The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1910-10-13
CHAPTER XXL
False Pretenses.

False Pretenses.
But emily the n2erest breath d!d she
permit her soul 10 stand unveiled be-
fore me. Then she drew her hand
away and fenced herself again with
that invulnerable M
Come, my friend" she said, and
her voice sounded a trife unsteady
in my ears, we must be going On
We have a long journey still before
US"
1 arose like q drunken man. 1 dared
not believe what that glimpse of glory
had revealed 10 me; it seemed too Won
derfUl, too s~tupendous to be true. l
had looked into her soul and seen love
there-but was it really there? Or
was it merely the reflection of What
my own soul disclosed?
I glanced down at her, but she
was staring straight before her as
she walked steadily forward, with a
face SO cold and impressive that the
doubt grew, enwrapped me, darkened
10 conviction. II was folly to suppose
that her eyes a really revealed their
secret; 1t was absurd to believe that
any such secret lay behind them. Who
was l that l should hope to awaken
love in the breast Of such a woman as
this? Pity, perhaps-sympathy, friend
ship kianass-anythlng but the deep,
splendid passion 1 ~hungered for. She
had been moved for the moment; but
emotion Well, I certainly. would
never remind her of it. My business
was TO place her safely In the hands
OF friends, Then I must be away to
work out my own destiny.
So we went on through the night,
taking at every fork OF the OF the
way whcih led nearest the west, for
In the west lay safety. But l knew we
had 10 leagues and more to cover ere
we should reach the Mocage. and the
nearer We approached our destination,
the more closely would danger en-
compass us. From south and east,
troops were being massed to crush out,
by sheer weight of numbers, the fame
of insurrectfon which had arisen SO
suddenly in the very heart of France.
From every town within 80 leagues the
National Guard had been summoned:
from Paris itself leyies We're fastening
I-levies of Septembrists, c~ut-throats,
assassins. asking nothing better than
permission to murder and pillage,
and commanded by a general deter
mined not to fight but to destroy.
not to defeat but to extern1inate-in
a word, not to rest until all Vendee
had been made a wilderness, a barren
waste. This line of enemies, marching
forward In this temper, we were forced
- pAC Al " ~ lSCSi1 OuI lI1tIlUS.
The moon rose high in the heav-
ems, paused at the zenith, then
started on It's course down the west
ern sky. l thanked the fortune
which gave us her friendly light to
guide US. for the road grew more
wild II rough. In one place. in
deed, it was merely the bed of a tor
rent, little different from that over
which we had already toiled SO pain
fully. So we left 1t, and breaking
our way through the hedge which
bordered the road, followed along
beside II.
Even 1 was beginning to feel fatigued
and / could guess at my compan-
ions WEAKNESS, but she refused to
listen to my suggestion that we stop
and rest. But dawn was not far dis
tant, and we must find some safe
hiding place for the day. There were
no houses in sight, nor had we seen
any for some time; but where there
was a road. however bad. there must
also be people to travel it, and to
seek rest. to resign oneself to sleep
save in a safe covert, would be The
height of folly.
The country had grown open and
level, with only an occasional tree
here and there nj was evidentl,
used for pasturage. though I saw nc
sheep nor cattle; but at last along :
| 1 itio C. sohi - tSSuS5itlr SISIIl2 G
a thicket, and toward this we mad,
our way. We found it q dense growth
of small Saplings and underbrush
and broke our way into II with diff.
teultv. but event repaid TIE labor
for at last we came to a little GLADE
not over a rod across and carpetee
with grass.
Here is our resting place, I said
land our home for another day"
My companion sank down with
sigh of utter fatigue.
Il am very tierd,'' she murmured
and STOPPING yer drew off the shoe
which / had slipped over her own.
quite rested" | added. I'VE will re
main here until evening. Then afte
darkness falls and before the moon i
up. we shall try to pierce the lines O
the Republicans which cannon he la
away. For that you must be fresh
for W. may need to be fleet"
But YOU" she broke in quickly. "Yo,
are going to sleep, too?"
Undoubtedly" / answered. "Onl,
first | wish TO assure myself that Their
is no house too near us. Good night
mademoiselle.'
Good night" my friend she said
looking up at me with a little tremu
lous smile SO full of sorrow and wear
mess that my eyes grew wet.
stood a moment gazing down a
her, longing to gather her in ri
arms. as one would a child and ca
ress and comfort her and hold her $
until she fell asleep. But | manage
to crush the longing back and tur
away to the task which l had set my
self.
The thicket crowned 4 low riay
which stretched between two gent
valleys. That we had left was, as
have said. innocent Of human habita
ton. In the to the north / far
cied ! could discern a group OF house.
but they were SO far way that W
need ~apprehend no danger frol
them. To the westward along t.
ridge, the thicket stretched as far a
!. I could see.
Assured that our hiding place wa