Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1910-10-21
CHAPTER XXI.
False Pretenses.


But only the merest breath did she
permit her sou to stand unveiled be-
fore me. Then she drew her hand
away and fenced herself again with
that invulnerable armor.
Come, my friend" she said, and
her voice sounded a trihe unsteady
in my ears, I'VE must be going on
we have a long journey still before
u.s."
l arose like q drunken man. l dared
not believe what that glimpse OF glory
had revealed to me-; II seemed too won
derful, too stupendous to be true. I
had looked into her soul and seen love
there-but was 1t really there? Or
was 1t merely the reflection OF what
my own soul disclosed2
I glanced down at her, but she
was staring straight before her as
she walked steadily forward, with a
face so cold and impassive that the
doubt grew, en~wrapped me, darkened
to conviction. 1t was folly to suppose
that her eyes had really revealed their
secret; 1t was absurd to. believe that
any such secret lay behind them. who
was I that I should hope to awaken
love in the breast of such a woman as
this? Pity, perhaps-sympathy, friend
ship, kidness-anything but the deep,
splendid passion / hungered for. She
had been moved for the moment; but
plainly she already regretted her
emotion. Well, / certainly, would
was to place her safely in the hands
of friends. Their I must be away to
work out my w destiny.
So we went on through the night,
taking at every fork Of the road the
way whcih led nearest the west, for
in the west lay safety. But I knew we
had 10 leagues and more to cover ere
4 we ShnI1d rnQnh the Mno1pa and the
nearer we approached our destination,
the more closely would danger en-
| compass US. From south and east,
troops were being massed to crush out,
by sheer weight Of numbers. the flame
Of insurrection which a arisen so
suddenly in the very heart Of France.
From every town within so leagues the
National Guard had been summoned;
from Paris itself levfeS were fastening
-levies of Septembrists, cut-throats.
assassins, asking nothing better han
permission to murder and pillage,
and commanded by a general deter
mined not to fight bu to destroy,
not to defeat but to exterminate-in
a word, not to rest until all Vendee
had been made a wilderness, a barren
waste. This line of enemies, marching
forward in this temper, we were forced
to pierce In order TO reach our friends.
The moon rose high in the heav-
ems, paused at the zenith, then
started on it's course down the west
ern sky. / thanked the fortune
which gave us her friendly light to
guide us, for the road grew more
wild and rough. In one place, in
deed, 1t was merely the bed OF a tor
rent, little different from that over
which we had already toiled so pain
fully. So we left 1t, and breaking
our way through the hedge which
bordered the road, followed along
beside It.
Even / was beginning to feel fatigued
and / could guess at my compan-
IONS WEAKNESS, but she refused to
listen to my suggestion that we stop
and rest. But dawn was not far dis
tant, n We must find some safe
hiding place for the day. There were
no houses in sight, nor had we seen
any for some time; but where there
was a road, however bad, there must
also be people to travel it. and 10
seek rest. to resign oneself to sleep.
save In q safe covert, would be the
height of folly.
The country had grown open and
level, with only an occasional tree
here n there and was evidently
used for pasturage, though / saw no
sheep nor cattle; but at last along a
ridge at our right / caught sight Of
a thicket, and toward his we made
our way. We found 1t a dense growth
OF small saplings and underbrush,
and broke our way into II with dim
Guilty. but the event repaid the labor.
for at last we came to a little glade
not over a rod across and carpeted
with grass.
Here is our resting place" 1 said
and M home for another day"
My companion sank down with a
sigh Of utter fatigue.
II am very tierd,' she murmured.
and STOPPING over drew off the shoes
which / had slinnad over hep 3-n-
you are to sleep until you are
quite rested" ! added. 1--WE will re-
main here until evening. Then after
darkness falls and before the moon is
up, we shall try to pierce the lines Of
the Republicans, which cannot be far
: away. For that you must be fresh,
for we may need to be fleet"
|, But YOU" she broke in quickly. You
ere going to sleep, too?"
Undoubtedly" / answered. only
first / wish to assure myself that there
IS no house too near us. Good night,
m-adernoiseiie."
Good night" my friend she said,
looking UP at me with a little tremu-
lous smile so full of sorrow and wear
mess that my eye grew wet.
1 stood a moment gazing down at
her, longing TO gather her in my
arms. as one would a child and ca
ress and comfort her and hold her so
until she fell asleep. But l managed
to crush the longing back and turn
away to the task which l had set my
self.
! The thieket crowned a low ridge
which stretched between two gentle
valleys. That we had left was. as I
have said, innocent OF human habita-
tion- In the one to the north / fan
cied ! could discern a group OF houses.
but they were so far away that we
! need apprehend TO danger from
them, To the westward along the
ridge, the thicket stretched as far as
/ could see.
Assured that our hiding place was