Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1908-06-11

1hefe was tap at the door, and Breel
was admitted.
Il haven't seen much of you in the past
three ;Rols, miscailed days" said Consta-
ble
1T is true. l have felt my own in
consequence IN the presence of the big
drama here. 1t is your drama, Peter.
Then, l have found place of many mar
vels''
''Pere Rabeauts?"
None other There is something like
GOODNESS in this thrice-burned isle. Also
a ma. den creature. half child, half wom-
an, wholly wonderful"
Il have been glad to see you make the
best of things. OF course one can never
tell on a cruise where one is to encounter
a series of business obligations-such as
here"
True again." Breen said gravely.
Il have been busy as that. but have
accomplished nothing. Seriously, Breen,
times are running close. Guerin's the
first volley. To think l haven't been to
the mountain; haven't taken a photo
graph or note! My fellow researchers
in things seismic will never forgive me
for this Breen, l thought | had a sci
entiic mind-thought that even though
bulled in all else, l was a loyal geolo-
gist; but l have betrayed even that de-
cent instinct. Another man would have
had the women away to sea and be at
tending the mountain now but here |
am, a child with mans tools, gassing the
night through, and she-across the hall
marked. for all l know, for Pelee's
own! It's good to talk, though"
There's only one way when words fail,
Peter. If the mountain won't recede
from the maiden, you must snatch up the
maiden and make a getaway from the
mountain"
I'm not pirate enough, Breen," Con-
stable replied YEARLY. by the way,
I'm sending some of the natives of the
city-the women with babes-out to the
Madame for cool air. There is no reason
in the world why we shouldn't entertain
our friends of the shop. Soronia is too
rare a creature to be inundated by Pc
lees bursting boilers. She and the Pere
might just as well share the benefits.
You see, the presence of others makes it
possible. Attend to it, will you?"
Good old Peter" Breen said softly !;
but l don't think they would come.
Who'd feed the little song birds?"
Have her bring the birds along.
They'll die there!'
Il had planned not to so to the little
shop again, Peter
Constable turned upon him abruptly.
| WHY said he.
You see, Peter, she is such a rare lit
| tie soul-asking Sc little and so ready
to give her all for the promise of a man
| think of it. l have found a good many
| playthings, pottering around this little
sunshot panet-cear little films they are
now, which stick in the brain and won't
| fade. Let me alone, Peter, and III wan
| der back to reason presently. A very ugly
album is a sinners memory and when
| il is quite full the sinner usually dies
sometimes off Brooklyn piers. The truth
| is, | found a shred of conscience devel-
| oped under your culture and Pelee's heat !;
| and so l refused another plaything, re-
| fused to crowd another film into that sui
| lied album of mine. l lied, said l didn't
understand that admiration meant any
| thing to her-and went away. Not too
late. l trust. She is a natural optimist,
| and slow to lose faith in mankind
Constable believed that Soronia had
| found her first lover in Breen, and he
pitied the heart so suddenly imprisoned
and so swiftly dethroned of its dream. He
| remembered the face of Soronia in the
court shadows, and his pity fingered
They talked until the Panther lights
shone afar in the offing, misty with dawn
and volcano fog; then parted for an
| rfolN tho L.
| low. and there was little joy with the
coming of the day. The rumblings of the
| mountain were renewed. The great tow
err of ash shot up yesterday was still fall
| ing; the trees and shrubbery in the gar
! dens were bent with the weight of white :;
| indeed, many branches were broken. The
dismal believing of cattle and the stamp
ing of ponies were heard from the barns.
1t was only by keeping the doors and
| windows of the house tightly shut that
| living was bearabe. The native who
brought the copy of Les Colonies wore a
thick wet rag over his nostrils, and had
the appearance of having freshly emerged
| from a bin of cement. Constable and
| Breen were first in the breakfast room.
| This pudgy EDITOR Constable declar-
| ed savagely, as he read the morning paper.
| Yesterday | called upon him and in
sweet modesty and limping French ex-
| planned the proper policy for him to take
To-day he devotes half-column of in
sufferable humor to my force of character
| and extreme views"
| Constable translated Mondet's account
of the Guerin disaster, and his assur-
ances of the safety of Saint Pierre, so
far as the mountain was concerned. "Oh,
the fakiness of that French mind.' he
| exclaimed with volcano in the pangs
| of dissolution, towering over the city,
| is apparently in dread of an earthquake
Where on the island thus he
inquiries editorially. could a more secure
place than Saint Pierre be found in the
event of an earthquake visitation|"
Constable crushed the paper in his
hand. He glanced at his watch and then
at the mountain, from a habit now gray
| en- deeply.
The northern end of Saint Pierre is
| flooded out like an ant hill under kettle
boiling over" he capitulated thoughtfully.
1.-The mountain is gathering for another
| demonstration. Let us flee with all dis
patch to the craters of the volcano, to
escape this hypothetical earthquake NJ.
| Mondet certainly enthralls me. l must
| call upon him again. Breen,
is there any way to stimulate the distri-
button of the Panther mails?"
CHAPTER VII.
| Immediately after breakfast Constable
drove down to the city to send out final
|