The Central Nevadan. [volume] (Battle Mountain, Nev.) 1885-1907, 1903-03-26

touched Cigarettes changeful temper
to contrition. She knew she had been
ungenerous, O crime dark as night In
the sight OF the little chivalrous sol.
der.
Never mind" she said softly and
waywardly, winding her way Alright
with that penetration and tact which.
however unsexed In other things. Ciga-
rette had kept thoroughly feminine.
'sThat was but an Idle word of mine.
Forgive 1t and forget 1t. You are not a
slave when you fight. They say to see
you kill a man Is beautiful-so work
nanlike, And you would go out and
be shot tomorrow rather than sell your
honor or stain 1t, eh? Take a glass OF
champagne? Prut-tut, how you look!
Oh, the bottles with the silver necks
are not barrack drink, Of course, but l
drink champagne always myself. This
is the princes. He knows only take
the best brands"
With which Cigarette, leaning down
from her easement, whose sill was
about q foot above his head. rendered
her peace Offering in a bottle of Cliquot,
three Of which. packed In her KNAPP
sack. she had carried OF from the
luncheon table of a Russian prince who
was touring through Algiers and who
had half lost his grand ducal head after
the ~bewitching, dauntless, caprieious,
uotfaohnbl uppu.cbo 90 bIa and on.
quettish little fire eater of the spahis.
who treated him with infinitely more
lnsolence and Indifference than she
would show to some battered old veter-
an or some WORKOUT old dog who had
passed through the great Kabaila raids
and battles.
you will 60 to your colonels to-
nlghtY' she said q~uestioningly as he
drank the champagne and thanked her.
for he saw the spirit In which the gift
was rendered. He shrugged his shout
ders. He did not care to discuss his
c~olonel's orders with this pretty little
B~acchante.
"Oh. a chiefs command. you know
"a fg for a chiefy' retorted Ciga-
rette impatiently. why don't you
say the truth? You are thinking you
will dlsobey and risk the rest"
well. why not? l grant his right
In barrack and field, but
"But?" echoed Cigarette, leaning out
of her oval hole. perched In the quaint.
gray. Moresco wall. particolored with
broken encaustics of varied hue. THAT
little word has been the undoing Of the
world ever since the world began.
But is a blank cartridge and eve
did anything but miss IRE yet. So
you won't obey ~Chateauroy in this ?"
He was silent again. He would not
answer falsely and he did not care to
say his thoughts to her.
NO." pursued Cigarette. ~translat-
ing bis silence at her fancy. you say
to yourself. I am an a~ristocrat-I will
not be ordered In this thing'-you say.
I am a good soldier; I will not be sent
for like q ha wker'-you say: I was
noble once; I will show my blood at
last. II | die? All. you say THAR
He laughed q little as he looked up
at her.
Not exactly that. but something as
foolish. perhaps. Are you a witch. my
pretty oneT'
whoever doubted II. except you? |
can put two and two together and read
e though l don't read the alphabet.
So you mean to dlsobey the Hawk to-
night? ! like you for that. But listen
here-dld you ever hear them talk OF
MarquiseT
mo"
"Parbleur' swore the vivand,ere In
her wrath. You look on at a ba N boula
as II 1t were only a bear cub dancing
and can only give n Yes and No.
as If n were a drummer boy. Bah.
Are those your Paris ~courtesies?"
Forgive me. my pretty one.
thought you called yourself our com
rade and would have no line manners
There is no knowing how to please
you"
"Tbe marquis was what you are. a
hawk among carriop crows. a gentle
man In the ranks. How handsome he
wasl Nobody ever knew his real name,
but they thought be vas of Austrian
breed, and we called him MarGuise be
cause tie was so womanlsh white In
his skin aud SO dainty In all his ways
Just like you! Marquise could fight
fight like a hundred devils-and-pouf-
how proud he was! Very much like
you altogether Now. n day some
thing went wrong In the exercise
ground. harquise was not to blame
but they thought he was. and an adju'
tant struck him-fick. fack. like that
across the face with q riding switch
Marquise had his bayonet fixed. anc
before be knew what was up. crash the
blade went through the breastbons
and out at the spine. and the adjutani
fell as dead as a cat. with the blooc
spoutlng out like a fountain. 4 CONF
OF a great race that never took insult
without giving back DEATH was al
that Marquise said when they seized
him and brought him to Judgment. anC
be would never say of what race thai
was. They shot him-ah. alb. discipline
must be kept-and | saw him. with five
great wounds In his chest aud his beau
tiful golden hair all soiled with ths
eand and the powder living fhoro IN