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

What a different creature this was
from hat careless, heart-free boy
who had pricked forth from Beaufort
little more than a week beforel Since
then / had lived my whole life; ! had
sprung from youth to manhood; / had
faced death, tasted OF the world, gazed
into a woman's eyes. had taken
blows and given them; I had walked
in the black depths of despair, and
stood TRANSPORTED on the uttermost
and left me changed. I had lived-for
a week I had lived!-nothing could
take that from me.
After much thought I had formed
my plan OF action. 1t was quite pos
sible, as Mdlle. de Chambray had said,
that Mdlle. de Benseval desired me as
little as I desired her. In case this
was true-and l fiattered myself that
1t would require no great penetration
on my part to discern i'll would offer
her her freedom. Should she refuse 1t,
should she feel bound by our oath as
/ did, l would marry her, then fling
myself into the war in La Vandee,
trusting that some kindly bullet would
release us both from our unhappy fate,
But II. on the contrary, she looked on
me with favor, IL / saw hat / might
win her heart, ] would play a mans
part and as FOND a lover as it is posi-
BILE to be by taking thought. At least
she should never suspect the exist
ence Of hat scar.
So, having arrived at this conclu-
sion. l put 1t behind me for the mo-
ment and pricked forward along the
road more cieerfuiiy than 1 mad
thought possible. Such is the virtue
OF facing ones duty squarely, Of
making up one's mind-even ii 1t IS
only to accept manfully the worst
that fate may offer.
My road at first lay through the mar
row valleys n between the high hedg-
es of the Bocage. Everywhere the
peasants We're working in their fields;
their hocks were grazing peacefully in
the pastures, and one would never have
suspected that 1t was in this quiet coun-
try the first effective stand had been
made against the bloody torrent Of
the revolution. At last / passed Air
vault and came out into the more level
country of the Plain. I had planned
to reach Melville by noon, SO / pressed
on at a good pace, secure in the knowl-
edge that here to the south | should
encounter nc republican force and con-
s~equently no delay.
l reached Melville in good season,
without adventure Of any kind, and
asked to be directed to the Bon Vivant,
an i'm 70 which I had been recommend
ed by M. de Marigny as the only de-
cent n In the village, / found 1t with
out difficulty and sat down at q table
on a little Dneclad terrace, overlook
ing a pleasant valley. Here my lunch
presently hrongh TO me, and here,
500 after the landlord sought me out
and leaned deferentially above my
chair.
rs there anything more monsieur re-
quires?" he asked.
mo, thank you; I am thoroughly
content" / answered. II have to thank
a friend for advising me to stop here"
Have / the honor of addressing M.
de T~avernay?" he questioned, bending
still lower.
That is indeed my name" / said.
giancing at him in surprise. II did not
know 1t had penetrated to these parts"
"Oh, monsieur is too modest!" he re-
turned with a flatterIng smile. There
is a person here who wishes TO speak
with monsieur, when he is at leisure"
ITO speak with me2" I repeated, more
and more astounded. "Who is it?"
II do not know his name but he is
most anxious not 70 miss monsieur.
He has been awaiting monsieur since
yesterday"
The thought flashed through my mind
that II was some emissary Of the re-
public sent to arrest me, but a moments
showed me the a~bsurdidity OF
such a suspicion. How should the re-
public know that l would pass this way,
! would stop at this Inn? Be
sides, ! was too small a bird to
the republic-though, small as
I was, / added to myself a smile, the
task cf arrcstinS fae would scarcely
have been to q single man.
No; since he approached me alone in
this manner. he could not be an eneny.
A sudden trembling seized me. Per-
haps--
Bring him here at once" / said,
and my host, who had been patiently
awaiting the end of my perplexity,
bowed and hurried away.
He r~e-appeared In q moment follow
ed by a man dressed decently In black
and showing all the marks of the serv-
ant. A glance at his face told me that
I had never before seen him.
This Is M. de Tavernay," said my
host to him, and bowling again to me,
withdrew. Evidently / had become in
his eyes a person of considerable i'm
portance.
WELL / asked, as calmly as I could.
for my heart was throbbing wildly as
I turned to the newcomer. You wish
to speak to me?"
he answered, and produced 1t from an
inner pocket.
"A letter." I repeated. and seized It
with trembling hand. Then a sudden
chill fell upon me as I saw the sigma
ture. The note ran:
My lear Tavernay-My friend.
NJ. de Marigny, who seems to have
fallen In love with you. has written
me something of the adventures
which have befallen Won since Won
started on your journey to Poitiers.
i need hardly tell you that / have
awaited news from you with the
greatest anxiety, and that I am
overjoyed to know that you have
come through. so CALAMITY. l am
sending a faithful man to meet you
in order that he may bring you d.
rect to me, for l am longing to
clasp the son OF my old friend in
my arms. My daughter joins me
IN wishes for you speedy arrival.
Louis Marie de B~enseval."
49,