Omaha daily bee., 1903-05-24

- game which she herself played 30
matchlessly well
&s So without more thought than
the mere resolution Yvette drew her hood
over her head. assumed Cas easily as she
had dOnned the hood an air Of anxiety and
haste. and descended into the chamber OF
Maurice Raith's imprisonment.
She entered to find Maurice and Flower
o'-the Corn with their positions unchanged.
FiOwer-o'- the Corn was still in Maurice's
arms. and he was mourning over her. kiss
ing her passionately the while. a method OF
recovery from temporary syncope, which,
though individually ancient. is not in ac-
co:dance with modern medical treatment
nor recommended by the faculty.
AZ the entrance Of Yvette, Maurice RaIth
turned upon her. hot with wrath and fury,
holding Frances stu closer In his arms.
and looking as IL he world have rent the
intruder limb from limb.
YVette stood smiling in the doorway.
what Is the matter with my friend" she
said. with the dear Mademoiselle Well
wood?
What is the matter with nerT' he cried,
Indignantly. That is not for you to ask.
No-stand on-do not touch her! She is too
pure for such hands as yours. Do not even
look at heri Do not breathe upon her. 1
would rather sec her dead than saved by
your
lie fairly Kissed the words In his wrath
Yvette affected n kim of humorous ter
ror.
please, Monsieur the Englishman, do not
kill me with your giancei an. ! remember
the time, not so long ago either, when 1
knew a young English soldier who thought
quite otherwise of me. But at any rate, II
l I'm not worthy to touch her, would IL not
be better IL you yourself laid her down on
a bench or on the couch yonder. aud poured
a little cold water over her face and neck!'
She paused a moment TO let her words
sink In and then she added.
Or perhaps you would prefer Cand In
deed IL would be much more proper) that
the iance OF ModemOiseIle Wildwood.
Colonel Jean Cavalier of the kings army,
should be sent for to recover her"
She laughed impishiy. and at that very
moment Maurice felt F1ower-o'-the-C0rn
move In his arms. Was IL the name which
stirred her? Had II reached through the
glamour OF faintness which still left her
heart deathIy sick within her?
She stared about her wildly and when
she saw Yvette she trembled from head to
foot with something OF the same approach
TO rlgor without which John 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
ais couch. hut she rose up. put Maurice
Raith TO the side with a movement OF
the hand and confronted Yvette.
II have told him!'' she said.
'Well. and what does he sayg' smiled
Madame La MARKETABLE; glad to escape on
such easy terms. 1 should say! A soldier
Is a soldier all the world Ovcrg'
II was hardly playing the game. Yvetts
knew that very well. but the sight OF
Frances Wildwood In the arms OF Maurice
had aroused in her all the baser Anglers OF
her nature.
You think" she said. contemptuously, 70
Maurice RaIth that 1t is for the sake OF
your beaux yeux. my friend. that 1 have
brought this TO pass. Not at. all! L am
married to a man who Is worth a dozen OF
you any day. But because / would save this
girl from death-and worse-because I
would save her father = a goOi
man according TO his lights and
his thoughts (which are not minel. and
because I desire TO save all this people OF
the Cevennes from a bloody and desOlat-
ing war TO the death"
Then she turned toward Fgower-o'-the-
Corn.
Frances Wildwood. win you come with
me, who alone have gone out OF my way
to save from death and dishoncr both yOu
and those I thought dear to your Or ID
you desire 10 hear a certain cracking de
tonatiOn tomorrow morning. aud a Few
minutes afterWard TO see the agreeable
carcass OF this young man carried past Il
the Protestant cemetery OF MiIIau?"
Maurice gripped his finger nails Into his
palms. and only the knowledge that a cal
from Yvette would bring up the soldiers
of the marshal prevented his springins
upon the gid and clasping that fair whit
thrOat once and for all In a grip OF steel.
Then FioWer-O'-the-Corn turned her abou
20 Maurice, and all the anger died sharply
out Of his eyes.
Dearest" she said. smiling at HIN
through a mist OF tears. do your part
-. a. - -. a. In - A.