Omaha daily bee., 1903-03-22
CHAPTER XIII.
Certain smokes in Certain wheels.


Certain spOkes in Certain wheels.
IL was not at the moment a matter Of
supreme personal Importance to Flower
o'-the-Corn whether or not the Camisards
OF La Cavelerie were or were not enter
tanning a traitor unawares.
But that which disturbed Flower-o'-the
Corn was the knowledge that her father,
the chaplain Of Ardmillan's regiment, a
British officer according to military rat
ing, should be in this place, disguised, and
under conditions which she could not help
but recognize would bring him to the gal
lows II discovered, while at the same time
she had been the means Of introducing
among the Camisards one who might prove
TO be a French spy
The girls were now seated In Yvette's
chamber. which was pleasantly situated on
the third or highest story OF the Templar's
house, the village spread out far below
like a collection Of beehives.
"And why" said Flower-o'-the-Corn to
Yvette, III this man is really a spy Of the
enemy. do you not denounce him to your
father? Or, better still, to General Ca
valier7'
Yvette Foy looked straightly at her new
friend like one who in all her life has had
nothing to conceal.
THAT we're indeed easy" she said,
calmly, but first a French oficer is a
gentleman. l have no desire to see him
torn limb from limb by a bowling rabble,
as he would be II anything of what we
know appeared. And, secondly, he and
his people are lodging in this house, so
that I. can have them constantly under
observation"
But General Cavalier-my f~ather-the
other Protestant leaders" urged Frances
Wildwood. They are constantly walking
about and talking with this young man"
"As to General Cavalier, as you call
him." said Yvette. with supreme contempt,
''the apprentice baker can attend to his
own affairs. am not his nursemaid. and
for your father, my dear, have no fear for
him! The Camisards will listen to his
preachings, but will tell him nothing-not
II he were to remain here a hundred years!
Do not be afraid OF him. Just because he
is the one true prophet among the many
false, God will send his angels to watch
over him!"
Yvette lifted up her beautiful eyes as
she spoke.
Flower o'-the-Cor rose impulsively and
threw her arms about her new friends
neck.
"oh, l shall love you dearly, I know!"
she cried, with a kind Of sob. ct have
been so lonely here-a girl with no one t9
speak to-except my father"
II was no wonder that the apparent ad-
v~antages were all on the side of the daugh-
ter of Martin Foy, nor that when she had
undertaken the education OF her junior, the
very simplicity and directness OF Frances
made her like wax in the hands Of her self
constituted guardian and tutoress.
"What would you have me do?' said
Frances meekly to Yvette Foy, "if l am not
IN inforn nv father that there NAV he n
traitor in the camp?"
1--WE do not know all" said Yvette, in a
low tone, who are we. you and l? Two
girls who have no experience Of treaties
and embassies or Of the hither and thither
OF politics. What have we seen? Only a
suit OF foreign regimentals, which, IL we
charge the man with the possession Of, he
will doubtless say that he obtained them in
order 10 further his progress hither! In the
meantime, what you have to do is simply
to steer clear of this young man with the
superabundant changes Of raiment. For
the sake OF your fathers life, II not your
own, do not be SO unwise as to have any
dealings with him!"
That is, at least a prescription easy to
follow" laughed Frances frankly and read
lily, for indeed and indeed l do not care IL
l never saw him again.
At this Yvette kissed her friend, MUIR
muring vague girlish tenderness. Then she
gently disengaged herself and walked to the
window. Far down, at the entrance of a
certain dark entry stood a cloaked figure,
the same whom she had seen in the church
as she passed out during sermon time.
YYette Foy smiled bitterly to herself.
"Ah, you there still, my good wagoner!"
she muttered, well, at some trouble and
expense to myself / have succeeded In put
TING a anunauhat nnnaidarahla anokp in
your wheel, Master Pierre Dubois of Roche
a'-Bayard and Hool"
Pretty II was to listen to the give and
take Of confidence between them-espe-
cially the give. For while Yvette said
little, this our dove Of a Frances. ex-
cited and reioiced to have one Of her own
age and sex to conhde in, told out all that
was within her heart with the sweetest
and delicatest blushings IN the world.
And II was a tale to strike her listener
with envy. For though 1t dealt only with
the innocentest and slightest girlish ad-
vibrations, likings. preference, what oppor-
tunities did Yvette, the experienced, not
discern? What glimpses of a world Of men
in rapid and brilliant action, Of the glanc-
ings Of golden e~paulets, the glittering of
lace, the clinklng Of spurs, the hither and
thither OF the ofncers OF a hundred regi-
ments and half a dozen services.
And this girl had walked through it all
like one in a dreaml A handsome young
aide-de-camp of a commandments had
confronted her among the Brabant wheat
apsrt-wlth admiration radiant in his eyes,
and she (Flower-o'-the-Corn) had ridden
on with a simple RANT word upon a bor-
rowed horse.
Yvette Foy had to bite her neither lip TO
keep In the words OF contempt.
And meanwhile E1OWar-O'-tha C0ru prat-
tied on regardless OF all.
Yes" she said. 1T stays In my mind
that he admired mel l do not know why
but he did. Men do those things. But
somehow-somehow, though others have
looked like that at me-there was some
thing about him, perhaps his puzzled air
as l rode away Il could laugh at It them
that-that-well it made me think OF him
Gfterwsrd. OF course, / shall never see him