Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1904-03-11

sympathy tlat maze MIN speak. lie
knew what would please Adrienne, so
why not give her at least a delicious
foretaste? Surely, when a thing was
so cheap one need not be so parsimoni
Gus as to withhold mere anticipation.
He was off before the girls could press
him into details, for indeed he had
none.
"There, now, what did l tell your"
cried Alice when the big man was gone.
II told you Rene would come. They
always come back"
Father Beret came in a little later.
AS soon as he saw Alice he frowned
and began to shake his head. but she
only laughed and, initiating his hypo-
critical scowl, yet fringing it with a
twinkle of merry lines and dimples,
pointed a taper finger at him and ex-
claimed:
You bad, bad man! Why did you
pretend to me that Lieutenant Bever-
ley was dead? What sinister eccesas-
teal motive prompted you to describe
how Long Hair scalped him? All, ia
ther"-
The priest laid broad hand over her
saucy mouth.
Something or other seems to have
excited you nightly, ma file. You
are a trife impulsively inclined today"
Eyes, Father Beret; yes, know and
l am ashamed. My heart shrinks when
l think of what l did. But l was so
glad, such a grand joy came all over
me when | saw him so strong and
brave and beautiful coming toward me,
smiling that warm, glad smile and
holding out his arms-ah, when l saw
all that-when knew for sure that he
was not dead l, why, father-I just
had to. | couldn't help it."
Father Beret laughed in spite of him
self, but quickly managed to resume
his severe countenance.
"Ta, tar he exclaimed. at was a
bold thing for little girl to do"
80 it was, so 1t was. But it was also
a bold thing for him to do-to come
back after he was dead and scalped
and look so handsome and grand I'm
ashamed and sorry, father, but - but
I'm afraid l might do it again if-well,
l don't care if l did! SO there, now!'
But what in the world are you talk
ing aboutY interposed Adrienne. Evi.
IDENTITY they were discussing most in
teresting matter of which she knew
nothing and that did not suit her fem
mime curiosity. "Tell me-" She pulled
Father Beret's sleeve. Tell me, l
say!'
1t is probable that Father Beret
| 30
source of mingled delight and embar-
rassment had not the rest of the Bour-
cier household returned in time to
break up the conversation. A little
later Alice gave Adrienne a wildly
dramatic account of the whole scene.
"Ah, mon Dieuw exclaimed the pc
tite brunette after she had heard the
exciting story. THAT was just like
you, Alice You always do superb
things You were born to do them.
You shoot Captain Farnsworth, you
wound Lieutenant Barlow. you climb
On to the fort and set up your flag; you
take II down again and run away with
1t, you get shot and you do not die, you
kiss your lover right before a whole
garrison! Bon Dieu. If could but do
all those things!' She clasped her tiny
hands before her and added ather de.
jectedly:
But l couldn't, l couldn't. l couldn't
kiss q man in that way.'
Late in the evening news came to
Roussillon place, where Gaspard Rous.
sillon was once more happy in the
midst of his little family that the In
dian Long Hair had just been brought
to the fort and would be shot on the
following day. A scouting party cap
tured him as he approached the town
bearing at his belt the fresh scalp of a
white man. He would have been killed
forthwith, but Clark, who wished to
avoid repetition of the savage venge-
ance meted out to the Indians on the
previous day, had given strict orders
that all prisoners should be brought in
to the fort, where they were to have a
fair trial by court martial.
Both Helm and Beverley were at
ROussillon place, the former slipping
wine and chatting with Gaspard the
latter, Of course, lowering around AL
ice after the manner of hungry bee
around particularly sweet anu ueii-
ciously refractory flower. 1t was rain
ing slowly the fine drops coming
straight down through the cold. still
February air, but the two young peo-
pie found 1t pleasant enough for them
on the veranda, where they walked
back and forth, making fair exchange
OF the exciting experiences which had
befallen them during their long separa-
ton. Between the lines Of these mutu-
al recitals sweet, fresh echoes of the
old, old story went from heart to heart,
an amebaan love bout like that of
spring birds calling tenderly back and
forth in the blooming haytime woods.
Both Captain Helm and NJ. Roussil-
lon were delighted to hear of Long
Hairs capture and certain fate, but