Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1904-12-27
CHAPTER VIII.

me DOCTOR came that night, and
took out of my back piece of flattened
lead. 1t had gone under the flesh,
quite half round my body, next to
the ribs, without doing worse than to
rake the bone here and there and weak.
en- me with loss of blood l woke
awhile before he came. The baroness
and the fat butler were sitting beside
me. She was big, stout woman of
some 40 years, with dark hair and
gray eyes, and teeth of remarkable
symmetry. That evening, remember,
she was in full dress.
my poor boy!" said she, in English
and in a sympathetic tone, as she bent
over me.
Indeed, my own mother could not
have been kinder than that good wo-
man. She was one that had a
heart and hand for the sick-room. l
told her how l had been hurt and of
my ride. She heard me through with
glow in her eyes.
What story!" said she. What
daredevil! do not see how it has
ben possible for you to live"
She spoke to me always in English
of quaint wording and quainter ac-
cent. She seemed not O. know that I
could speak French
An impressive French tutor-a fine
old fellow, obsequious and bald-headed
sat by me all night to give me med
icine. In the morning felt as if
had new heart in me, and was plan
ming to mount my horse. thought
ought to go about my business, but
fear thought more of the young la
dies and the possibility of my seeing
| them again. The baroness came in
| after had bite to eat. | told her
| felt able TO ride.
You are not able, my child. You
cannot ride the horse now" said she,
feeling my brow; maybe not for q
YER long time. have large house,
plenty servant, plenty food. Parbleu!
be content We shall take good care
of you If there is one message to go
to your chief, you know l shall send
it,"
wrote brief report Of my adj
venture with the British, locating the
scene as carefully as might be, and she
sent it by mounted messenger to "the
| Burg"
THE young ladies they wish to see
you," said the baroness. "They are
kind-hearted; they would like to do
what they can. But tell them no;
they will make you to be very tired"
ION the contrary, it will rest me.
Let them come" said
But I warn you," said she, lifting
her finger as she left the room, do not
fall in love. They are full of mischief.
They do not study. They do not care.
You know they make much fun all
day"
The young ladies came in presently.
They wore gray gowns admirably fit
ted to their fine figures. They brought
big bouquets and set them, with q
handsome courtesy, on the table be-
side me. They took chairs and sat
solemn-faced, without word, as If it
were Quaker meeting they had come
to. l never saw better models Of SYM
pathetic propriety. l was about to
speak. One of them shook her head,
a finger on her lips
do not say one word" she said sol
emily in English. 1T will make you
YER sick"
1t was the first effort of either Of
them to address me in English. AS
soon knew, the warning had exhausted
her vocabulary. The baroness went
below in moment. Then the one
who had spoken came over and sat
near me, smiling.
"She does not know you can speak
French" said she, whispering and ad-
dressing me in her native tongue, as
the other tiptoed to the door. "On
your life, do not let her know. She
will never permit US to see you. She
will keep us under lock and key. She
knows we cannot speak English, so
she thinks we cannot talk with you.
1t is great lark. Are you better?"
What was 1 to do under orders from
such authority? AS they bade me,
hope you will say, for that is what
did. had no easy conscience about It,
I must own. Day after day took my
part in the little comedy. They came
in Quaker-faced If the baroness were
at hand. never speaking. except to her
until she had gone. Then-well, such
animation, such wit, such bright eyes
such brilliancy, l have never seen OF
heard.
My wound was healing. War ane
stern duty were as things of the fal
past The grand. passion had hold O.
me. l tried to fight it down, to shak,
it off, but somehow it had the claws O
tiger. There was an/odd thing abou
it all: I could not for the life of m,
tell which Of the two charming girl
loved the better. 1t may seem in
J credible; could not understand 1t my
self. They looked alike, and yet the,
were quite different Louison was
year older and Of stouter build. Sh
had more animation also. and Away
quicker and perhaps brighter an
swer. The other had a face more Sc
rious, albeit no less beautiful, and
slower tongue. She had little to say
but her silence had much in it to ad
mire, and, indeed, to remember. The
appealed to different men in me wit
equal force, did not then know why
A perplexing problem it was, and ha
to think and suffer much before / sa,
the end of it, and really came to kno,
what love is and what it is not.
Shortly I was near the end of thi
!. delightful season of illness. had bee
out of bed a week. The baroness ha
read to me every day, and had been s
kind that felt great shame fo
r my part in our deception. Every a