Waterbury evening Democrat., 1908-06-03

 aye. in his heart even the fate of the gallant little city which harbored them and whose interest he pleaded-were nothing to him beside Sophy. On her his thoughts were centered.
 Sophy's own mind in these days can he gathered only from what others saw. She made no record of it. Fallen In an hour from heights of love and | hope and exaltation, she lay stunned In the abyss, Tn intellect calm and col lected, she seems to have been as one numbed in feeling, too maimed for pain, suffering as though from nor tification of the heart. The simple men and women of Volseni looked on her with awe and chattered fearfully of the red star: how that its wearer had been predestined eo high enterprise, but foredoomed to mighty reverses of | fortune. Amid all thssf pity for her they spoke of the evil eye. Some whis- pered that she had come to bring ruin on Volseni Had not the man who loved her lost both crown and life? | Ahu IL " iS SlsC tuiouSh " hoL tiiN guns had come. The meaning of the guns had spread now to every hearth. 1 What had once been hailed as an achievement second only to her exploit in the Street of the Fountain served now to point more finely the sharpen ing fears of superstition. The men held by her still. but their wives were grumblng at them in their homes. Was she not after al! a stranger? Must Volseni lie in the dust for her sake, for the sake of her who wore that ominous. inexplicable star? l Dunstanbury knew all this. Luko- witch hardly sought to deny it, though i he was full of scorn for it. and Marie Zerkovitch had by heart the tales of many wise old beldams who had proph- esied this and that from the first mo- ment they saw the red star. Surely and not slowly the enthusiasm which 1 had crowned Sophy was turning into a | fear which made tEe people shrink from her even while they pitied, even 1 while they did not cease to love. The head of Heaven was against her and against those who were near her, said the women. The men still feigned not to hear. Had they not taken Heaven to witness that they would serve her and avenge the king? Alas. their simple vow was too primitive for days like these-too primitive for the days of the great guns which lay on the bosom of the Krath.
 Dunstanbury had an interview with Sophy early on Tuesday morning, the day after Stafnitz had started for Koi- skoi. He put his case with the blunt ness and honesty native to him. In his devotion to her safety he did not spare her the truth. She listened with the smile devoid of happiness which her face now wore so often. T know it all." she said. They be- gin to look differently at me as walk through the street-when go to the church. If I stay here long enough, they'll all call me witch. But didn't they swear? And I-haven't I sworn? Are we to do nothing for monseign- CUTS memoryT
 What can we do against the guns? The men can die and the walls be tum- bled down. And there are the women and children"
 "Yes, suppose we can do nothing. But 1t goes to my heart that they should leave monseigneur's guns"
 Your guns!' Dunstanbury reminded her, with a smile of whimsical sympa- thy.
 That's what they say fin the city, too?r she asked.
 "The old hags. who are clever at the weather and other mysteries. And of course Mime. Zerkovitch"'
 Sophy's smile broadened a little. ooh. of course poor little Marie Zerko- vitchw she exclaimed. She's been sure I'm a witch ever since she's known mo-"
 q want you to come over the from tier with me and Basil Williamson. I've some influence. and can insure your getting through all right"
 And thenT"
 "whatever you like. shall be utter ly at your orders"
 She leaned her head against the high chair in which she sat. chair of old oak. black as her hair. She fixed her profound eyes on his.
 q wish I could stay herein the It. tie church-with monseigneur," she said.
 By heavens. no.'' he cried. startled into sudden and untimely vehemence.
 "All my life is there" she went on. paying no heed to his outburst.
 "Give life another chance. You're very young"
 You can't count life by years any more than hours by minutes. You reckon the journey not by the clock. but by the stages you have passed. Once before I loved a man. and he was killed in battle. But that was differ. ent. was very hurt. but I wasn't maimed. I'm maimed now by the death of monseigneur"
 "You can bring ruin on these folk. anu you Nhu kift sVNtSSAA RP hV StS- movies" He could not trust himself to spesk more Of her feelings nor of the future. He came back to the present needs Of the case
 Its true-and yet we sworeT She leaned forward to him. And you aren't you afraid of the red starr
 We Essex men aren't afraid. We haven't enough imagination he an svered. smiling again.
 She threw herseif back. crying low: