The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1908-08-20

treSSeSI ShNlnH tne prOpTlelleS, Wereu I
you Montespan or PompadourT
"De la Valliere7' she laughed. cor
Maintenonf"
"For good or evil, neither! DO I hurt
your
mo; you make me think, though"
answered Sophy. "Why?"
"They niggled at virtue or at vice.
You don't niggle! Neither did Monte
span nor Pompadour."
"And so I am to be-AIarquise de-
Higher. higherr' he laughed. "Mme
la MARKETABLE
1T is war. then-soon-you thinkT
She turned to him with sudden ten
sion.
He pointed a Frenchman's eloquent
forefinger TO the dark mass OF the
chateau, whose chimneys rose now like
gloomy Interrogation marks to an un-
responsive darkened sky. "He is there
now-the emperor! Perhaps he walks
In his garden by the round pond
thinking dreaming, balancing"
Throwing balls in the air, as con-
jurors dof"
"Yes. my star"
rAnd IL he misses the firstT"
Hell seek applause by the second
And the second, l think, would be
war"
'And you would goT'
"To what other end do / love the
lady of the red star-alas. / can't see
it-save to bring her glory?"
That's French" said Sophy, with
laugh. Wouldn't you rather stay with
me and be happyf'
"who speaks to mef" he cried,
springing to his feet "Not your
"No, no." she answered, "I have no
feav. What is It, Casimir, that drives
us on?"
Drives us on! You! You. tooY'
ITS not woman's part. is III"
He caught her round the waist,
and she allowed his clasp. but she
grew pale, yet smiled again softly.
"If all life were an evening at Fon-
tainebleau-a fine evening at Fontaine-
bleau!' she murmured in the low clear
ness which marked her voice.
"Nfightn't II .be?"
with war? And with what drives
us on?'
he sighed, and his sigh puzzled her.
"Oh, well" she cried, "at least you
know I'm Sophy Crouch, and my IA
ther was as mean as the man who
opens your lodge gate"
The sky had gone blue black. A
single star somberly announced the
coming pageant,
"And his daughter high as the hopes
that beckon me to my career"
you've wonderfl IL way of talking"
smiled Sophy Grouch-simple Essex in
contact with Paris at that instant.
you'll be my wife, SophieT"
II don't think Lady Meg will keep
me long. Pharos is working hard, so
Marie zerkovitch declares. l should
bring you a dot of $500 francsw
do you love meT
The old question rang clear In the
still air. Who has not heard II OF wo-
men or uttered It OF men? Often so
easy, sometimes so hard. When all is
right save one thing, or when all is
wrong save one thing, then II is hard
to answer and may have been hard to
ask. With Casimir there was no doubt
save the doubt Of the answer. Sophy
stood poised on a hesitation. The pres
ent seemed perfect. Only an unknown
Iuture cried to her through the falling
night.
"I'll win glory for your he cried
The emperor will flghtE"
You're no emperor's man" she
mocked
"Yes, while he means France. I'm
for anybody who means France" For
moment serious, the next he kisses
her hand merrily. "Or for anybody
who'll give me wreath, medal, a
toy to bring home to her love-"
You're very fascinating" Sophy con
fessed.
II was not the word. Casimir fell
from his exaltation. 'It's not love.
that OF yours" he said.
"No-I don't know. You might make
II love. oh, how / talk beyond my
rightsw
Beyond your rights7 Impossible!
May l go on tryingT
He saw Sophy's smile dimly through
the gloom. From It he glanced TO the
dying gleam OF the white houses drop
ped among the trees, TO the dull mass
Of the ancient home OF history and
kings. But back he came to the Ev-
ing, elusive, half seen smile.
"Can you stopT" said sophy.
He raised his hat from his head and
stopped to kiss her hand.
"Nor would nor could" said he-"in
the warmth Of life or the cold hour OF
deatbp
"No, no! II you die, it's gloriouslyp'
The hour carried her away. "Casimir,
wish ] were sure"
The spirit Of his race filled his reply,
''You want to be dull7"
"No-I-I-I want you 70 kiss my
cheek"
May salute the starr