The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1910-09-29

quite positively. Il am not such
weakling as that!'
Besides" added, Il am frightfully
hungry; / must have something to eat.
II commit murder for IT,
You will not expose yourself?" she
asked quickly.
mo: there is no danger" assured
her.
II shall pray for you" she added
calmly. And fear there is one thing
I must ask OF YOU"
ASK it," said.
Before left my room at the cha
teau," she continued. II chose the
heaviest shoes had"
There was no need that she should
say more. ! bent and touched one of
the little feet. just peeping from be-
meath the cloak. However heavy the
shoes had been, they were certainly
far too light for the rough service
which had been exacted of them.
They were almost in tatters, and
could guess how the sharp stones
which had torn the leather had
bruised the tender feet within. Yet
she had followed me without q sigh.
without murmur! Impulsively I
bent and kissed the instep of the little
| shoe, then rose unsteadily to my feet.
Il will get you another pair" I
said; 'and If I am to have any peace
OF mind, mademoiselle, you must not
again permit me to forget your well
fare, as / have been doing. With the
best intentions in the world / am
only selfish and obtuse fellow, with
q brain not bright enough to think Of
| more than one thing at time
II saw how your thoughts were oc-
cupied." she protested. Il knew that
our safety depended upon you, and 1
did not wish to disturb you"
ITO disturb me?" I echoed. "Ah, for
once, mademoiselle, you were not really
kind, for by keeping silent, you have
done more than that--you have made
me suffer But there--I am wasting
time, and l can guess your hunger by
my own. will go. You are not
afraid"
NO" she murmured: land yet l hope
| that you will not be long"
NO." / said; mo-" and not daring
to trust myself further, turned and
strobe away through the darkness.
Only the biting need for prompt and
| well-directed action enabled me to
master the sweet emotion which those
words, SO softly uttered, had awakened.
put it behind me, and to address my
! self wholly to the task in hand. I
must get food at once and at any price.
But food in such wilderness!
But fortune favored me--or perhaps
the country was not wilderness as
imagined-for at the end Of 10 minutes
brisk walking, collided with a hedge,
and too rejoiced at the discovery to
feel the scratches I had sustained,
| felt my way along Ii and came at last
/! 10 a gate. 1t was not even latched, so
/ pushed Ii open and passed through.
Once on tho other side OF it, found
myself in what seemed an orchard.
|
| hedge, gate and an orchard there
must also be house. / pushed forward
| among the trees. not without difficulty,
| and came out at last into the clear air
beyond. AT the first glance, perceived
a light just ahead of me, and made my
way towards it with deep thankful
ness readily imagined AS drew near
or. I saw that the light proceeded from
the window of small house, which
was evidently approaching from the
| rear. ! advanced cautiously and
looked within. Three men were sitting
about a table on which was bottle Of
wine and the remains of meal They
were talking together with great ear
nestness.
There was no time for hesitation or
the weighing OF risks. so I waited to see
no more, but fastened around the
house. 1t fronted upon a road which
seemed wide and well-kept-undoubt-
eddy Z high-road and not a mere coun-
try lane. A creaking sign proclaimed
the place an inn. but the device paint
ed upon II had so faded under wind and
rain that / could not make II out.
raised the latch and entered, and with
out pausing to look about me, sat down
at the nearest table and raped loudly.
One OF the three men whom I had OBJ
served through the window arose and
came to me.
| ho inn oil Cd
YES" he answered gruffly, his brows
drawn close with annoyance, not In the
least in the manner of man welcom-
ing q customer.
We'll, citizen" / continued, II am
in great haste-I am on an errand OF
Importance must be off at once. Can
l have some food to take with me--a
fowl, say. and whatever else Is at hand; ;
together with two bottles OF wineg'
"All that may no doubt be had, citi-
zen.' he answered. relaxing nothing Of
his sinister expression. But there are
certain difficulties in the way"
Money you mean?" and l laughed
and threw two silver crowns upon the
table. We'll, there 1t is, and you cam
not quarrel with it, either. don't
offer you assignats, mind you-and one
doesn't often hear the ring Of honest
coin nowadays"
THAT is true he admitted, and his
face relaxed little as he eyed the
money. but there is yet another diff
ficulty."
And what is it?" I demanded
"The other difficulty" he answered
watching me keenly, rs that in giving
you these provisions I may be succor-
ing an enemy of the nation"
I threw myself back in my chair and
burst into a roar of laughter. Looking
back upon it, there is no moment of my
life Of which i am more proud than
am OF that one.
(Cont.nued Next Week,