Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1901-12-18
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
THE HEART
l OF FORT
b.. TCHEU.
E. and H. HERON.
Copyright, 1901, bv Hassctn P,ltcnara.

OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
At luncheon he surpassed himself.
Even Meroringe gave place to him.
The others had also their orders and
were as comparatively silent as it Is
given to Frenchmen to be. They al
lowed Francois to take the floor, so to
speak, and he awaited himself Of the
chance in manner that thrilled his
compatriots. He was magnificent. He
summed himself in the smiles of the
fair, he told stories of the duels he had
fought and the dangers he had braved,
he dwelt on his approaching departure
with a point and a culver of feeling
that won him many compliments later
on round the mess table ON board, and
all the time Cordelia's attention never
tagged. She sympathized and looked
terrified in the right places In fact,
she satisfied even the eSigent vanity Of
her admirer.
Francois, however, directed most Of
his conversation to Pat Cannon, whose
labored politenesses delighted Cordelia,
for in spite of all Cannon was as jeal-
Gus as red haired man has right to
be. He was young fellow of parts
and sagacity, but he was very human,
and Cordelia, like many another wo-
man, dealt hardly with an affection of
| which she felt secure. Colonel Len
nard understood the various elements
of the scene wonderfully and smiled
~ .;,,,1x, ~, or
his heavy mustache.
AT length lunch and Francois tales
Of his own proves came to an end.
1t was still too early in the day to go
| upon the roof, and Cordelia proposed an
expedition by some sheltered passages
to the fort, where in a cool gallery,
| with embrasures open to the sea breeze,
the men might smoke and saunter for
awhile.
There was a pause. Then Colonel
Lennard slowly agreed to the proposal.
| Cannon demurred Il little, but his OBJ
lection was overruled, and Francois
led the way with Cordelia, his heart
beating in his throat as in imagination
he saw himself being decorated for his
achievement.
Cordelia had put on n big white hat
that only made a frame to enhance the
beauty of her face.
| What Francois said during that mem.
orable hour, his eloquence, his pathos
can never be written down, but he cum
ningly led the fascinated girl hithel
and thither, past endless sentries, who
however, stood only rigidly stupid as
the couple paced the length Of the for
| tification. 1t may be added that Cor
della herself was astonished at the eX
traordinary number of men on guard
the fact being that Cannon had no idea
Of ALLOWING her to be Tor one moment
out of earshot alone with her enamored
companion.
After time favorable opportunity
offered, and Francois made the request
he had bee working toward since he
arrived in Tcheu bay
"Dear mademoiselle, you will permit
me a recollection? he said, with eager.
ness, as he produced his camera. II
scarcely dare to ask so much, but in
| the lonely moments at sea, when per
chance the last storm that 1 am des.
tined TO hear is blowing 1 will take
one last look at that exquisite face
You cannot refuse me?'
Cordelia's eyes were alight. Never
had she looked SO beautiful
ITO place with your mother and sis.
ters!" she demanded, with what Fran
co.'s deemed to be a shy delight. That
was as 1t should be. She had clearly
no suspicion of his real design.
They were on one of the bastions
Two old sun warmed guns frowned in.
nocently out over the cleaning water
Francois begged Miss Leonard to place
herself by one of these, turning an apt
| compliment out of the contrast. He
was inclined to be a little contemptu.
GUS of the girls blindness and her ia.
Gle responses to his tlattery and ad
vances. Moreover, he largely despised
the British, who could look with com
placency upon these obsolete pieces OF
artillery OF remain ignorant of the
very patent fact that the whole forti
ficat!on would be about their ears in
ten minutes under the shells of q man.
of-war, against which they must be en-.
tirely helpless, as none of the ancient
specimens of cast iron he saw about
him could throw any projectile more
than 100 yards and that crooked. And
then he turned with zest to take n look
at the opulent island to the south, one
small corner of which could be deserted
from the spot where he stood. All, the
| future!
He placed Miss Leonard and, retir.
ing got his focus. In many places and
In divers positions he photographed hel
and with her the Notifications coveted
by the war office at Paris.
| AS his professional outlook bright
ened the more warmly glowed the
words of the intlammable Gaul. AT the
first picture she was "chere mademoi
selle." Before the last she was But
never mind. Miss Leonard might read
this story, and then where should be
if ] told?
.
That evening Merovinge said:
My friend, let me embrace you. Yor
have achieved success. You have
achieved an immense service to France
and to me. Be tranquil. You will have
your reward"
Francois responded as was expected
of him, but his heart was unreasonable
heavy, and, though he tried to persuade
himself that the great desire he felt tt
develop his plates was only the outcome
Of professional zeal, that it had moth
ing whatever to do with the human in
terest contained in the photographs, he
was obliged before long to own thai
his motives were not purely patriotic
were, in fact, a little mixed.
So the Loup-garou put out to sea, and
Francois, gazing back at the recedine
fort crowned ridge, acknowledged tt
himself that he had indeed conquered
but the conquest had left a sting in his
memory. AS the shores of China were
growing with every moment more in
distinct there came across the anne.
thyst water dull, reverberating noise