The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1910-07-28


instant when. at narting she had tossed
the eouar 5on1n 70 Nc ba,d II to NV
Inns and murmured low TO if the words
had not dared to utter in her hearing.
An. mesdamas eft messieurs, YOU
smile. pcrhaps. and shrug your should-
ers, Rut in yoIr own iiyas has there
NOT been some such moment least,
trust So, Pal it-Nard remamhar
that | was Young and ardent: remem-
Der that love had come to me not
timldIy by slow steDs. but with one
glorioIs hurst or ha nninnss finping
+ wide the gates of the heart at q. single
touch. as. TO nv mind true love always
should. But if Won have had no such
moment. If YOU have topped your ears
and hurried ON when love called Won
10 tarrv-tf life is for Won so poor. and
gray and sayorless-then. / pray YOU,
put this tale aside, for Of that which
follows YOU viii understand not Il word.
nor, indeed. would | care 10 tell it to
such an audience,
How long | sat there. wrapped in
this garment of purest ioy. know not
an hour. perhaps. or even two, I
was aroused by me rattle of oar in
row-lock coming from the river at nv
Tcet. | glanced out absently across
the ate Just as 4 boat shot from the
shadow of the farther shore. crossed
the strip of moonlight in midstream,
and disapucarrd again into the shadow
east by the trees which edged the gar
den.
saw it clearly but an Instant: vet
that instant had suffced to wake me
from my abstraction for II showed mo
thar the boat was Weighted deem in he
water with a crowd Of men. who wore
about their necks the tri-colored scarf
Of the reuublir
AS | stared down at the river irving
10 comprehend the meaning of this
vision, a seco Il boat. similarly loaded,
E]a!!a%ea M @,si ~
I sat Intent. listening to the rattle Of
the oars. Then | heard me hoats gr,te
upon the gravel of the bank and the
sound OF men leaving them. talking
together in voices SO subdued hat only
: faint murinur reached me.
What could It mean? What was the
object OF this midnight expedittonp
aiers had entered the garden and were
advancing cautiously in the shadow OF
the hedge. The grass muffled thair
footsteps, bur nov, and +bnn gI,n
clauked against bayonet or scabhord
against boot. l sat where | was. unite
secure in my clump of evergreen,
straining my ears. nv ewes. irving 70
understand. 1 could inst discern the
squad as it approached halted movnd
on again. and zach time it left behind
ii q dim figure. stationary in the
shadow. AS l stared, the leader cana
suddenly into a patch of moonlight
His face was turned toward the cha
teau, and instantly | recognized tna
rough countenance. the fierce mus
tachioes of Dobosq.
In a fash I understood. They were
after NJ. lie Comte. They were posting
Sentries about the house in order tbat
there might be no chance of his as
cape, They were making sure that this
time he would not break through the
trap. $40
l started to my feet, then INSTANTLY
sank back again, for the squad was
upon me. 1 must get to the
house; / must warn him; yet to at
tempt it at this moment was 70 in
vite disaster not only for myself, hnt
for him. l must wait: | must watch
chance; I must get to the house
unseen. Dubosq must not susnect orr
of his movements. 7 co1,Id
the fierce joy which filed him
at the thought that his hour of ven
geance was at hand.
Still the squad came forward At
last it halted so close behind me that
might nave stretched out nv hand
and touched the nearest w.n
erouched low in the seat in order that
might not be seen.