Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1910-06-30

ia b'u III uiHilN uEntcV HoNpi
Sh" gazcd up with uncomprc-
bending eyes at two brown skinned
women bending over her
One. the elder. was chatting hor
hands. The other, tall. graceful
girl, was stirring something in an
eGr,henware vessel
Where am |: Low Cd como
here?" Iris asked.
Then she remembered. and memory
brought Il feeling of hclplessness not
wholly devoid of self reproach. II
was bad enough that her presence
should add SO greatly to the dangers
bcsctting her friends 1t was far
worse that she should have tainted at
The very moment when such weakness
might well prove fatal to them.
Why did she faint: All. A lively
hlush chased the pallor from her
,hecks. and few strenuous heart
Yeats restored animation to her limbs
Of course in thinking that she had
yielded solely to the stress Of sur
What she really needed was food. A
young woman Of perfect physique and
lowered with the best of health does
not collapse into unconsciousneSS be-
cause young man embraces her aud
each at the same moment makes the
olissful discovery that the wide world
contains no other individual OF SUI
preme Importance She hardly realized
now hungry she WAS until the girl
handed her the bowl. which contained
couple Of eggs beaten up in milk.
while small quantities OF rum and
sugar cane juice made the compound
palatable.
While the girl Manoela was furtively
appraising the clothing worn by Iris
her mother was listening ever for
nasty footsteps among the trailing
vines.
At last, with muitered prayer. she
went 70 the door and unfastened the
stout wooden staple that prevented in
,ruders from entering un hidden. Some
one approached.
rs that you, Manoel?" asked Tulsa
Gomez in hushed voice.
There was no answer. The woman
drew back. She would have closed
the door. but Il slim. active figure
sprang across the threshold. She
shrieked in terror The newcomer
was a Brazilian officer.
Il think you are here. mademoiselle."
Ne said in French Il am come to
ihare your retreat for little while
Perchance by daybreak | may arrive
at some plan. At present you and /
are in difficulties. is it not:"
Iris recognized the vouble, jerliy
speech A wild forebodng gripned her
heart until she was like to sbudder I'M
der its fierce anguish.
you. Captain San BenavideS!" she
asked. and her utterance was unuatu'
rally calm
Il, mademoiselle.' he said. land.
!las. | am alone. May como In II is
aot well to show light at this hour
seeing that the island is overrun with
Infatuated soldiers"
The concluding sentence was ad-
dressed to Luisa Gomez in portu-
guese. Realizing instinctively that the
man came as a friend. she stood aside,
trembling. on the verge Of tears, He
entered. and the door was closed be.
hind him.
IL am TIE only man who escaped,
mademoisele. The others? Well, it is
war. and war is "a lottery"
do you mean that they have been
killed. all killed." she murmured. with
pitiful sob.
IL think So"
"You think? Do you not know?"
He sighed. His hand sought an emp
ty cigarette case. Such was the cor
rect military air, he fancied-to treat
misfortunes rather as jests. He frown.
ed because the case was empty, but
,miled at Iris.
1T is so hard, madomolselle, when
nne speaks these things in strange
tongue. Permit me to explain that
which has arrived. We encountered il
picket and surprised it, Having Sc
cured some weapons and accoutcr-
ments, we fastened to the quay. where
was moored the little steamship. I'm,
happily she was crowded with sol
diers. They fired. and there was n
short fight. ! was knocked down, and
what do you call it--etourdi-while
one might count ten. | rose, half
blinded. and what do l see? The yes.
sci Iea7ipg the quay full Of men en-
gagged in combat. while just beyond
10 ct, t,,r hi
arrival. 1t was Brazilian wa-ship,
mademolse!le She showed two red
rockets. followed by white one. 1t
was only a matter Of minutes before
she met the little steamship. tell
you that it was bad luck, that-a vile
blow. ! was angry, yes. ] stamp my
foot and say foolish things. Then
run"
Iris made no reply. She hid her face
In her hands. She could frame no
more questions San Benavides was
trying to tell her that Hozier and the
rest had been overwhelmed by fate mt
the very instant escape seemed to be
within reach. The brazilian. proba'
bly, because of difficulties that beset
him IN using IL foreign language. did
not make II clear that he had flung
himself HAT In the dust when he heard
the order to Sre giYHn by some one OH
uoard the launch.
Then the lightning OH a womnn's in
tuition pierced the abyss OF despair
Surely there were curious blanks IN
this thrilling narrative. AS was her
way when thoroughly aroused, Iris