The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1904-08-26

great estates to which she was sole
heiress, she became, as childhood gave
way to womanhood, the undoubted
belle OF New France. The officers OF
the army, the sea officers from the var
ious ships or squadrons which from
time to time arrived from France. the
young Canadian noblesse, all laid their
hearts at her feet. She could have
chosen any one from among them
but as yet none of them had succeeded
in touching her heart. Most OF them
she liked ard the society OF many OF
them she enjoyed.
Among the many she had met who
had paid court to her, the man she
most liked, and who was. in fact. per-
haps the finest among them, was the
young sailor to whom, in fear OF her
love for Grafton, she had just engaged
herself. She had refused his suit many
times before, but with undaunted gal
lantry he had persisted in hts at
tentions.
How her GRANDPA Their, the marquis,
would regard the engagement upon
which she had SO suddenly and cap
riciously entered was problematicdi
In fact she felt that he would disap-
prove: but while she YVES wholly
French in her training and in her ideas
she was not for nothing the daughter
| of an American mother. She combined
determination to exercise certain
liberty of choice as to the disposition
| OF her heart and person with the Stub
born, infexible will power OF her
grandfather. Therefore, she could
meet the certain antagonism OF the
| marquis with two weapons-his own
and her mothers. She trusted also
that he might be won to her view; she
was sure he would rather see her
dead than have her marry an English
man, an enemy, and she hoped, when
| she explained to him that in utter
despair she had thrown herself into the
arms Of the one to escape the prompt
/ ings of her heart which would fair
have thrown her into the arms of the
/ other, that he would acquiesce
She had no one to advise her, pool
child! The ancient relative to whose
care she had been committed, had dice
a few weeks since of the cares, anx
ieties and privations brought about by
the seige. An ordinary French cir
would have gone to a convent under
the circumstances, but Anne possessed
a certain amount of self-rellance anf
independence, and she resolved, fol
the time being, at least, to remain a
her own house with old Jean Renaut
and Josette. If the English were driver
away she made up her mind that a
| any hazard she would take ship 10
France. If. on the contrary, the Eng
lish captured the town she would prob
ably be sent back prisoner. So sh
awaited the issue of the campaign, i
the meantime busying herself witt
caring for the sick and wounded.
II was evening. She stood by tn
dormer window looking out on tn
street Grafton watched her closer
| from the bed. She had stopped me
r1ent to inquire for him, her third an
to be her last visit that day, an
then. attracted by a commotion ou'
side, she had gone to the window.
A little cortege filled the street be
low. Some soldiers bore upon thel
shoulders rude wooden box over
was laid the golden-liied white flag
France, and upon the flag handsom
sword. A half-dozen men, holdln
nine torches whose Pickering, waverin
flames cast an uncertain illuminate
over the scene. walked by the make
shift coffin. Immediately behind cam
= few priests. and then Monsieur
Ramesay and his staff, and a little hu'
die of townspeople-the idle and II
curious.
There were no strains OF martl
music; there was neither blare
bugle nor roll of drum, nor tollir
Tells. There was no ceremony, ]
pomp:. there were no women even.
Anne leaned her head upon the cas-
ment her tears falling softly III
body shook with sobs. Grafton stare
AZ her keenly and curiously. The
was n strange pain at his heart wht
; he saw her weep.
Presently the funeral processlC
passed the window. The lights fro
J the torches, almost at level with n
face in the window of the low-studd'
J old house threw II into high and brig
T relief. She was off her guard, n
! thinking of herself or even of CRATIC
for the moment II was the first tin
: that he had been able to see her we
] Suggestions of the truth came aero
: him with a sense of shock, and y
he did not quite recognize her. }
], was not sure. II could not be.
"Mademoiselle." he il softly, ~
: told me your name WIS
DE Couedis Yes, monsieur, s
, answered. with her eyes still fixed up
the street, though he noticed that S
turned her face away from him.
Was she discovered at last? Coz
!, ne suspect. she thought.
. 81 had thought" he continued tn
: he stopped.
A ''Mademoiselle. you weep he sa
a Yes, monsieur.
ssxxylo naocae in the street. Tho