The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-09-16
tContinued.) CHAPTER VII.
Monslenr I.e MarauI..

Nousieur Le Marquis.
 Before going to bed. Hester carefully nut the sacred pink camellia into wa ter. It was the last thing her eyes fell upon as she turned the swltcn or the electric light. Strange to say, her sleep was sweet and dreamless; no vision of "hirn" disturbed her repose: indeed she was completely worn out iron, battling with the gale of the pre- vious day, and the storm of an unex- pected emotion. The following morn ing Mrs. Britten came to her with long list of errands--one to the dress maker another to the hairdresser. a third. a note to be left at a villa at some distance.
 The little adventures was conscious for the first time of an expression of reluctance on the girls face. and said In her sharpest key.
 "of course. you needn't so If you'd rather not!'
 .I am perfectly aware of that" re- joined Miss Forde quietly; but I will take your messages for this once
 The manner and the tone with which this was announced astonished Mrs. Britten, and for the first time in their acquaintanceship she respected Hester Forde. Moreover, she began to tell herself that she must exercise caution, and not absolutely ignore or forget
 
 girls purse supplied all her wants and luxuries and that only for Miss Forde she would not be enjoying such capi- tai time in Biarritz--or indeed any wherei By nature a bully. she was acting on the principle of "the more you beat them, the better they be. At first she had consulted her con1- panion and said. May T." shall we?" but familiarity. and the girls excess sively humble opinion of herself, had encouraged her to encroach. When she suffered the heiress to sit next to her at meals, and accompany her to morn ing service on Sunday, Mrs. Britten considered that her duties were nobly fulfilled and went her own way. There was an extraordinary high tide that afternoon at o'clock--the highest, 1t was said, for 100 years! The l sea had not abated, and a number of | people (including Hester) went down l to the Virgins Rock and thereabouts, | in order to watch the great Atlantic | waves.
 They advanced from afar. with tow ering white heads; nearer and nearer they approached, till. with a crash over the end of the pier. the roar of a 1 cataract, and mountain of salt spray, | they deluged the unwary. Other
 waves fled past. and flung themselves on the rocks and into caves and pas sages beneath the ground, where they | raved, shrieked and sobbed. Three | little French children, bare-legged. in
 sand-shoes, accompanied by their l bonne, waited as near the end of the i pier as they dared venture. and. when | they saw an enormous Atlantic roller 1 looming in, raced 1t as if for their l lives. Sometimes they were caught and drenched; sometimes those inof-
 fensive people who were merely look l Nrao- ofxsA1 tAA AAssah A | It was a mountainous sea, a magnih- | cent sight Hordes of sightseers now l came pouring from the town. stream ing under the arch La Roche Peree | and out upon the iron pier; among the l crowd was Hester's hero! She felt her
 face flame suddenly. He was accom- | panied by a lady, a French woman
 with a superb figure. and q plain face 1 that had somehow contrived to make
 itself attractive; and the lady seemed l full of pretty graces and animation as
 she tripped beside her escort. He | wore a long grey coat, for the day was I chilly to his warm spanish blood. a
 grey cap, and brown boots There
 was nothing picturesque about him but his handsome dark face. He 1 looked at Hester with the quick indif-
 ferent glance she received from all his sex, then turned his back upon her | and began to point out some sight to his companion. Hester felt almost
 giddy with the force of her own emo-
 tion-wild with an insane desire to
 attract the attention-yes. and admi-
 ration--of this mani Oh. if a catas-
 trophe would only happen! if one of
 the children were to be swept off into
 the wavesl willingly would she leap
 into the boiling surf-alth ough she
 could not swim!
 Of course. she would lose her life
 but what of that. since he would be a | witness. He would be compelled te
 admire and acclaim her. perhaps attend | her funeral, and remember. as long as
 he lived. the English girl who had
 sacrificed herself at the Virgins Rock Mea nwhile she furtively watch ed him. as he turned about. lit cigar 1 and sauntered off to anoth CT
 point of view. Then he and his friend
 halted at the little booth under the
 arch. where a woman sold postcards 1 having examined several. they laughed