Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1901-07-25

The vidame was Silent, seeming to
glover on the boy. The priest sneered.
Hearts are soon laended-espeeially
women's," he said.
But not KITS" Croisette said, pas
sionately-otherwise ignoring him.
Not Kits! You do not know her, vi
dame! Indeed. you do mott"
The remark was ill-timed. I saw a
spasm of anger distort Beers face.
Get up, boy!" he snarled. II wrote To
mademoiselle what l would do, and
that 1 shall do! A Beers keeps his
word BY the God above us--if there
be God, and In the devils name I
doubt 1T tonight shall keep mine
CO."
His great face was full of rage lie
looked over Croisette's head as he
spoke, as If appealing to the great reg
isirar of his vow, In the very moment
In which he had had all but denied
him. | turned and stole back the way
I had come; and heard Croisettss fol-
low.
That little scene completed my mis-
cry. After that 1 seemed to take no
heed of anything or anybody until l
was aroused by the grating of our jail
er's key in the lock, and became aware
that he was gone. and that we We're
alone in a small room Under the tiles.
He had left the candle OH the floor. and
we three stood around 1T. Save for the
long shadows we cast on the walls and
two pallets hastily thrown down In
one corner, the place was empty
not look at the others. I flung myself
ON one of the pallets and turned my
face to the wall. despairlngly.
thought bitterly of the failure we had
made of 1t. and of the vidame's tti :
umph. cursed st. CroiX especially for
that last touch of humiliation he had
set to 1t. Then, forgetting myself as
my anger abated. thought of kit so
far away at Caylus--of Kits pale, gem
tie face, and her sorrow. And little by
little I forgave Croisette. After all he
had not begged for us--he had nos
stopped for our sakes. but for hers.
do not know how long | lay at sec
saw between these two moods. Or
whether during that time the others
talked or We're silent. moved about the
room or lay still. But 1t was Croisette' S
hand on my shoulder touching me
with quiverlng eagerness that in
stantly communicated itself to my
! limbs. which recalled me to the room
and Its shadows. ''Anne," he cried
! Anne! Are you awake?H
What is it?" l said. sitting up and
looking at him.
Marie" he began. has"
finish. / saw that Marie was standing
at the far side of the room by the UNI
glazed window; which. being in q
s!oping part of the roof. inclined slight
ly also. He had raised the shutter
which closed it, and on his tip-toes-for
the sill was almost his own height from
the floor-was peering out. / looked
sharply at Croisette. is there a gut
ter outside" I whispered. beginning
to Jingle all over as the thought of es-
cape for the first time occurred to me
No" he answered in the same tone
but Marie says he can see a beam
below. which has thinks we can reach.
! sprang up, promptly displaced Ma
ric, and looked out. When nay eye.
{ grew accustomed to the gloom | dis
cerncd a dark chaos of roofs and gable!
stretching as far as could see before
me- Nearer Immediately under tn,
window, yawned chasm--a marrow
street. Beyond this was a house rath
er lower than that in which we Were
the top of it's roof not quite reachin,
+ the level of my eyes. II see no beam,
! | said.
Continued Next Week.)