Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1904-11-10

The midday sunlight streamed into
the chamber and lighted the corner
where the bed stood. She turned and
threw back the hangings with a ner-
vous hand. The light fell full upon
his face. With low cry she recog-
uized him. 1t was Grafton, Sir Philip,
her knight Of old! Oh, thank God for
a. Come back to her after all these
years-yet in this way, in such
plight!
She stood in silence after that first
exclamation and gazed upon him, her
heart. her soul in her eyes. AT first
she forgot the intervening years, she
forgot the uniform he wore, she for
got he was an enemy; she remembered
only that he had come back to her.
His memory had been in her heart
since those childish days She had
thought of him, dreamed of him,
longed for him. ay! if the truth were
admitted-she had loves him. Love!
But could she love The enemy Of
France Could a de Roh1n mate with
one OF the hated EnglsN' She must
put him out of her cart. Could
She
Merciful heavens. what idle thoughts
were these. lle was dying before her
eyes. She leaned over him and called
lin, softly, tenderly. passionately.
lie did not stir, and he had told her
in olden times that she might sum-
mon him from the grave and lie would
come at the sound of her voice. She
spoke to him again and again. but he
did not heed
There was prie-deu near the head
Of the bed She turned and sank to
her knees before f. prayed earnestly
for him with such lervor and intensity
as did not usually find place in her
maidonly petitions Then she came
back to the bedside and stood looking
at him, despair in her heart lest he
should die, slip away, and make no
sign. But there was nothing she could
do. SO she schooled herself to wait,
aud while she waited she studied him.
Suddenly her thoughts took another
turn. The shirt in which Jean-Renaud
had dressed Grafton was left slightly
open at the neck on account OF the
bandage The chain and the locket
had been pushed aside and the locket
lay on the pillow by the side of his
face nearest her. WI ose face was in
the lochct? her heart queried anxious
1y, Men did not usually wear lockets
unless they loved. All! she snatched
ii up eagerly In any event, she would
not have been a woman If she bad
not earnestly desired to look in 1t,
but now-the possibilities consumed
her
Il wonder who it may be- she muir
INJURED to herself. "Tis pretty case"
She peered impatiently. anXiously, jeal-
ously at it, turning it over and over in
her hand. 1t fascinated her; she would
have given worlds TO look, and yet
She could not bring herself to open it,
We'll, It's none of my affair. at any
rate" she said at last, dropping it upon
the pillow. but with great reluctance.
"tis nothing to me, and he is moth
ing. He can never be anything but a
memory Of my childhood. Pity she
went on. relentlessly striving TO de-
ceive her heart by stimulating an in
OlHeTeHCe 10 HeT feelings, tHat 81
gallant a man should be laid low by
such a mischance. Jean-Renaud says
the shot struck him in the back-in
the back wonder-but no, l know
he is brave, and, besides he is friend
of de Wires, and de Wire is no cow
ard, nor would he choose his friends
from such" She broke away again in
thought. 20 God. how quiet he lies.
VIII he ever awaken from that deadly
stupor, wonder? l would the doctor
were here! Poor Sir Philip. Ill
don't want you to die!'
She laid her hand softly on his
brow and he quivered under her touch
To her et that moment, she told her
self he was only the friend of her
girlhood, her knight of the old tower,
comrade. wounded, helpless, depend
ent, suffering. 1t was a lie, she knew
and the Rohans never lied What was
the use of deceiving her; no matter
what was in the lOcket, no matter
whether he had forgotten her or no.
whether he was false or true, she loved
him.
Il love YOU! love you" she MUIR
INJURED.
II was the truth at last. The gates
were open and the floods were out.
She took his head in her hands and
bent low over him. Why keep up the
deception any longer? And in any case
he would not see or hear. he would
never know
i love you! love you! love
you" she said again and again.
lie was dying perhaps, Well, better
30 He could never be anything to her;
hose two had nothing in common but
the memory Of past, and perhaps
he had not even that--that locket-
but at least She could loye-dead or
allVe--foreyer. She bent nearer to
him. Her harlow he had praised
it!--brushed his cheek her eyes--how
he had admired them! -gazed into his
own, halfshut and dull.
She drew still nearer. With a grow
ing courage she kissed him She laid
her lips softly upon his forehead
then shrank back anrighted at what
sho had done. burning flush suf-
fused her check again. Aghast she
withdrew little from him and forced
herself to sit down. So she watched
him with eyes trimming, bosom heav-
IN hal ri hoo tvafY ,s.l