Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1910-12-09
NlNETTE'S. PRISONER.

1 All LIS SduulS, IuOueiu MATS, aAdsu~
ed and decked with vivid colors To
| Ninette, who had stolen out to the
| stile block for a glimpse of Loren's
hussars, he was splendid and grand,
| though she would not have told him
SO for half the gold in the world.
No. Far more apt was she to call him
| peacock-strutter or rainbow stupid
and Ninette smiled at the thought,
making pretty picture as she sat
stitching at the huge crazy quilt in
| the sun
| How far to Lalannes, little one?"
! fierce mustache.
! Find out, great one retorted
Ninette, tossing her s,nny-gold head.
For all that he was leagues with
in the enemy's lines, he laughed. "A
deuce Of sharp-tongued, pretty. lit
tie patriot?'
! Great clown" she called. Thick
| head! Six-colored popinjay! Loren's
hussars will pull that waxed-up mus
tache for you until foolish milkmaids
| viii never look at them"
The trooper turned uneasily. "Lor-
ems hussars!" he exclaimed They're
| a hundred miles away, my little
Aimee!"
They're not-they're at began
| Ninette, then bit her red lips. And
don't call me 'Aimee!'"
Ninette had conceived a scheme.
| If she could hold this hulking, saucy
| dragon until Loren's gay hussars
cantered around the bend in the road,
| she would have done her part in
| this great war. Looking up from the
| crazily-patched quilt, she smiled en-
| chanting.y at the twinkling trooper.
! Thanks little Helene" he chaffed.
It'll just get down and kiss you-if
Loren's clumsy cavalry is On the next
vine-clad hill
Ninette bridled again. How dare
you talk of kissing-and how dare
| you call me Helene when it is not my
| name!"
The trooper scrambled down, laugh
ing contagiously, and clambered up
beside the blushing Ninette.
And now, little Mignon," he muir.
| INJURED, "the kiss. For a courier may
not tarry with every pretty knitter
in the SUM-"
"Kisses!" stormed Ninette. "You
talk Of nothing else-and my name
Is not Mignon.'
Then name thyself-and quick!"
urged the messenger "For l must
gallop on. AS for the kiss, why I'll
take that" And he bent over and
kissed Ninette, full On her cherry.
ripe lips before she could say yea or
ne.
"Oh!" cried Ninette, and banged
his big ear with her clenched fist. II
hate you! l hate you! p
A clatter on the highway had
them both alert
'Loren's hussars!" murmured Nj
nett.
The dragon bounded up. A sharp
command rang from behind the wood
clump at the end of the road.
surprised like rat In a trap"
muttered the trooper. "Is there no
hiding placer"
Ninette shook her head, very much
frightened now that her strategem
seemed likely to succeed.
THE quilt! The quilt" whispered
the trooper. He slipped beneath the
ample, CANDY folds and coiled At
Ninette's feet. The gay, ranting hus
sars Of Loren tangled around the turn
In the road.
BE cool, little Jeanne" whispered
the hidden dragon. "Be brave and
| will kiss you once more when all
is we'll"
"lmpudent." cried Ninette Il will
tell them Of you" She kicked gent
ly at the concealed soldier.
The column cantered up and halt
ed at sight of the grazing cavalry
steed. The grim, gray colonel, Lion
Ell, looked sternly at the trembling
Ninettc.
"a mount of the Kratz Dragoons."
he grow]ed And where is the rider
charming one?'
Ninette swallowed hard, while her
pretty face eheckered in embarrass-
ment. lido not know" she an
swered.
"But the horse persisted the col.
onel. "The rider cannot be far away"
THE horse came unridden from the
direction Of Lalannes," said Ninette,
more easily. ut has grazed there
for an hour
The hussars, satisfied, secured the
troop horse and tangled on their
way. And little Ninette shed a tiny
tear for the country she had served
but poorly.
When the column had clattered
out of sight in cloud of dust, the
trooper Of Kratz emerged from his
insecure retreat.
We'll done, little Margot," he
whispered. And now it is to kiss
the man whom you have saved"
And Ninette kissed the trooper Of
Kratz, hardly knowing why my
name is Ninette," she whispered
back; ''call me that.'-Stuart B.
Stone,