The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1910-06-30

Core he added, Join me-" an(
such was the wizardry of his voice ant
the gesture which accompanied 1t, that
whatever my reluctance, I could no
but obey.
what is your name, MONSIEUR
he asked. as / took the seat opposite
his, and he smiled again as he caught
my glance.
Jean de Tavernay," I answered
and, monsieur. / have to say to you
zone mo cnt." III broke in, holding
up his hand. MY name, perhaps, you
have already heard"
Yes, If you are who the republicans
said you were.''
And that wasp"
"One NJ. de Favras."
"They are not at your heels?",
mo, they returned to Tours
Disappointed"
Extremely So"
He laughed, then grew suddenly
sober in knitted his brows in
thought, which I somehow dared not
interrupt. After all, there was no
cause for haste. He could not escape
me-.
TT looked like a trap" he said at
last.
1T was a trap" I assured him.
And set for met"
II believe so.'
He pondered this a longer,
then put 1T from him.
No matter" he said. why waste
thought on a trap from which one
has escaped? And now, M. de Taver-
nay, to your affair. I see the words
which are trembling on your lips; I
read he thought which is passing In
your mind. You would say that l have
not used you as one gentleman uses
another. / admit 1t. You are think
| inc fhnf Axv xy~..- I'LL $500.
self. l do not blame you. I owe you
an apology for treating you in the
fashion that I did. But 1t was with me
a question Of life or death. I had no
alternative. And assure you," he add
ed smiling grimly, II should not have
hesitated to kill you had you chosen to
resist. l gave you q chance for your
life merely because I saw that you were
not a republican, but a traveller like
myself. Had you worn the ~tri-color,
nothing would have saved you"
All Of which / saw in your eyes,
monsieur" I said, smiling in my turn.
1t was for that reason I did o re-
Well" he asked, looking at me.
(which is it, monsieur-an apology
and this bottle Of wine or our swords
back of the. cabaret? For myself, I
hope 1t is the former"
There was a kindness in his tone
not to be resisted, an authority in his
glance and in the expression of his
race which bore in upon me anew my
w experience.
THE wine. monsieur" I said.
The other would be folly"
He nodded n filled our glasses,
then raised his to his lips.
ITO our better acquaintance" he
said, and we drank the toast. I was
beginning to wonder how I had ever
been SO blind as to think this man an
enemy.
There was n moment" 7 confessed.
when you We're in some danger"
Il saw it," he said quietly. TT was
Tor that reason I turned my back to
YOU" :.
/ stared at him in amazement.
ITO help you overcome the temp
tation,' he explained. "One gentleman
does not break his word by stabbing
another in the back"
could not wholly repress the flush
OF pleasure which sprang to my cheeks.
Then e sudden vision rose before me
or a limp body in Republican uniform
But you" stopped, confused, con-
scious that ! was uttering my thought
aloud, and that the thought was not
g pleasant one.
"Ah," he went on, smiling sadly.
you would say that / stabbed that
poor fellow in the back. Believe me.
monsieur. ! should have preferred a
thousand times to meet him face to
face. But l had no choice. A NOM
ent's delay, n l should have been
taken. So ! hardened my heart and
struck"
Pardon me, monsieur" I muir
INJURED. II should have thought of
that"
He nodded. the shadow still on his
face. ~
Fortune of war" he said. with
affected lightness. I'VE do as we are
done by. And now, M. &c Tavernay,"
he added, rising, ''you will find your
horse awaiting you outside yonder
door, as fresh as when you started
with him from Tours. 1 have secured
another In a less peremptory way
than l found necessary to adopt with
you. 1t is foolhardy for me to linger
outside the trap-and SO I must push
on at once. But you may be weary,
you may wish to avoid the heat Of
the day; you may, in q word, pre-
fer to remain here and continue your
journey alone and at your leisure. If
so, farewell; but If you are ready to
go on, I assure you that I shall be
very glad of you company"
Thank YOU, monsieur" I said, my
decision taken on the instant, 81 am
quite ready to CO." and I followed him
to the door. ~
At the threshold he paused and
turned toward me impulsively.
IN. de Tavernay." he said, a fine
smile lighting his face. II trust we
shall be friends" and he held out his
hand. ~
with all my heart" I cried. and
returned his clasp with interest.
Not until we had left the village and
were cantering briskly toward the
south with a clear road behind us, did
he speak again. Then 1t was to ask
me something Of my history-which
was soon told. H.
LAS for myself" he said, when 1 had
finished, Ian on my way to my cha
teau. JUS beyond DANCE. You cannot
hope to ,esoh Chatellerault today, aft
er the delay which I have caused you.
7 therefore urge you to be my guest
.onight. I will see you on your way
at daybreak tomorrow and you can
easily reach Poitiers by sunset. I hope
you will accept, my friend" he went
on, seeing that / hesilated, az only
THAI riay feel you have wholly for
given me. Besides" he ADDED. lit is
folly to travel unattended in this coun-
try after nightfall. 1t is overrun with
brigands who shout for liberty, equal.
ity, fraternity only to conceal their
crimes
But. truth to tell, I needed nc
urging. / tried to stammer something
Of h pleasure the invitation gave
me. but he stopped me with a kind