Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-05-09

serpent -beguiIed, had given him of the fruit
of the tree of knowledge, and he had
eaten.
So the man awoke knowing himself for
naked. AS for the woman. she had been
awake a long time.
And it was in this hopeless spirit that he
went to call the Cevenols to arms in a new
cause.
But the fruit of the tree of knowledge
had done it's work. The man saw clearly,
Oh SO clearly. Without glamour, without
perspective, pitilessly, logically. remorse-
lessly all that he had had been-al that he
had become was borne in upon him.
1t was on the eve of the Sabbath day.
The first touch of spring had come to the
high lands of the Cause. with a soft
southerly breathing wind that set the birds
singing the leafieSs willows and SILVER
ing poplars. and even stray bumble-bee
or two large and purple, booming over
head. rare wanderers from the favored
plains beneath. In their temple the Can't
sardS of La CaYalerie were gathered to-
gether to hear the message of their leader.
1t was understood that he had a Weighty
word to speak. He had indeed been seen
night and day wandering on the bare scalp
of the Larzac his eye fixed. his lips moving,
evidently In solitary communion. He had
even avoided the morning service of the
sanctuary, and, being the man he was, his
wish to be left alone had been respected.
They were the Camisards. the striving,
faithful remnant-thiS young man had been
sent to them by God. TO doubt him was an
impossibility. There had never been a
traitor among them. AS they had lived.
even so they had died. The rack, the cord,
the fire. the breaking on the wheel had not
been able to move them. Old men of sew
enty and girls of sixteen, shamelessly mar
tyred with the tortures Of demons. had
died even like Spirit Seguer. The Can't
sards loved Jean Cavalier, and-there was
no fear in their love.
So they gathered joyfully. every man of
them able to bear sword or shoot a mus
ket remarkable congregation it was,
there in the gloomy hall of the Templars,
tanned, weather-beaten shepherds of the
Causes. each with his great mantle of
sheepskin about him.
But in the far background near the door
there were two men. standing together,
dark-browed. grim, silent-waiting in the
shadow of a pillar ornamented with the
arms of the Knights Templars-who alone
of all that assembly carried suspicion in
their hearts. And these men We're Abdias
Maurei. called Catinat the prophet and
Martin Foy. whose house of the Bon Chre-
ten had been left unto him desolate.
There ensued a silence-the silence which
falls upon many people who wait, scarce
breathing for that which shall be.
Jean Cavalier entered.
signing rustic followed-the turning of
every head in his direction.
Jean Cavalier was paler. more haggard
than We have yet seen him. The freshness
of boyhood was gone from his cheeks Even
his eye no longer sought with its old frank
ness the faces of the people over whom he
had ruled with an authority almost royal.
Yet the Camisards of the Larzac found
nothing unusual In this changed ASPECT
| The heat of the spirit within the divine
| conflicts, the all-night wrestling were bound
| $50 they thought to make their mark upon
any man. especially upon one so young
Hush-he Is beginning. Pulses beat fast
err. There are wet eyes, tear furrowed
| cheeks-aye, though there are no women
| in that throng-only men of age, arm bear
| ing. good soldiers of Jesus Christ and the
| church of the reform.
Only in the shadow of the great Samson
| pillar. with the Templar arms upon it, An
drias Maurel. did Catinat the old Slider
sets his lips more grimly. thinking that now
at last his day was come
| And in the yet deeper shade. like a ttgress
! robbed of her cub. Martin Foy narrowed
his eyelids and gritted his teeth. His hand
was on his dagger and he moved 1t to and
| fro in the sheath.
Jean Cavalier lifted his hand and dreu
| it YEARLY across his brow. He dropped II
| again and began to speak
People Of the Way" ne said. slowly and
| with a visible effort. there are dark
| bious preface Martin Foy looked signif-
| cantly across at Catinat The cup which
| God hath given US to drink has been min
gled of honey and gall. The honey We have
eaten 1t hath been sweet under your
| tongue That which remains Is gall"
cave. murmured Catinat under his
breath. so that only Martin Foy heard
him. he says true-the gall of bitterness
! and the bond of iniquitygs
The landlord of the Bon Chretten did not
answer. He did not once remove his eyes
| from the young mans face. Only he con-
tinued to draw his dagger out of its sheath
letting 1t slip back with the ominous click
of perfectly fitting steel.
Jean Cavalier went on. with a certain
| heavy and Discriminate conscientiousness
Il will speak to you clearly, the thing