Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1906-01-16

4 s' Aoui uiolueI is away. l ash
to be permitted, Mademoiselle, to take
his place for a time and to be privileged
TO protect your sister and yourself from
insult. That is all"
She raised her hand to her head
After long pause: THE frogs!" sh Z
muttered, they croak. cannot hear
And then, to my surprise, she turned
suddenly on her heel and walked over
the bridge, leaving me there. For 8
moment / stood aghast, peering after
her shadowy figure and wondering
what had taken her Then, in minute
or less, she came quickly back to me
and understood. She was crying.
M. de Barthe" she said, in trem-
bling voice. which told me that the vic
tory was won. rs there nothing else +:
Have you no other penance for me-"
None, Mademoiselle."
She had drawn the shawl over hel
head and no longer saw her face.
That is all you ask?" she murmured.
That is all ask-now," an
swered
TT is granted" she said slowly and
firmly. Forgive ne If seem to sneak
lightly-if seem to make little of your
generosity or my shame; but can say
no more now. am so deep in trouble
and so gnawed by terror that can
not feel anything much tonight, either
shame or gratitude. j am in dream:
God grant 1t may pass as dream! We
are sunk in trouble. But for you and
what you have done, M. de Barthe- L
~" she paused ard heard her fight
ing with the. sobs which choked her
forgive me-. l an overweight
And mymy feet. are cold" she
added suddenly and irrelevantly. "W'ill
you take me homer"
''Ah, Mademoisalle." cried re-
morsefully, II have been beasti
You are barefoot and have kept you
here"
"It is nothing" she said in voice
which thrilled me. MY heart is warm,
Monsieur-thanks to you. 1t is many
hours since it has been as warm"
She stepped out of the shadow as she
spoke-and there, the thing was done.
AS had planned so 1t had come about.
Once more | was crossing the meadow
in the dark to be received at Coche-
foret a welcome guest. The frogs
croaked in the pool and bat swooped
round us in circles; and, surely never
never, l thought, with kind Of
exultation in my breast-had man been
placed in a stranger position.
Somewhere in the black wood be-
hind us-probably in the outskirts Of
the village-lurked M. de Cocheforet.
In the great house before us, outlined
by score of lighted windows, were
the soldiers come from Auch to take
him. Between the two, moving side
by side in the darkness. in silence
which each found to be eloquent, were
mademoiselle and I: she who knew so
much, who knew all-all but one lit
tie thing!
We reached the house and sug-
gested that she should steal in first by
the way she had come out, and that
should wait little and knock at the
door when she had had time to explain
matters to Clon
They do not let me see Clon," she
answered slowly.
"Then your woman must tell him." I
rejoined. "Or he may say something
and betray me-"
"They will not let our woman come
to u.s.
"What?" cried, astonished "But
this is infamous. You are not pris-
oners!"
Mademoiselle laughed harshly. Are
we not? Well, suppose not; for If
we wanted company, Captain Larolle
said he would be delighted to see us
in the parlor."
HE has taken your parlor?" said.
HE and his lievtenants sit there.
But suppose we should be thankful"
she added bitterly. 1--WE have still our
bedrooms left to u.s.
Every we'll" 1 said. Then I must
deal with Clon as can. But I still
have favor to ask, Mademoiselle. 1t
is only that you and your sister will
descend tomorrow at your usual time
in the parlor."
81 would rather not" she said,
pausing and speaking in troubled
voice.
"Are you afraid?"
"No Monsieur; l am not afraid" she
answered proudly. But
"You will Gomez" I said.
She sighed before she spoke. At
length, Eyes, will come-if you wish
It," she answered; and the next mo-
ment she was gone round the corner
of the house, while laughed to think
of the excellent watch these gallant
gentlemen were keeping M. de Coch-
eforet might have been with her in the
garden, might have talked with her
as | had talked, might have entered
the house even, and passed under their
noses scot-free. But that is the way
of soldiers. They are always ready
for the enemy, with drums beating and
flags flying-at ten o'clock in the morn
ing. But he does not always come
at that hour