Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1902-12-22

the pretender when my eclipse laid me at
his feet-remembered me in her second
exile. perhaps believed in me still. Women
put wonderful restraints upon themselves.
Able Edgeworth and looked steadily
at each other.
At hope Madame d Angouleme is well?''
"She is wen. and is still the comforter
Of his Majesty's misfortune"
Monsieur the Able. a message would
need to be very urgent to be listened to
tonight 1 win give you audience in the
morning, OF when I return"
We both bowed again. 1 took Pierre
Grignon into the hall for counsel.
In the end he rode with me, for we con-
Guided to send Skenedonk with a party
along the east shore.
Though searching for the lost is an ex-
perience old as the world, its poignancy
was new TO me. I saw Eagle tangled IN
the wild oats of the river. 1 saw her
treacherously dealt with by Indians who
called themselves at peace. saw her
wandering out and out miles beyond me.
to undwelt-in places. and the tender mer-
cy of wolves. D..
We crossed the ferry and took to the
trail, Pierre Grignon talking cheerfully.
2 @Nothing has happened TO her, MIST
| Williams he insisted. No Indian about
La Baye would hurt her, and the child is
not so crazy as to hurt herself !"
1t was starless night, mufiied overhead
as the day had been, but without rain or
mist He had a lantern hanging at his
saddle bow, ready to light. In the open
lands we rode side by side, but through
growths along the Fox first one and then
the other led the way.
We found my door unfastened- re-
membered for the first time I had not
locked It. Some one had been in the
house A low fire burned IN the chimney.
We stirred 1t and lighted the lantern
Footprints not our own had sdr1ed white
upon the smooth dark floor.
s They pointed to the fireplace and out
again They had been made by wo-
mans feet,
y we descended the hill to the river, and
tossed our light through every brush, the
lanternt blinking in the wind. We ex-
plored the ravine, the light stealing over
white birches that glistened like alabaster.
If was no use to call her name. She might
be Hidden behind rock laughing at us.
We had TO surprise her to recover her.
Skenedonk would have traced her where
we lost the trail.
When we went back to the house, de-
jected with physical WEAKNESS. unstrap-
ped the blanket and the food which Mad
anne Ursule had sent, and brought them to
Pierre Grignon. He threw the blanket on
the SeIIee, ldlu Out DTedu anu AiSoN vi eA-S
table and ate both Of us blaming our
selves fol. sending the Indian on the other
side of the river.
we traced the hard route which 1 had
followed the day before, and reached
Green BAY about dawn. Pierre Grtgnon
went to bed exhausted. I had some
breakfast and waited for Skenedonk. He
had not returned. but had sent one man
hack to say there was no clue. The meal
aofa in haste i
could not wait, but set out again, with
piIlion which had carried uselessly In the
night strapped again upon the horse for
her seat in case found her; and leaving
word for the Oneida to follow.
& / had forgotten there was such a person
as Able Edgeworth. when he led horse
upon the ferry boat.
~You ride early as well as late. May
50in your"
est you, monsieur.
.sYou are mistaken. I understand what
has disturbed the house, and want 10
ride with you"
ct viii be hard for horseman accus-
toned 10 avenues.
1T viii suit me perfectly.
II did not suit me at all, but he TOOK my
coIdness with entire courtesy.
Have you breakfasted, MONSIEUR?
1T had my usual slice of bread and cup
of water before rising" he answered
Again 1 led on the weary trail 20 my
house. Able Edgeworth gallOped wei,
keeping beside me where there was room
or riding behind where there was not.
The air blew soft, and great shadow
clouds ran in an upper current across the
deeDest blueness. 1 had seen in many
dav The sun showed beyond rows Of
hills
: 7 bethoiIght myself to ask the priest If
he knew anything about Count de Chau-
mont He answered very simply and d.
rectlv, that he did: that might remember
Count de Cha0mont was. mentioned In
Mittau. The count, he said, according to
common report, had retired with his
daughter and his son-in-law to Blois,
where he was vigorously rebuilding his
ruined chateau of Chaumont.
If nv mind had been upon the priest,
should have wondered what he came for.
He did not press his message.
'grhe court is again in exile?' I-sadd,
when we could rides abreast.
''At Client"
"Bellenger visited me last September.
He was without dauphin."
I'VE could supply the deficiency, Able
Edgewofth pleasantly replied.
with the boy he left in, Europe?'
s'Oh. dear, no With royal dukes. You
observed his majesty could not pension
helpless idiot without encouraging dau-
uhins. These dauphins are thicker than
blackberries. The dauphin myth has be-
come so common that whenever we see
a beggar approaching, we say, There
comes another dauphin.' One of them is