Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1904-11-15
CHAPTER T

II was in Paris, on the last of those
three fatal days in June, 184S, and the
Rue st. Jacques was a pandemonium.
The whole street was one long line of
barbados made of stones, timber. over
turned wagons and handcarts, barrels,
furniture-anything. in fact. desperate
men could lay their hands on and pile
up high as 4 breastwork.
Overhead the fierce June sun blazed
on cloudless sky, and the soldiers pant
81 with the parching heat, their faces
black with powder, their uniforms torn
TO shreds. Shirtsleeved and bareheaded,
they fought on, leaving no man alive
where they had passed.
While the satanic din roared and
crashed in the street below, an old man
sat on the top floor of a small. tumble
down building at the back of one of the
meanest houses. He was tall and thin.
A girl of some sixteen or seventeen sum-
mers, as frail in figure as the man. with
a face which as yet gave but little ap-
parent promise of a beauty to come but
for curious glitter in pair of big,
deep-blue eyes. crouehed in corner Of
the room. holding her hands to her ears.
The man rose at last. His right lee
was paralyzed. and he dragged it along
painfully and awkwardly as he walked.
He limped slowly to the closed door, and
listened
They are coming nearer ne gasped,
while his face grew whittier and his eyes
giittered feverishly. They are coming
nearer They will kill me like a dog,
like rat, like a snakeP'
The girl rose and went to him and
threw her white arms around his neck
and clung to him.
There may be an escape" she whis-
pered, hoarsely. Surely they will not
Kill an old man like you, who is unarmed
and can do no harm"
Il know better" he growled. They
have not forgotten that my Song of the
Streets was sung in every wine shop
They will kill me, and-there, l do not
mind. One or two bayonet thrusts, and
there will be an end. | have lived long
enough in this world; l am tired of be-
ing hunted and of dragging myself from
cellar to roof, and from roof to cellar"
She chung to him again and kissed his
cold lips. An instructive shudder crept
through him at the touch. and he painted
as with one convulsive and nearly agon.
lied clutch he gripped her by the shout
der and looked into her big eyes.
i am not so very terrible?" he ques
TONED, with feyerish tremor. Am /
q wolf or a tiger"
No, father. DEAR" she said; you are
the best and the kindest OF men. If you
would only confde in me. if you would
only tell me why you are always so trou.
bied, why such a load seems always to
be crushing you down? And now, in this
terrible hour, who knows? There may
be hone for you still"
There is somebody coming up the
stairs, he cried. with gaunt terror in
every feature. Go and see who it is. "
1T is Henri said a youthful male
voice, husky with excitement. LET me
in quick, there is not a moment to be
lost
The girl hastily unlocked and unbolted
the door, and a young man, rather short
and stoutly built, entered the room. He
was a GOo1-looking young fellow, with
the careless dash of the French revolu
zionist written large on his handsome
dark-bearded features.
Il have seen him. he cried. the mo
ment he crossed the threshold. THAT
Englishman whom you pointed out to me
Re is with the Nationals"
The old man staggered back to his
chair and held on to it, shaking as in
an ague.
How do you know? How do you
know it is hep he gasped
Il know it is he" retorted the young
man. excitedly. He was not ten PAGES
from me at the barricade by Dumont's
hutchery, and he glared at me as | fired
my pistol at him. / missed him: wish
| had killed him. l have come to tel
you. to warn your
There was a pause of few heart
beats space, during which the old mar
rocked himself to and fro on his chair
tapping his thin legs with his open
palms..
How long will it be before he will be-
hereT' he asked at last, in a guttura
whisper.
Fifteen minutes. perhaps" was the
answer; perhaps twenty, perhaps hail
an hour. But he may be here in five, Il
things go badly"
Very well,' exclaimed the old man
Il am ready. Thank you for having
warned me-"
The young man gave a glance around
the room. and looked at the girl with
burning eyes.
v.
with an amazing tenderness; what about
her? Had she not better come with
mel" His voice was broken by emo
ton.
Mo- nearly screamed the old man
"Are you mad? Go with you. to BE-
killed in the street, Why should she &c
with you? Go away! Leave usi Yor
are wasting your time and miner
The young man shrugged his shoulders
and then held out a hand.
I'VE may never see one another
again." he said; ''there-good-by
The old man paused again for a mo
ment or two, and then gripped the out
stretched hand nervously
You are righ+." he said. Henri. ]
had forgotten. You are a good lad
you always were. We may never meet
again. Good-by for this worldr'
The girl had been standing in corner
OF the room silently, and as Me younI
man turned round she looked at him wild
a world of pleading in her big eyes. II,
stepped 10 her and kissed her on the fore
head without another word.
"Good-by. Helene" he whispered
when l am dead you will perhaps thinl
of me now and then. GOod-by."
With that he rushed out. and the cir
instinctively closed the door again ant
bolted il.
CHAPTER 1T