The Bourbon news. [volume] (Paris, Ky.) 1895-19??, 1902-01-03

she alone. ''That is our profession
But about the brevet. Surely yol
ought to be pleased. Captain in your
first engagement"
"Oh, it's only a recommendation,
he answered, land may be as far away
as-any other engagement-of mine
that is" And in saying it poor Stuyve
SAINT realized it was an asinine thing
So, alack! did she! An instant agone
she was biting her pretty red lips fol
letting the word escape her, but his
faulty gave her all the advantage in
spite of herself. 1t was the play tc
see nothing that called for reply in his
allusiOn. So there was none.
A carriage was coming up the
Luneta full tilt, and though still coo
yards away, she saw and knew it to
be Stuyvesant's returning. But he
saw nothing beyond her glowing face.
Mrs. Brent began to sing in the salon,
a symptom so unusual that it could
only mean that she contemplated
coming back and was giving warning.
Time was priceless, yet here he
stood trembling, irresolute. Would
nothing help him?
"You speak of Encouragement, -
/ he blundered blinded on. 81 wish
you'd tell me-about yours
'Mine? Oh-with the Red Cross,
you mean?" And shame be to Won.
Maidie Ray, you knew-you well
knew-he didn't.
'I smean-to Mr.. Foster. Mrs.
Brent has just told me-
Mrs. Brent!" interpOsed Miss Raw
in futter of amaze. That carriage
is coming nearer every instant,
driving like mad, Brent on the back
seat and a whip-lashing demon on
the box. There will be no time for
love-taies once that burly warrior re-
turns to his own. Yet she is fencing.
parrying, holding him at bay, for his
heart is bubbling over with the tor
rent of its love and yearning and
pleading.
What are bullet-wOunds and brevets
to this one supreme, sublime enccun-
ter? His heart was high, his voice
rang clear and eXultant, his eyes
flashed joy and fire and defiance in
the face of a thousand deaths two
weeks ago. But here in the pres
ence of a slender girl he can do
naught but faIter and stammer and
tremble.
Crack, crack, spatter, clatter, and
crash comes the little carriage and
team whirling into the San Luis. He
hears it now. He knows what it
means to him-Brent back and the
pent-up words still unspoken! It
nerves him to the test, it spurs him
to the leap, it drives the blood bound
ing through his veins, it sends him
darting round the table to her side,
penning her, as it were, between him
and the big bamboo chair. And now
her heart too is all in flutter, for
the outer works are carried in his
impetuous dash, the assailant is at
the very citadel.
''Marion!'' he cried, "tell me, was
there-tell me there was no engage
mont! Tell me there is little hope
for me! Oh, you are blind if you Go
not see, if you have not seen all
along, that I've loved you ever since
the first day L ever saw you. Tell
me-quick!"
Too late. Up comes Brent on the
run, and Marion springs past the
would-be OBTAINING arm. "Where's
Mrs. R-?" pants the warrior.
''Hully, Stuyvie? was afraid you'd
got the news and gone out in Gao.
Mira. want my belt and pistol"
"Where you going?" bursts in the
lady of the house-the spoons for
gotten.
"Out to San Pedro! It's only three
miles. Our fellows are going to drive
'em out of Guadalupe woods. Ready,
Stuy? Of course you want to see IT..
ORWELL do you good, too. Come on"
Indeed, you don't stir step, Col
Brent!-not a step! What business
have you going into action? You did
enough fighting 40 years ago"
Brent, deaf to her expostulation, is
rushing to the steps, bucllling his
belt on the run, but "M'ria" grabs the
slack of the khaki coat and holds
him. Stuyvesant springs for his hat.
1t has vanished. Marion, her hands
behind her, her lips parted, her heart
pounding hard, has darted to the
broad door 20 the salon, and there,
leaning against the framing, she con-
fronts him.
At the rear of the salon Thisbe has
grappled Pyramus and is being pullei
to the head of the stairs; at the head,
Beatrice, with undaunted front, con-
cealing a sinking heart, defies Benz
dick.
"My hat, please" he demands, his
eyes lighting with hope and promise
of victory.
"You have no right" she begins.
''You are still a patient" But now,
with bowed head, she is struggling,
for he has come close to her, so close
that his heart and hers might al
most meet in their wild leaping, so
close that in audacious search for the
missing headgear his hands are
reaching down behind the shrinking.
slender little form, and his long,