Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-05-23
CHAPTER XLIII.
UR;ee Me NV Husband!"

"Kiss Me, My Husband"
Perhaps 1t was that the Spider had hao
enough of watching the game winch she
herself played so matchlessly Well
So without more thought than the mere
resolution Yvette drew her hood over her
head. assumed (as easily as she had donneo
the hood an air of anxiety and haste ana
descended into the chamber of Maurice
Raith's imprisonment
She entered to find Maurice and Flower
o'-the Corn with their positions unchaheeu
Flower-o' the Corn was still in Maurice
arms, and he was mourning over her, MSS
ing her passIonately the while me'nou VI
recovery from temporary syncope, wiho"
though Individually ancient. Is not IN ac
cordance with modern medical treatment
nor recommended by the faculty. ,..
At the entrance of Yyette Ma at Ia fnrv
turned upon her, hot with wrath ana Jury
holding Frances still closer in his arms
and looking as If he would have rent the
intruder limb from limp. -
Yvette stood smiling In the doorway.
what Is the matter with my friend, she
said. with the dear Mademoiselle well
wood?" as, -, .-,os
Indignantly. THAT is not for you 10 ASH
NoIstand off-do not touch her! she Is 700
pure for such hands as yours Do'hot even
look at heri Do not breathe upon heI' !
would rather see her dead imam sa'eu W
your' ,.,
He fairly Kissed the words in his wratn.
Yvette affected a kind of humorous terror.
please Monsieur the Englishman, 90 nol
ljll me with your glance! An, reTeihpeI
the time not so long ago. either. when L
knew a young English soldier VINO thousGs
quite otherwise of me. But at any rate, ~
not worthy to touch her' wou IL, =, n ON
he better if you yourself laid her down OF,
q bench or on the couch yonder, ana poureu
a little cold water over her face and neck;
She paused a moment TO let her "oiuS
,h.a cd
"Or perhaps you would prefer (and IN
deed 1t would be much more proper? that
the hance of Mademoiselle Wildwood. Col.
Jean Cavalier of the king s army, shouio oe
sent for to recover her.
She laughed impishly. and at that very
moment Maurice felt F1oWer-o -the-Soiii
move in his arms Was 1t the name when
stirred her? Had 1t reached through the
glamor of faintneSS which still lett ner
heart deathly sick within her?
She stared about her wildly and when she
saw Yyette she trembled from head to foot
with something of the same approach 10
rigor without which Jean Cavalier never
approached the wife of Nicholas de Baume
Yvette smiled at this evidence of her power
Maurice laid Flower-o'-the-Corn down on
his couch. but she rose up, put Maurice
Raith to the side with a movement or her
hand and fronted Yvette.
II have told him. she said.
We'll and what does he say? smiled
Madame la Marechale, glad to escape on
such easy terms 1 should say A soldier
is soldier all the world over'
1t was hardly playing the game. Yvette
knew that very well, but the sight of
Frances Wildwood in the arms of Maurice
had aroused in her all the baser angers of
her nature.
You think" she said contemptuously.
to Maurice Raith that 1t is for the sake of
your beaux yeux. my friend. that L have
brought this to pass. Not at all! am
married TO a man who is worth dozen OF
YOU any day. But because l would save
this girl from death-and worse-because l
would save her father-a good man accord
ing to his lights and his thoughts (Which
are not mine). and because desire to save
ali this people of the Crevennes from
bloody and desolatng war to the death
Then she turned toward Flower-o'-the-
Corn.
Frances Wildwood. will you come with
me. who alone have gone out of my way to
save from death and dshonor both you and
those l thought dear to you? Or do you
desire to hear a certain cracking detona
ton tomorrow morning, and a few min
ute5 afterward to see the agreeable carcass
OF this young man carried past to the
Protestant cemetery of Millau?
Maurice grpped his finger nails into his
palms and only the knowledge that call
from Yvette would bring up the soldiers
of the marshal prevented his springing upon
the girl and clasping that fair white throat
once and for all in a grip of steel
Then Flower-o'- the-Corn turned her about
to Maurice. and all the anger died sharply
out of his eyes.
Dearest" she said. smiling at him
through mist of tears, do your part
yours is soon done. Mine will be longer in
the doing. but 1 will do 1t! She-(Frances
pointed with open contempt to where
Yvette stood, smiling her ironic smle) she
speaks part of the truth l do this for
your sake. because love you. How much
only true woman can know-not a woman
like her"
Here Yvette caught herself up from hasty
speech with a rapid intake of breath.
She went on without giving him time to
answer.
Goodbye, beloved I shall not see you
again. You shall go far away. but you will
not forget me. No. not ever. Though
welded to another till the day the
marvelously glad day when l am taken
And God. who orders all things will know
better than any. He will not be angry that
| think of you. that l continue to love you.
For in the soul and spirit. shall be your
wife and keep all that is eternal of me- all
that is immortal. all that does not go back
to the worm and the sod. virgin for you
yes. for you alone, my love and my lfe."
AS she spoke she had clasped him about
the neck with both hands, oblivious even
TO the presence of Yvette and of her smile,
which. indeed, had become less pronounced
and ironCal
Flower--the-Corn looked up at Maurice
and her eyes were deep wells of love and
faith
kiss me-my husband"' she said.