Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1907-03-23
CHAPTER X.

away from that hOrrlQ, nusned lace, SO
close to hers that the hot breath
scorched her cheek, from that low, husky
voice whispering promises which even
she. in her innocence and childishness,
felt to be the cover of counter-threats
and innuendoes She had vague idea
that she succeeded in speeding him off on
his bicycle by saying that the mother SUI
periOr was sending a nun with her to
Caen. and that therefore he must not go
IN the tram with her-he must not even
wait till the sisters came up and saw
0im. else the one scandal would be as
bad as the other. Later on--in the even
ing perhaps. or next morning-if he came
to the Rue Caumont, she would not re-
fuse to see him. The recollection of his
fatuous smile and the touch of his lips
on her cheek, turned her sick with shame
and loathing whenever it came back to
her: but at least he was gone-gone be-
fore the two nuns-only lay sisters, re-
turning from marketing come near
enough to see him, and the next moment
Rebe herself was hurrying along i'll the
opposite direction as fast as she could go.
She had turned into a narrow lane,
barely more than a cart track, bordered
by trees on either side. The branches
hid her from view; and for nearly half
an hour she ran on, painting. GREATNESS.
taking first turning to the right, and
then to the left, without knowing
whittier she was going, or daring to stop
for fear Capt. Jackson should return on
his tracks to look for her.
If he did: if he were to follow and
find her! Bebe made up her mind he
Meier. never should not if she We're to
die first When she left the convent her
mind. crushed by the rebuff she had re-
ceived. had been in fog of uncertainty
as to what she should do next; whether
she should try to make her way to Eng
land. find her guardian, and throw her
self on his protection. or whether in
stead of this formidable undertaking,
she should return to Caen. seek out the
mother of an old school friend of hers.
woman of some social position and
much kindliness, and, telling her the
whole story, appeal to her for advice
and assistance.
Now, however her mind was quite
made up. TO go back to Caen while that
man was there was out of the question:
as indeed, it would be after he was gone.
if her good name was to depend on her
encouragement of his attentions The
fact that he was the chaplains brother
made her position the more hopeless for
Mr.. Jackson, though narrow minded and
prejudiced. was an honest man; and, had
Capt. jackson been related to any one
else. the pastor might have accorded her
his protection, if she had humbled herself
TO ask for it. But how could she expect
him to take her side, or even listen to
her story, against his own brother? No,
there was nothing for it but to make her
way to England, the mother country, to
which her childish ignorance had always
turned with such yearning hope. English
people would be sure to be still more
kind and friendly in their own country,
and would help her, or at least allow her
to earn her living among them if things
came to the worst, and she found her
guardian already so set against her as to
be unwilling to forgive her or receive her.
The question at present was-how to
get there. She had a little money, not
much, but sum equal to f3, English
money, which she had obtained that very
day by the sale of bracelet, one that
had belonged to her mother. 1t was
worth at least four times that amount,
but she did not know that; and as her
worldly wealth consisted of a few francs
and she knew that even at the convent
she should want some money, she had
preferred to sacrifice the ornament
rather than present herself there in a
penniless condition
Three pounds. however, was more than
sufficient to pay for her journey to Eng
land; and if she had only dared to go
back to the halle and wait there for the
next tram for Ouistreham. her Journey
would have been easy; but the dread of
finding Capt jackson there put that idea
out of the question; and the only other
alternative was to walk-a long walk,
even for an English girl, on a broiling
August afternoon, and one which would
have seemed quite impossible to most
girls brought up after the manner Of
those in France
Fortunately for Bebe however her
habit of taking Trompette for lengthy
conshtutionals-he was even now trot-
ting cheerily by her side-came to her
aid most usefully at the present mo-
ment; and as soon as she felt herself at
a safe enough distance from Blainville to
pause and review the situation-which
was not until she had positively no more
breath left for running any further
she decided at once on the walk.
She had plenty of time for it, 1t was
not then quite 4 o'clock. and the steam
er, which did not leave Caen till z would
not reach the quay at Ouistreham before
3, preparatory to starting off on it's
longer journey across the channel. She
might even permit herself to take a rest
now; and she did so, sitting down on the
grassy bank under the shadow of a
oranchin elm tree, and taking from
petite into her lap.
About 100 yards from where she sat
the lane forked, one branch striking off
TO the right, in the direction of the
canal, the other to the left, leading up
wards and becoming stonier and ruttier
uttil it opened out into one of the small,
scattered villages on the highroad be
tween Caen and Ouistreham. The for
mer was by far the pleasanter, the more
direct and shorter route; but for these
very reasons it was the one in favor with
blcyclists and tourists generally and in