The Kalispell bee. [volume] (Kalispell, Mont.) 1900-192?, 1902-07-11

on either hand by rocks covered with
FERN and bracken, to whose jagged and
broken surface whereon puppies.
greens and browns seemed to absorb
themselves into each other-there chung
the yellow agrimony- and climbing rose,
with it's sweet bloom full of restless,
murmuring bees.
Sometimes the path lost itself in
some cool arcade of trees, where the
sunlight fell in oblique golden shafts
through the leaves that interlaced
overhead, and then suddenly, without
warning, we would come to a level
stretch on which the marguerites lay
thick as snowt1akes, and across which
the wind hustled riotously.
AS we cantered along side by side
my companion again broke forth into
joyous song that sprang full throat
ed and clear from heart that never
seemed to have known a moment of
pain. His was a 1.-THE, leopardlike
strength, and as 1 looked at him my
thoughts ran back to the time when
we first met, on his return from the
Venetian embassy, whittier he had
gone when M. de Bruslart made a
mess of things. / do not know why
it was, but he singled me out for his
particular notice, and, though it was
openly known that he was betrothed
to the second daughter of NJ. d'Ayen,
1, like fool, was fiattered by the at
tentions of this gay and brilliant cava-
lier, and day by day we were thrown
together more and more, and a sort
of confidence was established between
us that was almost more than friend
ship. There was, as | have said that
in his masterful way that had the eff
feet of leaving me powerless, and,
though he could put all it's light in his
eyes and all its tones in his voice, |
felt instinctively that he did not love
me, but was merely playing with me
to exercise his strength and dragging
me toward him with resistless force.
In short the influence of De Clermont
on me was never for my good, and our
intercourse always left me with the
conviction that had sunk a little low
err than before, and it was at times
like these when l met De Lorgnac's
grave eyes that felt the unspoken re-
proach in their glance and would strug-
gle to rise again, and then in the con-
seriousness of my own folly felt fair
ly hated him for seeing my weakness.
What right had De Lorgnac even to
think Of me? What did it matter to
him what l did or said? SO l used to
argue with myself, yet in my heart of
hearts | felt that my standard of
right and wrong was being measured
by what imagined a man to whom !
had hardly ever spoken might think.
When make this confession and say
that the influence of De Clermont over
me was never for my good, do not
mean to imply that | was guilty of
anything more than foolishness, but
the effect of it was to sap my high
ideas, and | now know that this man.
aided by his surroundings-and they
were all to his advantage - took the
pleasure of a devil in lowering my
moral nature and in molding me to be
come "of the world" as he would put
it. God be thanked that the world is
not as he would have made it. AT that
time, however, | was dazzled, all but
overpowered, by him, and day by day
my struggles were ~growing weaker,
like those of some poor fly caught in a
pitiless web. The knowledge of all
this was to come to me later when by
Gods help l escaped, but then I was
blind and foolish and mad.
My companions song was interrupt
ed by Lalande, who came gallopfng
back in hot haste and in no good tenn
per to say that the whole party had
halted to wait for me, and, quickening
our pace, we hurried onward and found
them about a mile farther on. To say
that Nine. de Termes was surprised at
seeing De Clermont is to say little, and
l could see, too, that she was not very
well pleased, but he spoke to her so
fairly and gracefully that in spite of
herself she thawed, and half an hour
later he was riding at her bride hand,
bringing smiles that had long been alb
sent to her face. He was overjoyed to
hear of the vicomte's recovery and
said many fiattering things about him,
for he knew him well, having served
under him in the campaign of Langue-
doc, and then he went on to become
more communicative about himself.
saying that he was the bearer of a dis
patch to the king of Navarro, adding,
with a laugh. "a duplicate, you know,
the original being carried by M. Nor
reys, the England free lance. Ma fol!
But | should not be surprised if reach
ed the Bearnnois before the sluggish
islander"
Hardly, If you loiter here, NJ. le
Marquis said
you must bear the blame for that,
madame, but will add that my orders
are to pass through Perigueux as well,
and so, madame"-and he turned to
my friend-"if you will permit Raoul