St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1910-09-21

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do VIII you promise ina2s
s.I'il PROMISE anything you ask me.
But didn't he frighten you e
He didn't frighten me-not as you
mean. He was very quiet and She
broke OF unexpectedly with little
pftying CRY and turned 10 me. lifting
both hands appealingly, And. oh.
doesn't ne make one sorry for him..
That was just it. She had gone
straight to the heart OF his mystery:
his strangeness was he strange pathos
that Invested him: the ..singularity of
..thar other monsieur was solved for
me at last.
When she had spoken she rose, adj
vanced step and stood looking out
over the valley again. her skirts press
ing the balustrade One of the mo-
ments In my life when | have wished
TO be figure painter came then as she
raised her arms. fhe sleeves. of some
flmy texture. falling back from them
with the gesture. and clasped her hands
lightly behind her neck. the graceful
angle of her chin uplifted TO the full
rain of moonshine.
She stood in profile TO me. There
were some jasmine flowers at her
breast could see them rise and fall
with more than deep breathing.
~ haven't had my life. It's goner
1t was almost as If | heard his voice
close at hand with all the passion of
regret and protest that rang in the
words when they broke from him in
the forest. And by some miraculous
conjecture within the moment ] seem
ed not only to hear his voice. but actu:
ally TO see him. figure dressed in
white. far below rs and small with the
distance. standing out In the moonlight
in the middle Of the tree bordered ave-
nue.. leading to the chateau gates.
rose and leaned over the railing.
There was no doubt about the reality
of the figure In white. though it was
too far away 10 be identified with Ger
tainty. and as / rubbed my eyes for
clearer sight it turned and disappeared
into the shadows OF the orderly grove
where | had stood one day to watch
Louise Hartman ascend the slopes of
Quesnay.
But / told myself sensibly that
more than one man on the coast Of
3SOEuldDuy U0 wearing Willie
hannels that evening and, turning to
my companion. found that she had
moved some steps away fro0 me and
was gazing eastward to the sea. I
concluded that she had not seen the
figure.
The round moon was white and at
its smallest. high overhead. when at
midnight stepped out OF the phaeton
In which Miss Elizabeth sent me back
to Mime. Brossard's.
When my lamp was extinguished
set my door ajar. moved my bed out
from the wall to catch whatever breeze
might stir. composed myself for the
night" as 1t used to be written. and
lay looking out upon the quiet garden,
where a thin white haze was rising.
Just as ] had begun to browse the
gallery steps creaked and the noble
form Of Keredec emerged upon my
field of vision. From the absence of
the sound Of footsteps l supposed him
to be either barefooted or in his stock
ings His visible costume consisted Of
q sleeping jacket tucked into a pair
of trousers, while his tousled hair and
beard and generally tossed and rum
pied look were those of man who
had been lying down temporarily.
near0 him sigh-lIke one signing
FOR sleep-as he went noiselessly across
the garden and out through the arch
way to the road. At that sat straight
up In bed to stare. and well | might,
for here was a miracle! He had lifted
his arms above his head to stretch
himself comfortably. and he walked
upright and at ease. whereas when
had last seen him the night before he
had been able to do little more than
crawl. bent far over and leaning pain
fully upon his friend Never man be-
held a more astonishing recovery from
bad case of rheumatism
After a long look down the road he
retraced his steps, and the moonlight.
striking across his great forehead as
he came. revealed the burrows plowed
there by an anxiety of which guessed
the cause. The creaking OF the wood
en- stairs and gallery aud the whine of
an old door announced that he had re-
turned to his vigil.
had perhaps a quarter of an hour
to consider this performance, when it
was repeated; now. however. be only
glanced out into the road. retreating
hastily. and | saw that he was smil-
ing. while the speed he maintained in
returning to his quarters was remark
able for one SO newly convalescent
The next moment Saffren came
through the archway assembled the
steps In turn-but slowly and careful
ly. as if fearful Of waking his guard
ian-and heard his door closing very
gently. Long before his arrival. how
ever. had been certain Of his identity
with the figure had seen gazing up
at the terraces OF Quesnay from the
borders Of the grove. Other questions
remained to bother me: Why had Ker-
edec not prevented this night rowing.
Il - IL