Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1905-12-07

and worthy soldier, deserve Il. Kindly
carry my message to your friend, and
accept my thanks in advance for do
ing it," and thus speaking in her
stateliest manner, mademoiselle ex-
tended her hand, and Tonti, bending
low to kiss it, bowed deferentially and
was gone.
Hardly had the door closed and
mademoiselle had scarcely time to la9
aside her dignity when Renee sprang
up, and, tossing her book high in air,
came dancing across the floor, and,
stopping before her astonished COM
panion, gave one final pirouette and
flung herself into her arms, crying:
otis he! 'Tis he!"
"He? Whom" asked mademoiselle,
puzzled at her words.
1.-THE man of yesterday; the one you
termed the stranger knight but a few
moments ago."
"Ah!" exclaimed mademoiselle:
smiling, Henri de Tonti. The wind
blows from that quarter, does til"
A flushed face met hers in earnest
reputation of all that her tones indi-
Gated.
How foolish, ma chere Louise! Cans
not l but feel grateful for his manlr
assistance without loving him." Then
with a hard effort to appear indiffer~
ent she continued:
"Would it be grateful in me not te
feel anxious for him in his coming
meeting with the Comte de Miron,
knowing the Comte as | do? Did you
not praise him yourself as a gallant
soldier? Is it right to allow such te
fall beneath a t~reacherous blow?"
"True," replied mademoiselle NUS
ingly, "he is a protege of the Prince de
Cont, and has rendered marvellous
services to the king in his Sicilian
campaign, all of which Louis has for
gotten and now allows him to go to
die in the Wilderness" She then re-
lated the history of Tonti's iron hand
and other of his gallant deeds she had
heard. Renee listened eagerly, her
eyes sparkling and her breath coming
and going in short, quick gasps.
Madsmoiselle noticed this and stopped.
II must tell you no more, mon Dieu!
Oh l shall but add fuel to the flames
this handsome Italian soldier has al
ready lighted. Come, mon bijou, do
not break your heart owe him. He ia
about to sail, as you heard him say,
with my friend the Sieur de la Sale,
the great explorer, to New France, tn
be lost in some savage wild, or settle
down, marry some Indian woman Chey
call them squaws, l believes, and dis
appear from our sight. However, to
please you and for once do a good act,
l am at your service to carry out any
plan you may suggest to save our SOL
der knight, and to make it the more
completely your own aid that you give
him l shall place my most trusted serv-
ant and all that | possess at your serv-
ice. Now | must see about the quar-
tiers for the new English horse that ar
rives tomorrow. Adieu, ma petite"
and kissing her in a half-motherly
half-sisterly fashion, she left the
> room.
Renee, left alone, seated herself be.
; side the open window, and burying hel
head in her arms she strove to thinl
, OF some plan to save the man who bu'
, a few moments before stood in The
same room with her. The relaxation
+ from her previous excitement wa.
, soothing, and the warm Afternoon
) breeze caused a drowsy feeling tt
creep over her. Gradually her mint
. ceased planning, and with her SON.
gently singing itself over and owe
in her ears, only with the words "a
last he comes!" unconsciously taking
the place of the original phase, sh'
fell asleep.
A cautious step sounded upon thu
gravel walk outside. A shadow fel
upon the sleeping girl, who stirred I'm
easily as though she felt ever in he
unconscious state the approach o
some evil spirit. The crafty face o
the Comte de Miron peered into TIL
apartment, and lighted up with a sin
lister smile as he recognized the sleep
err and saw that she was alone, Will
with a deft motion of the hand h
speedily cut off a lock of her hair AM
disappeared as mysteriously as h,
had come.