Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1906-05-31

place; and beside her a man in a peas
ants dress, holding a lanthorn. But
the man, the mar l wanted to see was
no longer there. And it was evident
that he was gone, it was evident that
the others no longer feared me, for
while / gazed the landlord came out TO
them with another ~lanthorn, and said
something to the lady and she looked
up at my window and laughed.
1t was a warm night and she wors
nothing over her white dress. / could
see her tall, shapely figure and shining
eyes and the firm contour of her beau
tiful face; which, if any fault might be
found with it, erred in being too regu-
lar. She looked like a woman formed
by nature to meet dangers and difficult
ties; and ven here, at midnight, in the
midst of these desperate men, she
seemed in place. 1t was possible that
under her queenly exterior, and behind
the c~ontemptuous laugh with which
she heard the landlords story, there
lurked a woman's soul capable Of folly
and tenderness. But no outward sign
betrayed its presence.
| scanned her very carefully; and
secretly, If the truth be told, | was
glad to find Madam de Cocheforet
such a woman. | was glad that she
he'd laughed as she habitat she was
not a little, tender, ehild-like woman,
to be crushed by the first pinch OF
trouble. For if I succeeded in my task.
if but, pish! Women, I said, were
all alike. She would find consolation
quickly enough.
l watched until the group broke up,
and madam, with one of the men,
went her way round the corner Of the
inn and out of my sight. Then I re.
tired to bed again, feeling more than
eve prepleXed what course l should
adopt. 1t was clear that, to succeed,
l must obtain admission to the house.
This was ~garrisoned, unless my III.
structions erred, by two or three old
men-servants only, and as many
women; since madam. to disguise her
husbands visits the more easily, lived,
and gave out that she lived, in great
retirement. To seize her husband at
home, therefore, might be no impossi-
Bile task; though here, in the heart OF
the village, a troop or horse might
make the attempt and fail.
But how was I to gain admission to
the house-a house guarded by quick
witted women, and hedged in with all
the precautions love could devise?
That was the question; and dawn found
me still debating it, still as far as ever
from an nsWer With the first light
was glad to get up. | thought that
the fresh air might inspire me and !
was tired, besides, of my stuffy closet.
I crept stealthily down the ladder
and managed to pass unseen through
the lower room, in which several per.
sons were snoring heavily, The outer
door was not fastened, and in a hand
turn l stood in the street.
1t was still SO early that the trees
stood up black against the reddening
sky, but the bough upon the post be-
fore the door was growing green, and
in a few minutes the gray light would
be everywhere. Already even in the
roadway there was a glimmering of it;
and as I stood at the corner of the
house-where l could command both
! the front and the side on which the
stable opened-looking greedily for any
trace of the midnight departure, my
eyes detected something light-colored
lying on the ground. 1t was not more
than two or three PAGES from me and
| stepped to it and picked it up curious.
ly, hoping it might be mote. 1t was
not a note, however, but a tiny orange
, colored sachet, such as women carry
in the bosom. 1t was full of some
family scented powder and bore on one
side the initial &C." worked in white
1 silk; and was altogether a dainty lit
tie toy; such as women love.
Doubtless Madam de Cocheforet had
dropped it in the night. l turned ii
over and over; and then I put it away
with a smile, thinking it might be USE
full some time and in some way. I had
scarcely done this, and turned with the
intention of exploring the street, when
the door behind me creaked on its
leather hinges and in a moment my
host stood at my elbow.
Evidently his suspicious were again
aroused, for from that time he man.
aged to be with me, on one pretense or
another, until noon. Moreover, bis
manner grew each moment more chur1-
ish, his hints palmer; until I could
scarcely avoid noticing the one or the
other. About midday, having followed
me for the goth time into the street,
he came at last to the point by asking
me rudely if | did not need my horse.
mo-" I said. why do you ask?'
Because" he answered, with an ugly
smile, "this is not a very healthy place
for strangers"
"Ah!" I retorted. "But the border
air suits me, you see."
1t was a lucky answer, for, taken
with my talk of the night before, il
puzzled him, by again suggesting that
l was on the losing side and had my
reasons for lying near Spain. Before
he had done scratching his head over
1t, the clatter Of hoofs broke the sleepy
4 e 4 - = =