Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1907-06-26
CHAPTER vlI.-continued.

in a direct and husineSslike method.
As to this method, dozen eXtrava-
CANT courses of action occurred to me
at once Of the dozen / selected two
as possible.
Every English gentleman comes of
a race of warriors" the mysterious
Iwoman of the reading room had said
to me last night Miss Brett, being an
Englishwoman, had the blood of sol
diers in her veins. The physical cour-
age of the battlefield, then, must ap-
peal to her. If, for instance, l should
enlist in the Foreign Legion, there
was the Legion of Honor to be won.
The little ribbon would tell it's elo-
quent story.
But Willoughby's life had been lost
amid the dread silence of the white
SHOWS l looked long and earnestly
where the sun touched the mountain
| top with rosy light out of the morn
| ing mists. The mountains seemed to
! beckon, 10 wait for me.
| l had shuddered-I still shuddered,
as thought of their awful gloom and
loneliness. And yet they seemed to
beckon-to wait for me. / had been
helpless and weak. They had con-
quered me. Well, I must return to
conquer them. Their very immensely
need not appal me. Mans glory is to
subdue the vast forces of nature-to
make them his own.
I thought of the Hospice of st.
Bernard. There for centuries men
| hod 1oi hot RI
| the perishing Well, why should I not
| be one of the little band for the time
| being? Why should l not become a
novitiate in the order? A few months
of arduous training, and l should be
ready for the battle.
If I went to the monastery and told
the good father superior of the sacred
vow 1 had made, would he laugh at
me for mailman, or would he under
stand and help me to fulfill it?
I began the day, therefore, vaguely
| hopeful. l no longer permitted my
self to be troubled at the whispers of
| servants and guests. l even courted
| the society of my fellowmen. / paid
my two francs admission to the kur-
saal, and listened with real enjoyment
| to it's excellent orchestra.
My coat was lightly brushed.
There was faint but exquisite per-
fume. I glanced, as did dozen
others, at the woman who was pass
ing.
The small, but superbly poised fig
| ure, gowned with marvellous SIM
plicity, paused by my side fraction
of a second. 1t was my acquaintance
of the reading room again, and she
had murmured good morning. A
dozen had noted the greeting and en-
We'd me.
did not return it. She continued
her way daintily, Furnishing me for my
| rudeness by smiling across at me
| mockingly as she seated herself at
| my right. There was something of
childish, almost fairy malice in the
Elusive smile.
The intermission came. All the
| world pushed back their chairs, and
made their way through glazed doors
at the rear, whence an electric bell
rang persistently. The motley crowd
of officers, tourists, and such of the
society of Lucerne as was at the
kursaal passed through the glazed
doors to play the >petits chevaux-a
rather harmless form of dissipation,
gambling toy that permits one to
lose at the most five-franc piece.
mingled with the crowd about the
green-baize table on which the little
metal horses were whirling around an
imaginary race course. A croupier
changed a 50-franc note for me. 1
tossed a coin on one of the numbers;
and lost. l staked another coin, this
| time against the field. Again 1 lost.
two.
While 1 weighed them thoughtfully
in my palm, my arm was touched
lightly. 1t was my adventures of
| the reading room once more. She
lifted her eyebrows in whimsical con-
Germ at my i'll luck.
Even these little horses, you see,
madam, know that 1 am to be
| stunned said in a low voice.
my friend" she smiled, vivacious-
~, they are simply frightened at
your black face. They are sensitive,
the little horses. But if you coax
We shall see. Allons, we will be pru-
| dent, little shining franc on number
81. Now, if my brave horses only
know that it is who am asking them
| to win for US, we shall win"
| NE rien va plus" croaked an off,
cial in a dingy dress suit and crumpled
shirt BOSOM He spun the mechanism
briskly between two bony fingers and
thumb. The tiny jockeys in blue. buff.
green, and red sped swiftly around
the course. Presently they Struggled
one behind the other, and came to
a pause. The croupier stretched out
his rake, and drew in our two shining
francs with the other winnings of the
bank.
! I turned to her sternly., You see?"
\ / cried in tragic dismay.