Waterbury evening Democrat., 1903-10-19

1 EtOUSSlhOus COUAu pS uluue0 IL ~
 My dear son!
 ''But, father, mean it.
 'rMean what2 Prdonsa old mans slow understanding. What gre you talking about my >sonT'
 Father Beret:gtanced furtavely about, then quickly stepped through door way, walked entirely around the house and came in aEAtn~ before ~Farnsworth could respond. Once more seated On his stool he added tntetrogatively:
 s"Did you thtnkeyou heard something moving outside"
 "No"
 "You were saying something when went out Pardon my Interruption
 Farnsworth gave the priest a search ing and not wholly confiding looG.
 "You did not interrupt me, Father Beret. I was not speaking. Why are eavesdroppersT
 "You were speaking recklessly. Your words werestncendlary :srdentia verba. My son, you were" Suggesting danger- ous thing Your fife would scarcely satisfy the law were you convicted of insinuating such treason. What if one of your prowl1ng guards had over heara.you? Your neck and mine might feel the halter. Quod avertat doni- nus" He crossed himself and in a solemn voice addedsdn sRnglish: "May the>Lord aforbta! An, my son, we priests protect those we love"
 And I, who am not fit to tie a 1 priests shoe, do likewise. Father, love A lice RoaagSillon'
 "Love is athely thing, my son. Amare divinum est ct humanum."
 Father Beret, can you help meY'
 spiritually speaking, my son?"
 'I mean can you hide Mile. Roussil- lon in some safe place if take her out of the prison wonder? That's just what I mean. Can you do it?"
 ''Your question is a remarkable one. Have you thought upon it from all di- rections, my son? Think of your po- sition, your duty as an officer"
 A shrewd polemical expression beam ed from Father Berets eyes, and a very expert phy ysiognomist might have 1 suspected duplicity from certain lines about the old mans mouth. 1 ''I simply know that I cannot stand ] by and see Alice-Mlle. Roussi1lon- 1 forced to suffer treatment too beastly I for an Indian thief. That's the only direction there Is for me to look at it 1 from, and you can understand my feelings if you will You know that very we'll Father Beret When a man loves girl he loves her; that's the l whole thing"
 The quiet, inscrutable half smile fiickered once more on Father Beret's face, but he sat silent some time with sinewy forednger lying alongside his | nose. When at last he spoke 1t was ! in tone of voice indicative of small interest in what he was saying. His words rambled to their goal with the effect of happy accident.
 There are places in this neighbor- hood in which human being would be as hard to find as the flag that you and Governor Hamilton have so di1i- gently and unsuccessfully been in quest of for the past month or two. Really. my son, this is mysterious 1 little town
 Farnsworth's eyes widened and flush rose in his swarthy cheeks.
 Hang the f1ag!'' he exclaimed. ttLet it lie hidden forever What do I care? I tell you, Father Beret that Alice Roussillon is in extreme danger. Gov ernor Hamilton means to put some terrible punishment on her. He has a devils vindictiveness. He showed it to me clearly awhile ago.
 "You showed something of the same sort to me, once upon time, my son."
 'Yes, I did, Father Beret, and I got a load Of slugs in my shoulder for it from that brave girls pistol She saved your life. Now I ask you to help me save hers, or if not her life what is infinitely more, her honor"
 "Her honor!'' cried Father Beret, leaping to his feet so suddenly and with such energy that the cabin shook from base to roof. What do you say, Captain Farnsworth? What do you | meanT'
 The old man was transformed. His face was terrible to see, with its mar row, burning eyes deep under the shaggy brows, it's dark veins writhing snakelike on the temples and forehead, the projected mouth and chin, the hard lines of the jaws, the iron gray gleam from all the features-he looked like an i aged tiger stiffened for spring.
 Farnsworth was made of right sol dierly stuff, but he felt a distinct shiver fit along his back. His past life had not lacked thrilling adventures and strangely varied experiences with desperate men. Usually he met sudden emergencies rather calmly, sometimes with phlegmatic indifference. This passionate outburst on the priests part, however, surprised him and awed him, while it stirred his heart with l profound sympathy unlike anything he had ever felt before.
 | Father Beret mastered himself in moment and, passing his hand over his 1 face, as if to brush away the excite ment, sat down again on his stool. He 1 appeared to collapse inwardly. 1 You must excuse the weakness of an old man, my son." he said, in | el,1 Qxx+ tn11