The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1910-07-12

Win hOfse-ndlT ptufHe IN Il ike the
officers ] see walking about here. and
hen l shall 90 TO a ball, and some one
viii bring you Up and introduce you to
me. and say. 'Mademoiselle. may I in
trOduce Lieut. Yerney?' and then I shall
bow to you as If / never saw you be-
fore, and then you viii say, Mademoi-
seile, wifi you do me the honor to give
ne this dance? and we shall dance to-
gcther. and then when nobody can hear,
ne shall talk about having known each
other always, and ii will be our secret,
and no one viii know 1t but ourselves.
Won't 1t be charming"
Paul looked at Lucie with q new.
strange light in his eyes. Lucie, al
though quite unknown TO herself, was
much further along the path TO woman
hood than Paul was to manhood, but she
seemed to be showing him some charm
ing, prophetic vision.
And you must not mention to SOUL
said Lucie. that you ever spoke one
word 10 me before and ! viii not tell
any one that / ever spoke one word to
you before. / was afraid TO tell Sophie
that l had talked with you. because she
would be vexed with me. and would not
give me another chance 10 get away from
her. So let us agree never to mention
each others names to any one, but every
summer We shall meet at BienviiIe. and
then, when We are grown up, we shall
be introduced, but we shall know each
other all the time. and then when no.
body Is listening, ] shall call you Paul
and you VIII call me Lucie."
More strange. new. delicious feelings
crept into the boys heart as Lucla said
these words. Paul and Lueie! He knew
very well that when grown peop'. called
each other by their names they were
very intimate. and how sweet It would be
TO know Lucie well enough for that;
and besides. If they never called each
other by their names except when they
were alone. they would escape being
leased. SO Paul said calling her FOR the
first time by her name:
''LucIe. you won't forget this, will
your
NO Paul" said Lucie. suddenly drop
ping her gay and saucy air. and speak
ing quite sweetly and demurely.
AID then. having turned a leaf in the
book of life. they parted. Lucie heard
Harper's voice calling her. and Paul hur-
ried away, his heart full of a singulg.'
rapture. How enticing the future looked
to him. How he longed TO be a man all5
an officer And he meant - he a good
Officer. too. so that people " ould praise
him to Lueie. He hurried through the
park md past the edge Of the town into
the fields beyond and on 70 the stone
bridge, and. climbing up into the place
where ne and Toni had so often huddled
together, sat there, lost in a delicious
dream. II was an August afternoon, and
the summer air was still and perfumed.
In the purple woods on the other side OF
the water the birds were chipping sweet
~, and under the bridge the little fishes
were tumbling about in the dark water.
All these sights and sounds entered
into the boys soul. The bell had been
rung for the curtain TO go up for this
boy or the great tragi-comedy of human
life He sat there until the shadows.
grew long and the west was flaming,
when, looking at the silver watch in
his pocket, he realized that it was al
most supper time and that he would
have TO run home to keep his mother from
being uneasy. So he started at once.
AS he scampsred along the street in
which Toni lived he saw, standing under
an acacia tree close by Mile. Duval's
shop. Toni and Denise Duval. Denise. as
clean. modest. as pretty as ever. was
generously dividing q bun with Toni, and
Toni-oh wonder.-was giving Denise two
whole sticks OF candy. only biting off
one small piece for himself. Paul stop
ped, astGunded at the spectacle. Usually
it was Toni who gobbled up everything
which Denise gave him, and now. oh.
miracle. Toni was voluntarily giving up
something to Denise. 1t was in truth an
epoch-making day in TOMS life
During the rest of Lucie's visit she
and Paul several times spoke together
and every time il was Paul who said 20
her:
'Lucie don't forget that when we grow
up we are to call each other Paul and
Lucie. and every time Lucie responded:
Don't you forget Paul"
Paul. who secretly mourned over
Lucle's depravity. talked to her quite
seriously about refusing TO learn geog-
| raphy and spelling and arithmetic and
other rudiments of young lady's edu-
cation. Lucss listened and. for the first
time in her life. felt herself impelled by
a will stronger than her own. None or
the governesses and masters who had
eyer taught her had been able to impress
her with the necessity OF learning, nor.
indeed did Paul. for that matter. because
I,ucie by no means considered that geog-
rapny and spelling and arithmetic were
essential TO a polite education. But Paul
| had an influence over her, nay, sort
Of authority.
AS Lucie gazed at him. she gradually
acquired an expression that q dog has for
a kind master. For the first time in her
life she found Il easier to give up her
own VIII than to persist In IL. This
| feeling was but a CLEAN, but 1t was not
eyanescent.
It was one Of the happiest visits Lucie
had ever paid in Bienville. for Sophie
seemed little more like her old self,
and Capt. Ravenel. too. was more cheer
ful. The story OF the stand that Col.
Duquesne had taken about Nine. Ravenel
had leaked out mySteriously, and there
was no danger OF any further imperti'
nence being offered Sophie Ravenel The
retired and biameless and seif-sacrifcing
life the Ravenels led was beginning "a
be known. The ultra-virtuous still hound
ed Mime. Ravenel over their teacups In
the winter and their ices in the sum-
mer; but. although no one had invaded
the retirement of the Ravenels so far.
number OF people had begun the practice
OF speaking to them as they passed, and
they were no longer avoided.
TO BE CONTINUED TOMORROW.