Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-10-11

his face in his hands remained ostentatously in
this position He prayed so long that l went sound
asleep When | woke again flood of moonlight
played on the floor and in the center, his golden
brown curls pillowed on the coat l had taken Off,
lay Aurelian, the white rays weaving halo round
his head. -
was so dead asleep he never felt the movement.
Being too drunk with drowsiness myself to undress
him. / laid him on the bed, and throwing myself
beside him went sound asleep again
MY second awakening not so innocuous;
A~A for the point of a bayonet stirred me- MY
gaze rested on a ring of French soldiers, while my
amiable friend of the exchange, now arrayed I'M
pressively as a Lieutenant of the Ninth Chasseurs,
pointed at with denouncing finger
There is the German dog, he said, VINO mas
dared to sleep here in this uniform. stolen from
some murdered Frenchman, evidently OF Dor1ens
pet Red SEVENTH
Aurelian suddenly opened his eyes and sat up gasp
ing He stared at the soldiers, at the accusing
lights flashing on him, glanced down at the cover
let, which l had drawn over both OF us, turned
wild look at me- and sank back halt ta1nt1ng Ch,
my God. my Cod" heard him mut tie and ndn6 BE-
fellow was preposterousy white hvered
Il stole no uniform" said composedly That
mans clothes were forced on me without my knowl-
edge He best knows how he got mine .
:The peasant who keeps this place will swear
that he is German" averred Malvoisin boldly.
'He confded in our host and told him he was carry
Kaiser"
THAT is lie!" said sharply.
What did you mean by saying Lieutenant NAL
voisin had on your clothes?" demanded the leader.
a short, keen eyed Captain with a smooth, hard
face g He is in his own uniform.
For the first time in twenty-four hours then
He has heretofore been wearing my suit of checks.
and he knows it. AS to his uniform he seems to
belong to two different regiments But, captain
interrogate my page here He will suostant'ate my
story
Aurean gave the desired combinations; but in
such an incoherent distracted manner that his
testimony proved of no great value
IL am an American, declared, JOhn Nor
lev have no personal interest in this between
your two countries. l was simply travelling on
business. and like fool undertook to this
Province. having been informed that neither army
had come this far.
Search him!" ordered the Captain briefly
TROSE at the word, and submitted to thorough
i examination which resulted in producing four
documents anyone of which would have been
enough to condemn me.
l saw the whole thing at flash. The true traitor
stood there as my accuser. The unexpected arrival
of the French had required a scapegoat He had
been in danger back there at the PEASANTS hut:
hence the exchange OF clothes No doubt he had
loaded me with these papers as L slept.
The Captains face grew grim. Search the
boy!"
But Aurelian, the action smacking of a guilty
conscience fled across the room; only to be seized
by Malvoisn. Myself under guard by two soldiers
saw him thrust his hands swiftly into the pockets
of the lads jacket whence he drew paper which
he tossed exutantly to the Captain. AS the latter
took the letter Malvoisin went further; for sud-
den leering look had flashed into his evil face
With swift wrench he tore wide the sheltering
jacket and vest from the lads throat and the white
bosom which his brutal hand unveiled betrayed
poor Aurelians amazing secret more potently than
words
seemed to flash through every vein in my body
was the best wrestler at the gym at home and with
fierce burst of force tore away from one guard
and pitched the other my hip. In the next
second | had MaVOiSin on the floor and was ChOk-