Waterbury Democrat., 1901-05-14

COILS III HIS uOIHy dduuS. lie WdS teT- rified to moxtal anguish and had not thought of resisting or disobeying her. He knew the fame of Cigarette-as who did not-knew that she would fire at man as carelessly as at cat, more carelessly, in truth, for she favored cats.
 The dealer ran with all the speed of terror and overlook Cecil, who was go- ing slowly onward to the barracks.
 sAre you seriousP' he asked in sur- prise at the large amount as the little dealer panted out apologies, entreati ties and protestations of his only having been in jest and of his fervently desir- ing to buy the carvings at bis own price, as he knew of a great collector in Paris to whom he needed to send them.
 Serious! Indeed am serious" plead ed the curiosity trader, turning his head in agonized. fear to see if the vivandiere's pistol was behind him. '"The things will be worth great deal to me where shall send them again, and, though they are but bagatelles, what is Paris itself but one bagatelle? Take the money, pray you, take the i moneyv'
 Cecil looked at him moment. He saw the man was in earnest and thought but little of his repentance and I trepidation, for the citizens were all afraid of sighting or annoying sol- Gier.
 ..So be it. Thank you,'' he said as he stretched out his hand and took the coins, not without a keen pang of the old prise that would not wholly be stilled, yet gladly for the sake of the chasseur dying wonder, growing deliri- ous and retching the blood off his lungs in want of one touch of the ice that was spoiled by the ton weight to keep cool the wines and the fish of Chateau roy.
 You did it? That is well. Now, see here. One word of me now or ever after, and there is little present that will come to you hot and quick from Cigarette" said the little Friend of the Flag. The unhappy dealer shuddered and shut his eyes as she held bullet close to his sight, then dropped it with an ominous thud in her pistol barrel.
 .Nct a syllable, never syllable" he stammered, "and if I had known you were in love with him''-
 A box on the ears sent him across his own counter.
 "In love? Parbleu! de1est the fel- loww said Cigarette, with fiery scorn and as hot an oath.
 Truly? Then why give your napo- leons''-
 Cigarette tossed back her pretty head, that was curly and spirited and shapely as any thoroughbred spaniePs; superb glance flashed from her eyes, superb disdain sat on her lips.
 You are trader; you know nothing of our code under the tricolor. We fellow soldiers are too proud not to aid even an enemy when he is in the right, and France always arms for justice!'
 With which magnificent peroration she swept all the carvings-they were rightfully hers-off the table.
 'They will light my cooking fire," she said contemptuously as she vaulted lightly over the counter into the street and pirouetted along the slope of the crowded Babazoum. Finally, she whirled herself into 9 dark, deserted archway a little out of the town and dropped on stone block as a swallow tired of flight drops on to a bough.
 'Is that the way revenge myself? Ah, bah! deserve to be killed! When he called me unsexed-unsexed- sexed"-and with each repetition ofNfe e infamous word, so bitter because vaguely admitted to be true, she flung one of the ivory Wreaths on to the pavement and stamped on it with her spurred heel until the carvings were ground into powdered fragments stamped as though it were living foe,. and her steel bound foot were treading out all it's life with burning hate and pitiless venom.
 In the act her passion exhausted itself, as the evil of such warm, i'm petuous, tender natures will; she was very still, and looked at the ruin she had done with regret and a touch of contrition.
 Ut was very pretty-and cost him weeks of labor, perhaps" she thought.
 And, lost in a musing pity, Ciga- rette forgot her VOW of vengeance.