The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1910-07-14
instance. I hope you viii not refuse

instance. I hope you will not refus
met"
She glanced at my anxious face an
smiled curiously.
Very WELL" she assented. Proceed
then"
"Oh, not here!" I protested, with
glance at the others. Perhaps. aftei
dinner, mademoiselle, o will wall
with me in the garden"
I'm the garden?" she repeated, in al
~astonished tone, and looked at me will
lifted brows.
81 know that 1t is a great favor I an
asking" I continued hastily.
yes, 1t Is more than that" she broke
In sharply. 1T Is not c~onvenable. Wha,
strange customs you must have al
Beaufort, monsieur! Are the young
ladies there accustomed to grant such
requests?"
II d. not know" I answered miser-
ably. II have never before preferred
such a one. ! am not familiar with
etiquette-with the nice rules of con-
duct. II l have done wrong, forgive
me-"
/ saw her glance at me quickly from
the corner Of her eye, and my heart
! grew boider.
1T is a beautiful garden" I went on.
II saw 1T this evening from my window.
There are paths, seas"
Il am familiar with the garden, mon
sieur," she i~nterposed, drily.
] And the moon will be full tonight"
I concluded.
1.-The more reason I should refuse
you." she retorted. 1T will be a dan
gerous place. Though 1 am ample able
to take care Of myself" she added.
Il do not doubt 1t. mademoiseIle," I
agreed, humbly, especially with me.
That has already been proved. has it
not?"
EYES," she said, with a queer little
smile; Eyes; 1 think 1t has,"
Believe me, 1t is not a ruse," I add
ed, earnestly, even were I capable Of
q ruse, which / am not. God knows I
should like to walk with you there, but
not to tell o what I shall tonight have
to tell you"
She looked at me again, with a
strange mixture Of tmidity and daring.
Very well, M. de Tavernay,' she
said at last. I'm the garden, then
sents."
Thank you," / said, my heart warm
with gratitude. Shall / ask herr"
mo, l Will attend to that" and she
smiled q little as she glanced across
the board. But 1 know that 1t is not
discreet; l am falling a victim to my
curiosity. You a piqued 1t most
successfully. Although / can never
solve a riddle for myself, / cannot rest
until know the solution. I hope your
riddle will be worth the risk"
1t WILL" l assured her, and fell ST.
lent, nerving myself for the task which
lay before me.
But wiz you hear what this tyrant
Is saying!" cried Madame, THAT I
must leave the chateau to dwell amid
the fogs of England"
Or beneath the blue skies of Italy,"
said M. lie Comte. REALLY, madame,
1 fear the chateau is no longer safe
for you. The Revolution is looking this
way-and not with friendly eyes"
Does the revolution, then, make war
on women"
Have you forgotten Mdlle. de Lam
balle?'
Madame went white at the retort,
almost brutal in its brevity.
"But that was the canaille of Paris"
she protested. There are no such
monsters here in Poitou."
An, my DEAR" said her husband,
sadly, Il fear there are monsters of the
same sort wherever there are suffering
and degraded men and women. And
since 1t Is us they blame for their suf-
tering and degradation, it is upon us
tney try TO avenge themselves. Be
sides, since h republicans are trying
to entrap me, they will doubtless end
py coming here; and not finding me.
they may throw you into prison as the
surest way of causing me to suffer-"
We have the tower!' cried Madame.
will defend ourseIves!"
THE tower was not built to with
stand artillery" her husband pointed
out; and even If the republicans have
no cannon, they need only camp about
II and bide their time to starye you
into surrender, since you could expect
no aid from any quarter"
But to leave the chateau-to aban-
don 1t to pillage-oh, l could neve en-
dure it,"
Better that than to lose 1t and u
lives together. Yes, decidedly, you
must set out tomorrow"
tomorrow" echoed Madame, in de-
spairing tones.
m. de Tavernay will accompany you
as far as Poitiers. At Poitiers, Mdlle.
de Chambray-"
Charlotte goes with me to Italy. do
you not, my dear? 1t was arranged.
you know. that you should remain with
me-"
II do not know" Charlotte SIAM
mered, turning very red, II think.
perhaps, I would better stop at Cham
bray"
For some reason which I could nor
fathom, both monsieur and madame
burst Into a peal Of laughter, while
my companion turned an even deeper
crimson.
"As you WILL" said her hostess.
when she had taken breath. 81 INV,
self think that you might do worse,
happy as would be to have you with
me-"
why cannot you stop at Cham
bray also. madame?" questioned Char
lotte. her face slowly regaining its
normal hue. "At least until you find
some friends also bound for Italy? You
will be quite safe at Chambray."