Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1905-02-02
CHAPTER VIII.

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. | woke
awhile before he came. The baroness
ard the fat butler We're sitting beside
me. She was a 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. !
told her how | had been hurt and of
my ride. She heard me through with
a glow in her eyes.
what story" said s1e. "What
dare-deyil | do not see how it has
been possible for you to live"
She spoke to me always in English
Vi quaint W VI NIil5 anu Illdiilltl tt'
cent She seemed not to know that
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 a new heart in me, and was plan
ming to mount my horse. | thought |
oil hut |
fear l thought more of the young la
dies and the possibility of my seeing
them again. The baroness came in
after | had a 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
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 | shall send
it."
l wrote a brief report of my ad
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. ="
con the contrary, it will rest me-
Let them come" | said.
But | warn YOU" said she, lifting
her finger as she left the room, do not
fa4l 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 Il
handsome courtesy, on the table be-
side me. They took chairs and sat
solemn-faced, without word, as if it
were a Quaker meeting they had come
to. | never saw better models of sym
pathetic propriety. was about to
speak. One of them shook her head,
| a finger on her lips.
do not say one word" she said SOL
emnly in English. 1T will make you
YER sick"
It 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 a 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 a great lark Are you better?"
What was 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,
| must own. Day after day took my
part in the little comedy. They came
in Quakerfaced 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, | have never seen or
heard.
My wound was healing. War and
stern duty were as things of the far
past. The grand passion had hold of
me. | tried to fight it down to shake
it off, but somehow it had the claws of
tiger. There was an odd thing about
1t all: | could not for the life of me
tell which of the two charming girls
| loved the better. 1t may seem in
credible; | could not understand it my
self. They looked alike, and yet they
were quite different Lomsun was a
year older and of stoutor build. Size
had more animation also, and always
a quicker and perhaps a brighter an
sWer. The other had face more Sc
riOus, albeit no less beautiful. and a