Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1905-12-19
| UN DER THE
RED ROBE
By sTANLEY j. WEYMAN
wright. 1884,, by Stanley J. weyman.)

i istence as one outside it. l balanced
er. after all, the red soutane were so
much better than the homely jerkin,
or the fame of a day than ease AMI
safety.
And life at Cocheforet was sill after
the pattern Of this dinner. Each day,
might almost say each meal, gave rise
to the same sequence of thoughts. In
Clon's presence or when some word
Of madam's, unconsciously harsh, re-
minded me of the distance between
us, was myself. At other times, in
face of this peaceful and intimate life,
which was only rendered possible by
the remoteness of the place and the pc
culiar circumstances in which the la
dies stood, felt strange weakness.
The loneliness of the woods that en-
clrcled the house, and here and there
afforded distant glimpse of snow-clad
peaks; the absence of any link to bind
me to the old life, so that at intervals
1t seemed unreal; the remoteness Of
the great world, all tended to sap my
|
had brought me to this place.
On the fourth day after my coming,
however, something happened to break
the spell. 1t CHANGED that came late
10 dinner and entered the room hastily
and without ceremony, expecting to
Ind madam and her sister already
seated. Instead, found them talking
IN low tone by the open door, with
every mark of disorder in their appear
ance: while Clon and Louis stood at
little distance with downcast faces
and preplexed looks.
had time to see all this and then
my entrance wrought sudden change
Clon and Louis sprang to attention;
madam and her sister came to tho
table and sat down and made shallow
pretense OF being at their ease But
mademoiselle's face was pale, her hand
trembled: and though madam's greater
self-command enabled her to carry Oft
the matter better, / saw that she was
not herself. Once or twice she spoke
harshly to Louis; she fell at other
times into brown study. and when
she thought was not watching her,
her face wore look of deep anxiety.
| wondered what all this meant; and
| wondered more when, after the meal,
the two walked in the garden for an
hour with Clon. Mademoiselle came
from this interview alone and was
sure that she had been weeping. Madam
and the dark porter stayed outsdA
some time longer; then she, too, came
in and disappeared
Clon did not return with her and
when went into the garden five
minutes later Louis also had vanished
Save for two women who sat sewing
at an upper window, the house seemed
to be deserted. Not sound broke the
} afternoon stiffness Of room or garden
and yet felt sure that more was hap
pening In this silence than appeared on
the surface. began to grow curious
suspicious; and presently slipped out
myself by way of the stables and skirt
Ing the wood at the back of the house,
gained with little trouble the bridge
which crossed the stream and led to
the village.
Turning round at this point, could
see the house and moved little aside
into the underwood and stood gazing
at the windows, trying to unriddle the
matter. 1t was not likely that M dc
Cocheforet would repeat his visit so
soon; and, besides. the wcmen's
! emotions had been those of pure dis
may and grief, unmixed with any of
the satisfaction to which such meet
Ing, though snatched by stealth, would
give rise. discarded my first thought,
therefore-that he had returned un-
expec.edly-and I sought for another
/. solution.
But none was on the instant forth
coming. The windows remained OBJ
stinately blind, no figures appeared on
the terrace, the garden lay deserted
and without life. My departure had
not. as half expected It would. drawn
the secret into light
I watched while, at times cursing
my own meanness; but the excitement
of the moment and the quest tided me
over that. Then determined to go
| down into the village and see whether
anything was moving there. I had
been down to the inn once and had
been received half sulkilv, half courte-
ously, as a person privileged at the
great house and therefore to be &C
cepted. It would not be thought odd IL
7 went again; and after a moments
thought. started down the track.
This, where it ran through the wood,
was so densely shaded that the sun
! penetrated to it little. and in patches
| only. A squirrel stirred at times, slid
ing round trunk, or scampering
ACROSS the dry leaves. Occasionally a
| pig grunted and moved farther into
the wood. But the place was very
quiet and do not know how 1t was
that surprised Clor instead Of being
surprised by him.
He was walking along the path be-
fore me with his eyes on the ground
walking so slowly and with his lean