The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1903-11-18

find among the hills. If there was any
method in their retreat, the historians
will know 1t. Enough that this cap
tain came, ignorant that spaniards
had let his slip ahead only a league or
so-that league by which fear for a
little outstrips vengeance--to the vii
lage of Gale d'Estrez. Above that On
the hill, as we all know, the monastery
stands.
Something Of the news of the rising
had come to the brothers ears. VII
layers on their way to join the patri-
OTIS had passed within sight of them;
Brother Pedro, sent on an errand into
the mis-, had come back with the sound
of trumpets in his ears. sounds of
firing, too, to make the world seem
furiously near. The abbot might ex-
hort to prayer and fasting; he might
speak OF VOWS in which neither war
nor rumors of war had any part. But
the tidings came-kept coming. Only
they knew so little that the first cot
tages of Gale d'Estrez were in flames
and smoke steaming up from the val
ley before the brothers knew that a
detachment of the French army was al
ready there.
And about to march upon the mon
astery, my Father" cried the peasant
who first came to them. After Nones
it was already-these Frenchmen who
feared neither Gou nor devil-they
woulu arrive before dusk, having, it
seemed utterly defeated the Spanish
soldiers.
You are sure that we are defeated?"
asked the abbot, forgetting IN his
trouble that he and the brothers had
no part nor side with earthly armies.
The peasant swore to that, and to
many other things, and those that
came after him, swntly, swore to the
same. Therefore it was clear to the
abbot that for the time being work
must take the place Of prayer. There
were precious and sacred things in the
monastery that must be moved away
and hidden till the danger was past.
Lives, too, though they were vowed
away from the world, must not be Civ
en- over TO these raging soldiers. Rag
| ing and drunk with wine and blood"
the peasants said. Tho abbot bestirred
himself, and the brothers did likewise.
Strangely enough, only Brother Te-
lipe, who in his moments of forgetful-
ness was wont TO speak of the world as
a present and-almost-an enjoyable
thing, had shown no interest in the
tidings OF battle that had been brought
up and banded from tongue to tongue
for these many days past Some had
thought it sign of grace in him, as
indeed it would have been in any 9TH
er. But most of the brothers opined
that Felipe had no mind for these
things. The sound of musket would
go into one ear-with him-and out of
the other, just as the sound of the din
ner bell would.
And now that he has been given a
paint box" said Brother Antonio, not
without envy, he requires nothing in
side of him."
He referred to the Illuminating of a
missal, which had of late been set as a
task to Brother Felipe in lieu of the
kitchener's work which should have
been his lot for the week. This by
SPNNiai PSNlIiOu VI ali INC
Brother Felipe liked his painting He
sat in windowed alcove of the hall,
sucking his brush for hours together,
the missal before him, and who knows
where his wits were? He was sitting
like this when the tidings Of the
French marauders came, and through
all the hustle he sat on. No one dis
turbed him, because there was much
to be done, and little time to do it, and
that being so, Brother Felipe was not
accounted helpful. So little time was
there, indeed, what with the burying OF
some of the weightier things in the
grounds outside the monastery and the
collecting of the chalices and precious
candlesticks for postage, that by the
time all was ready, and the abbot had
assembled his flock in the rear Of the
great hall and unlocked the secret door
into the passage that leads out on to
the hills mile away, there came to
the ears of all the most frantic shouts
and roaring of that shameless ballad,
the "Marselllaise," showing that the
French We're at hand. Luckily they
stopped for little to fire the outbuild-
ings, as it was found afterward.
Let us fiy!" cried some of the weak
er brothers But the abbot raised his
hand.
BE strong and of good spirit" said
he. "Are all present."
Brother Felipe is still at his paint
ing" cried several together.
Brother Antonio will fetch him"
said the abbot calmly. "The rest will
proceed. First OF all, those carrying
the chalices."
A pungent smoke was wrapping
that other end Of the hall where Broth
er Felipe sat at his task all unconscious
and 1t husked Brother Antonio's voice
as he came near and called.
Hasten, Felipe. hasten. We are GO
ing instantly. The French are on us!"
Brother Felipe looked up.
"So?" he said. Il will come"
But he made no attempt to come. It
n1lght have been no more than the
ANN u1ona IN diuner Anfonto fhou~h<