The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1910-09-08
CHAPTER xIu-(continued)

CHAPTER xIn-(Continued)
II know i'll" confessed his master
and wiped his forehead with a shak
ing hand. Yet I would have riske'
1t gladly, had / only killed tina
him. l could not rest In my grave wit
him alive!"
''Who is it," asked Madame. "Wh'
is 1t that you wish to kill?"
THE scoundrel who set these peas
ants on"
"Who seeks your life?"
"Oh, more than my life. madame!
he answered hoarsely. More tina m.
life! 1 could forgive him that!"
For a moment, she stared at him. no
understanding. Then her face wen
white with horror and she put out
hand for support.
1T cannot come to that" h muir
INJURED. "At least, we will not let
come to that"
NO" he said. and drew her to him
DO not fear. my love. 1t shall neve'
come to that"
The firing had slackened and a
last we ventured to look down again
The mob had drawn away from tn,
tower and had gathered into little
groups staring up at it.
1T is to be a siege" said M. II
Comte, laughing grimly. IF we were
only provisioned, we might hold on
indefnitely-and these rogues have
little patience"
But Pasdeloup shook his head.
You do not know them, monsieur
he said. 'They have patience enough
But II is not a siege they are planning
lit is an assault am sure of It."
well, let them plan," retorted his
master. Let them assault. Much
good will II do them!"
mo doubt" said Pasdeloup, quietly
'the governor Of the Bastille uttered
the same words when he looked dowr
at the unarmed mob of Paris from the
battlement Of his prison"
lie Comte. gently. He did not under
stand the power Of the people. But I
who have been in La Vendee. should
know better. You think we are In
danger, them"
Beyond question" answered Pasde-
loup. And I am glad that 1t Is So
that there will be no seige. Since there
Is no succor for us anywhere, we must,
In the end, either starve or surrender.
For myself, ! prefer a short sharp
fight. with death at the end Of it,"
"And l." 1 said.
For myself I can say the same
agreed NJ. lie Comte. but for the
women" and he glanced toward where
they stood, sheltered by the parapet
For the women" said Pasdeloup
grimly, "the last bullets must be
saved
There is nothing then, but to remain
here and be murdered?" demanded his
master. You believe that, Pasde-
loup?"
mot in the least, monsieur" an
Gurarad tho afhar nhanvfrtlIU NNNn
shall first make every effort to escape
But how?"
II must think about it," said Pas
deloup. with a self assurance which
at another time would have been
amusing. There Is no time to be
lost" and he disappeared down the
stair leading to the floor below.
My companion looked after him
musingly.
"Ah, Tavernay,' he said, II am be-
ginning to suspect that there are depths
In these peasants Of which we have
v dreamed. I have seen them fight
like heroes and I had always thought
them towards. Here tonight I have
seen one stand erect, a man, and 1 had
fancied that they could only crawl.
When France wins through this peril
and shakes off this madness which
has her by the throat, there will be
such a scarcity Of hearts al the world
q never SEEM"
A sudden stiffness had fallen upon
the mob below; no sound rose to the
platform ave the cracking of the
flames. We looked down to see what
this unaccustomed silence meant, and
found that the little groups Of people
had drawn still farther away from the
tower n We're watching 1t with a
kind of awed expectancy. Their silence
was infinitely more sinister than their
shouting; there was something about II
something horrible and threatening
which sent a chill to the very marrow.
Why should they stand there staring
at the tower? What frightful thing was
about to happen?
M. lie Comte evidently felt the same
fo%reboding, for he gazed down at them
with drawn brows.
What do they mean?" he muttered.
what do they mean?"
He stared a moment longer, then
turned to his wife.
Come hither. my love-" he said,
and when she came. drew her to him
and held her close.
My heart was full to bursting. In
an instant / was beside Charlotte.
my arms to her.
What is it?" she whispered. ooh,
what is it?"
II do not know. They are preparing
something, awaiting something. It is
the end, perhaps"
1.-THE end she echoed hoarsely. 1.-THE
end" and she stared up into my eyes,
her lips trembling.
And II it WERE" I questioned
gently, would you not wish to meet
1t with my arms about you? Oh,
they are longing for you"
She did not answer, but. I fancied
she swayed toward me.
In an instant she vas close against
my heart-close against my heart.
"Since this Is the end" said
softly, 'since there is no future, YOU
are going to love me, are you not
Charlotte? And there Is a future,
In a moment more nothing can ever
separate us-your soul and mine
Look at me. my love!"
The tears were streaming down her
face as she lifted II to mine.
kiss mel" she whispered. kiss
mel"
1 benz and kissed her and felt her
warm lips answer. Oh, now / could
smile In the very face of death!
IT love you!" l murmured, my pulses
bounding wildly. "I love you-ioye.you
love you! Now and always, I love
you; for life or death"
A deep o a burst upon the night, a
sheet Of livid flame leaped upward
toward us, and the tower waved and
trembled as though smitten by some
mighty hand.
CHAPTER XIV.