Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-09-01
She was thinking of the long rio


II Chauyenet's company. He stood un-
covered beside her, holding his horse.
but the danger, mademoiselle! You
should not hazard your life with run
tway horse on these roads. 1t 10 moi
tair to your friends"
"You are conservative, monsieur
| should be ashamed to have run.
away in a city park. but what does
enc come to the country forY'
What. indeed. but for excitement!
You are not OF those tame young wo-
men across the sea who come out into
the world from convent, frightened
at all they see and whisper Yes, sis
ter No, sister to everything the,
hear"
Eyes; we Americans are deficient In
shyness and humility. have often
hear, 1t remarked, NJ. Chauvenet."
"No,eQo You misunderstood! Those
deficiencies. as you term them. are de.
lightful. They are what give the
charm to the American woman. hope
you would not believe me capable OF
speaking In disparagement, mademoi
selle. You must know
The water tumbled down the rock
INTO the vale: the soft air was sweet
Nth the scent Of pines. An eagle
Auised high against the blue over.
dad. Shirley's hand frightened on the
I'm, and Fanny lifted her head ex-
lSctantly.
Chauvenet went on rapidly in French:
"You must know why l am here
Why have crossed the sen to seek
ycu In your own home. I have loved
you, mndcmoiselle, from the moment !
first saw you In Florence. Here, with
only the mountains, the sky. the wood,
l must speak. You must hear, you
must believe, that love, youl ] offer
you my life, my poor attainments."
Monsieur. you do mo great honor.
but ] cannot listen. What you ask IS
impossible, quite impossible. But
monsieur
Her eyes had fallen upon q thicket
behind him where something had
stirred. She thought at first that IT
was an animal Of some sort, but she
ga " now quite distinctly mans shah
by felt hat that rose slowly until the
bearded face Of its wearer was dis
closed,
monsieur" cried Shirley In . low
tone, look behind you and be careful
what you say or do. Leave the man
to ME"
Chauvenet turned and faced scowl'
ing lnountaineer who held a rihe and
drew 1t to his shoulder as Chauvene'
threw out his asms. dropped them e
his thighs and laughed carelessly.
..What Is 1t, my dear fellow-m!
watch. my purse. my horse?" be SAIL
In English.
HE wants none Of those things
said Shirley. urging her horse few
steps toward the man. 'The mountain
people nre not robbers What can VI
do for your she asked pleasantly.
"You CANT do nothin' for me
drawled the man. go on away, miss
l want to see this little fella'. got Z
little business with him.
"He is a foreigner he knows LITTLE
of our language. You will do best I,
let me stay" said Shirley,
She had not the remotest idea o!
what the man wanted, but she hat
known the mountain folk from child
hood and we'll understood that familiar
ity with their ways and tact were nee
essary In dealing with them.
"Miss, have seen you befo', and
reckon we amt got no cause for trou
BILE with you. but this little fella' AIM
no business up hy'eh. Them hotel peo
pie has their own places to ride ant
drive. and it's all right for you, miss
but what's 20 frien' ridin' the hill:
for ut night? He's loekin' for some
un, and reckon as how that some
un air mel"
He spoke dra Willingly. with lazy
good humor in his tones. and Shirley
wits took advantage Of his delibera
ton to consider the situation from
several points Of view. Chauvenet
stood looking from Shirley to the mar
and back again. He was by no means
a coward. and he did not in the least
relish the thought Of owing his safety
to woman. But the confidence with
which Shirley addressed the man and
her apparent familiarity with the pc
culiarities Of the mountaineers I'm
pressed him. He spoke to her rapidly
in French.
assure the man that never heard
of him before In my life-that the idea
of seeking him never occurred to me.
The rife. a repeater Of the newes,
type, went to the mans shoulder In
flash and the blue barrel pointed al
Chauvenet's head.
'None O. that! reckon the Amer1
can language Dir good enough for these
ERE negotiations.
Chauvenet shrugged his shoulders
hit he gazed into the muzzle Of the
rife unfinchingly.
.The gentleman was merely explain
ing that you are mistaken, that nc
does not know you and never heard Of
you before, and that he has not been
looking for you in the mountains OF
anywhere else"
As Shirley spoke these words very
slowly and distinctly she questioned
for the first time Chauvenets position
Perhaps, alter all, the mountaineer had
a real cause of grievance. 1t seemed
wholly unlikely. but while che listened
to the mans reply she weighed the
matter judhiaily. They were In An un.
frequented part Of, " the mountains
which cntta1ess,a NJ notel .nsiests rare