The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1910-10-20
CHAPTER xr-tcontinued.)


pale. II will wait for you here, and
pray for YOU"
She gave me her hand and bent and
kissed ii with trembling lips.
There will be no danger" ! assured
her again, waived my hand to her and
plunged into the ticket.
/ made my way through 1t for some
distance before venturing into the
open; then, under shelter of hedge,
FASTENED down the slope, gained the
road and turned my face toward the
village. Ten minutes brought me to 1t
"a struggle of sordid houses along each
side the road, tceming with dirty chill
dren and with slatternly woman lean
ing in every doorway. There was an
inn at either end to catch the traveller
going east or west, and / entered the
first came to and asked for breakfast.
1t was served by a pert and not UNI
comely maid-bacon, eggs and creamy
biscuits--and l fell to it with an appe-
tite tempered only by the thought that
l must eat alone. There was at the
time no other guest, and as the maid
seemed very willing to talk, l deter
mined to turn her to account.
These are delicious Biscuits I be-
gan. Il have tasted none so good since
l started on this Journey
She dropped me q curtesy, flushing
with pleasure.
|, Have you come long journey, mon
sieur?" she asked.
What" / cried. you still say
'monsieur!' Is it a royalist, then, with
whom have TO deal-a ci-de-vant-an
aristocrat?"
"A royalist!" she repeated, visibly
Mortified. "Oh, no; but the habit is an
old one"
Eyes," L. admitted: "old habits are
hard to break: even my tongue slips
sometimes"
Besides" she added. looking at me
stead steadily ~, there Is about you some,
you citizen"
1t was my time to flush. found
myself unable to. meet her clear eyes,
and covered my confusion by a laugh
which even perceived did not ring
true. If my disguise was so easily
penetrated, 1t was time I was getting
back to my hiding place.
"Nonsense!" retorted. 1T Is proper
! to say citizen to anyone. And. by the
way, citizen. what Is the name of this
village?"
What, you don't know!" she cried
rs that wonderful? It hardly
seemed to me q second Paris"
yet you come to it,"
II pass through 1t because 1t happens
to be in my way; stop for breakfast
, l would wish to stop longer" ! added,
with an expressive glance. but the ma
ton needs me-"
Needs you?"
las she needs every man she can get
to stamp out those cursed rebels in
Vendee."
"Oh, so It is there you go?" she said,
her face clearing "Yes-you are right.
My father went yesterday to join the
Blues; our guard marched last night.
There is scarcely man left in the viii
lage."
Its NAME" suggested.
1T is called Dairon."
And where is the nearest repub-
lican force?
There is small one at Airvault and
another at MoncontOur; but II II IL
lighting you are looking for. citizen,
| you will press on to Thouars."
How far is Thouars"
-Four leagues. and this road will lead
| you there"
Then 1t is this road will take. SO
there is to be fighting at Thouarsr'
"Our officers dined here last night"
she explained, land heard them talk
| gathering at Coulanges and expect to
take Thouars. Bah! The Blues will
fall upon them. surround them. exter-
| inmate them. For do you know what
| II is that they are planning. thoso
scoundrels? They are planning to hold
O place where that ogre of Pitt may
land troops upon the sacred soil Of
/ France!"
Her eyes were blazing. / sprang
| to my feet.
"Then I must be off" cried. IT
can't afford to miss that fun. But first,
citizen, can you put me up a lunch for
the road-a big one. for I have the
larder-I can pay for It," and laid a
| golden louis on the table. I'm the vi
| entity of an army there is never any
| thing to eat. shall no doubt meet
plenty Of poor fellows with nothing in
their bellies. And two or three bottles
Of wine would not be amiss."
| Just So" she nodded. and flew to
the kitchen, where heard her and
| another woman talking vigorously to-
gether, to the accompaniment of clat-
| ter OF knives and dishes.
I walked to the door and looked
down the village street. 1t was still
deserted, save for the women and
| been caught in the dragnet of the
| Blues, or had hurried into hiding for
fear they would be drafted to the
front. How these poor creatures left
her to their own resources. managed
to exist, I could not imagine.
Well. citizen" asked voice. how
| 1 turned to find the maid smiling
up at me and in her hand a hamper
filled to the brim and covered with q
| cloth, through which the neck OF
| three bottles protruded.
/ EXCELLENT" cried as took It
i '"That will make me welcome. at any
i rate. A thousand thanks, my dear"
There is one more thing can do,
she said. "Your disguise is poor one
| citizep."
'Disguise!" echoed. my heart ir
my throat.
I because the face does not match
the clothes" she went on, impertur-
badly. ANY fool could see that these
rags do not belong to you. Sit here q
moment"
I sat down obediently. not darine
TO disobey. Whereupon she produced
greasy rag and rubbed 1t over my
face. retiring a step or two from time
to time to admire the effect and ther
returning to add another touch, mucf
in the manner Of an artist engaged
upon a masterpiece. At last she was
satisfied.
There" she said. IT defy any on,
to detect you now. And remember
as long as you wear those rags, yoi
are not to wash face or hands. Your
business IS none of mine, but you arr
too pretty fellow to be permitted t,
run your head into a moose"
~~~1< 1Aears mt 4,