
Cigarette tossed her head.
Il don't like bad clarats ;:rter goods.
I've just been with your corporal,
Bel-a-faire-peur. You are no beauty
after him, Mr.. Colonel
/ Chateauroy's face darkened. He was.
a colossal limbed man, whose bone
was iron and whose muscles were like.
oak hbers: he had dark, keen head
like an eagles. the brow narrow, but
very high. looking higher because the
close cut hair was worn off the tenn
pies, thin lips hidden by heavy curling
mustaches and skin burned black
by long African service. Still he was