Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1901-12-05

Lucille that she must open to it. Their,
vas no other course, as long as pit.
was stronger than fear.
But still terror gripped her hear
and brain as she CROPPED her way ou
into the passage, and, then, will
hand on the bolt, stood listening.
who's there?" she gasped.
"I-Lieut. Armand. For the sakt
of God, let me ini"
She hesitated no longer. She drew
the bolt.
The soldier must have been leaning
against the door, for he almost fel
into the passage, breathless, dust
stained, bloody. He leant against
the wall, and stood looking at her
with short, sharp gasps of breathing
He saw her eyes wander to his uni
form, and then stop with a little ar
rest of horror.
She almost cried out-"A Commu.
nard?"
His reply was like a cry of pain.
"No-noI a thousand times no. ]
am an officer of the Line. 1 lay wound.
ed in Paris. They seized me; made me
wear it; I could not get away in
time. And now / am hunted; pursued
by my own men; they are at the end
of the street; if they find me, they
will shoot me, ay, and God forgive
me, you too"
Lucille realized the situation in a
moment. TT" was a refractaire-one
of those unhappy men who were in
the dreadful position of being left in
Paris after the outbreak of the Com
mune. They had to fight whether they
liked it OF not; many of them joined
the fighting in the hope of going
over. But the blood feud was now
too fierce for that. No quarter was
the order of the day, and they were
in deadly peril of dying for less than
nothing.
Lucille became calm in a moment.
1t was the effect of immediate, press
ing danger.
"Then you must hide" she said
simply.
He nodded.
Without another word they turned
to the practical problem of conceal
ment. Hiding always seems to US an
easy thing; but that is probably a fall
lacious memory of childhood. To hide
a full-grown man in a small Partisan
fat is no easy matter. After a few
minutes search they had almost Civ
en- it up as impossible.
In vain they hunted through the
rooms and passages. There was n %
recess or alcove which would have
hidden him even for a few moments
from the eyes of a hunting soldiery.
At last they found themselves again
in the passage.
"It is of no use," he said, 81 must
co.
At that moment on their straining
ears fell the measured tramp of SOL
diers ascending the stairs. To leave
the fiat would be instant death.
But Armand did not hesitate. His
finger was on the bolt.
81 must CO." he said again; sit will
save you'll"
Lucille had been standing very still,
if thinking hard. A strange flush
rose and spread Over her pale face,
and she looked at Armand as if in
fear. Then suddenly she seemed to
make a resolve. She spoke quickly.
Follow me-say nothing-do as 1
tell you"
He followed, silent and wondering,
down the passage to her own room.
At the door he hesitated for a mo-
ment.
Come" she cried. "Quick! there is
not a moment to spare"
And indeed the soldiers blows fell
on the door now, heavy and fast, as
if they would break it down.
He entered the room.
'And now" she said, "you must
hide here"
He looked round and moved toward
a cupboard in the far corner.
NO. she cried, stamping her foot
imperiously, there"
And she pointed to the bed.
He leant down to creep underneath.
NO." she said, stamping again,
'there-under the counterpane-on
the bed"
Again came the knocks from with
out, clamatory, indignant, not to be
Dut
Not a word
She flashed at him like a lioness at
bay.
And then, obediently, like a tired
child, he crept under the counterpart
md lay still.
And then she heaped the clothes
over him until not a trace of his form
vas visible.
y
The officer who had knocked so
oudly was a little disconnected when
he door was opened at last by a
young woman, t~astefully
in mourning, calm and col
ected in manner, and with a rather
inc air of surprise.
He became suddenly conscious of
he fact that he was in an unreason-
Ible state of fury, and that both he
md his men were yery dirty, angry
unkempt.
He fell back ~instinctively and dotted.
lis kepis to the lady. But when there
anne to his mind the story of the pc
roleuses, and the horrible fate of one
# his comrades, who had been shot
he day before by a fashionably-
young woman who held him
n converse, and his face hardened
gain. In this sort of war even wo-
nen were not to be trusted.
''To what do I owe the honor of
his visit?" asked Lucille at last, scan