The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-07-22

, though it was not for her brothers.
sake that she wept, since, as every one
| knew, Jefferson was already SO full of
malaria and quinine that the fevers of
the South and Mexico must find him in
vulnerable, and even his mother be-
lieved he would only thrive and grow
hearty on his soldering. But about
Crailey. Fanchon had a presentiment
more vivid than any born Of the natural
fears for his safety; It came to her
again and again, reappearing In her
dreams; she shivered and started often
as she worked on the flag, then bent
her fair head low over the gay silks,
while the others glanced at her synpa-
thetically. She had come to feel quite
sure that Crailey was to be shot.
| but I've dreamed it-dreanled 1t six
ttmes!" she cried. when he laughed at
her and tried to cheer her. And it
comes to me in the daytime as though
saw it with my eyes; the picture Of
You In an officers uniform, lying Oh the
fresh green grass and a red stain just
below the throat"
"That shows what dreams are made
| OF, dear lady he smiled. Well find
| little green grass In Mexico. and I'm
| only corporal; SO where's the officers
| uniform?'
Then Fanchon wept the more, and put
her arms about him. while it seemed to
| her that She must cling to him SO for
ever and thus withhold him from full
filling her vision. and that the gentle
pressure OF her arms must somehow
preserve him to life and to her. "Ah, you
can't so, darling" sho sobbed, while he
petted her and tried to soothe her. "You
can't leave me! You belong to me!
They can't, can't, can't take you away
| from mel
When the flag was completed, save
for sewing the stars upon the blue
| ground, Fanchon took It away from the
others and insisted upon finishing the
work herself, To her own room she
| carried it and each Of the white stars
lthat the young men OF Rouen were to
follow In the struggle that would add
so many others to the constellation,
was jewelled with her tears and kissed
by her lips as It took Its place with It's
brothers, Never We're neater stitches
taken, for, with every atom of her
body yearning to receive the shot that
j was destined for Craley, this quiet sew
| Ing was all that she could do! She
would have followed him. to hold a
parasol over him under the dangerous
sun, to cook his meals properly, TO
watch over him with medicines and
blankets and a fan; she would have
followed barefoot and bareheaded. and
yet, her heart breaking with the cru
e!al yearnng to mother him and pro-
tect him, this was all that she could do
for him, this small stitching at tho flag
he had promised to follow.
When the work was quite finished.
she went AL over It again with double
thread, not facing the superstition of
her motive, which was TO safeguard her
lover tho bullet that was destined for
Crailey might. in the myriad chances.
strike the flag first and be DETECTED,
though never SO slightly. by ono OF
these last stitches. and Craileys heart
thus missed ny the same margin
1t was AT this jpncture, when the weer.
ing Of women was plentiful when old
men pulled long faces. and tho very ,ir-
chins OF the street observed periods OF
gravity and even silence that notion
entered the head Of Mrs Tanberrv-
Young JAMIE Tanberry--to the effect tina
such things We're all wrong. She declared
energetically that this was no decent
fashion OF farewell: that after the sol
diers went away there would be tim,
! enough TO enact the girls they had lief
behind them; and that, until then, ,th
town should ba made enlivening. SO sh
went about preaching revival of cheer
| fulness waving her jewelled hand merit
~ from the Carewe carriage to the voun
teers she saw upon the street. calm
out TO them with laughter and tnspirin
qpip; everywhere scolding The mourner
Wtciously In her husky voice. and leayin
; 60 much Of heartenns viyacity in he
wake that none could fall 70 be convince
that she was q wise woman.
; Nor was her yigor spent In vain. ]
was DECIDED that ball should be give
I TO the volunteers Of Rouen two night