The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1901-05-16
Had you anything you cared for in

|
it," st,. ~.
"Well-yes.''
''What was it. a woman?"
mo; horser'
He stopped his head little as he said
it and traced more figures slowly in the
sand.
"Ahw
She drew a short, quick breath. She
understood that. She would only have
laughed at him had it been a woman.
Cigarette was more veracious than
complimentary in her estimate of her
own sex.
Your cigars arc good," she said i'm
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 it is
more than your company is. If you
had been as dull as this last night. I
would not have danced a single turn
with you in the cancan!'
| luul0nG-
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
OF at her topmost speed, singing all
the louder out of bravado. ITO have
nothing more to say to me after dane
ing with me all night" thought Ciga-
| I,
tumely, the first neglect the pet Of the
spahis had ever experienced.
She was incensed, too, that she had
Deen degraded into that momentary
wish that she knew how to read and
looked less like a boy, just because a
chasseur with white hands and silent
ways mad made her a grave bow, She
was more lncensed still because she
could not get at his history and felt,
despite herself, reluctance to bride
him for it with those cajoleries whose
potency she had boosted to Tata Le-
rouX. Let him take carer muttered
the soldier coquette passionately in her
little white teeth, so small and so
pearly, though they had grjpped a bri-
Gle tight before them when each hand
was filled with a pistol. eff 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 Cigarettew
She loitered in thousand places, for
Cigarette knew everybody. Finally she
paused before the open French window
| ri Io1
tamarisk and orange and pomegranate,
and, balancing herself lightly on the sill
for second, stood looking in at the
chamber.
"Ho, NJ. lie Marquis! The zouaves
have drunk all my wine up. Fill nv
keg with yours for once-the very best
burgundy, mind. Pm 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-Cfhcers of the cavalry
were sitting over their noon breakfast
and playing at lansquenet at the same
table. lie whom she addressed, NJ, le
Marquis of Chateauroy, laughed and
looked up.
An, is 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 a saucy
child, whisked her cigar out of her
mouth and blew a great cloud of smoke
IN bis eyes. She had no particular
fancy for him, though she had for his
wines. Shouts Of mirth from the other
men completed the marquis Giscom-
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,
ruby, perjury claret that she could
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 clarets after good!
I've just been with your corporal,
Bel-a-faire-peur. You are no beauty
after him, Mr.. Colonel"
Chateauroys face darkened. He was
a colossal limbed man, whose bone
was iron and whose muscles were like
oak fibers; he had a 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 a skin burned black
by long African service. Still he was
fairly handsome enough not to have
muttered so heavy an oath as he did