Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1910-11-25

yOuESelI IL gallant man..
THANH you, monsieur" / answered
1 but did what any gentleman would
DO. You fund Mademoiselle de Cham
bray. them"
/ tried to ask 1t carelessly, but / fear
my burning face betrayed me. At any
rate, he laughed as he looked at me
Yes" he said, I'VE found her lying
senseless on the floor of Gouton's tent
Al hrst we thought her dead, but she
soon opened her eyes. Can you guess
what her first word was, monsieur
But perhaps / ought not to tell you!"
Tell mel" l murmured, striving To
restrain the leaping of my heart.
Well. l think 0 deserve some re-
ward. Her first word was "Taver-
nay!'"
Yes" / said. my eyes suddenly
misty; she had just seen me dragged
away to be- hanged"
And VIXEN We told her what had
befallen you, she ran to where you
lay"
But her ankle" 1 broke in. did
Yes, but she had forgotten 1t. She
ran 20 where you lay; she washed and
dressed your wound: she had you
borne hither on a litter; and h re-
mainded beside you until yesterday
until, in a word, 1t was certain that
you would recover"
LAiSh sue udo BOUS 4 dSheu. ol6
has goneT' and my nee seemed to
stop in my bosom.
Yes, she has gone"
But her anklel" I protested. "Oh,
how she must have suffered"
Il do not think she suffered at all, "
said Marigny. When she at last had
time to remember her injury, she found
that 1t no longer existed. She attrib-
uted its cure to you"
/ Law a moment silent striving m
conceal my sufferfng-striving to ap-
pear composed. She had gone-she
had been brave enough 70 SO; she had
sought TO spare me the agony OF that
farewell which must, in any event, be
spoken. She had been wise, perhaps;
she knew my weakness; but / felt that
| would give my whole life to see her
again. to hold her hand. to look into
her yes. to hear her say once more Il
love you"
Marigny sat looking down at me
with a queer smile upon his lips.
5 h left no word for me2" I asked.
at last.
she left a note; but / am not to
give it to you until you are ready to
set out for Poitiers."
For Poitiers2" / repeated, trem-
bling. Did she herself name Poi
tiers?'
Most assuredly. But why do you
grow so pale. my friend? Is 1t not
near Poitiers that her home Isl"
Yes, monsieur" / groaned; but my
journey ends two leagues his side of
Chambray. Those two leagues l shall
never cover
What nonense! Take my advice
the advice of a man who knows more
than you of women. Don't SO much
as draw rein at Poitiers. Press on
to the end of the journey. You will
"a ~l - Eas- - rrn -,
! shook my head-he may have
known other women. but not this
one.
Nevertheless, I should like to
have the note, M. de Marigny." /
said. TT will comfort me some
what. And, besides. / am to start
tomorrow"
hence, perhaps, K all soes well.
/ smiled and continued to hold out
my hand.
Let me have the note. monsieur"
4 repeated.
He hesitated a moment, still look
ing at me, then went to the other
room and brought the note and
placed 1t in my hands.
My fingers We're trembling so I
could scarcely break the seal; a mad
hope possessed me that she had alb
solved me from my VOW: that she
summoned me to her, AS / opened
the paper, a little heap of withered
rose leaves fell upon my breast.
"Ah, you see!' cried Marigny, Il
was right, them
I could not answer. but ! held out
but word:
Courage"
"weli.@ he said. that is good ad-
vice. That Is precisely what you
need in this affair, NJ. de Tavernay."
Yes" I agreed bitterly: courage
TO give her up: courage never again
to see her. You see she has gone
"She could not well remain" he
said drily, after listening TO you
three days in a delirium."
my delirium?"
"Oh. + dare say she was not offend
ed-what woman would have been7
but she was certainly fed to the
| ears most or the time. Few maid
ems, / fancy. have been treated to
such a continuous stretch of love-
making"
I Redeemed. too, at thought OF II.
What she has suffered on my ac-
count?" I murmured,
II tell you she did not suffer In
the least" repeated Marigny. You
permitted her TO see to the very bot
tom of your soul and she saw no
image there except ncE own.
"She knew hat from the first"
said sadly, that does not alter mat
tiers. No; there Is no way out, M,
de Marigny. / can never hope to mar
~ her-honor forbids it-an oath not
to be broken. She herself has pointed
that out to me I'm the clearest way,
She has shown me what a coward ]
was when, for a moment, l permitted
my love for her 70 blind me to my
duty: and / know now h hates a
eewsasa THAT is the real q!
this message. monsieur: she Is afraid
even yet, that I may not be a
enough
Marigny had risen and stood look
Ing down at me with a queer little
smile.
.ah NJ de Tavernay.n he said, a.
last. II understand now why that blow
on the head failed to kill YOU"
With which cryptic utterance. he lief
the room.
CHAPTER XVII.