Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-07-09

with bitter smile at is hardly fear that
prompts them, Count.
Adolphe murrnured to himself, "He is
right. At any rate he is brave
"Still. you do not want to die?" asked
Dagobert, never raising his voice.
"W no doeso"
There was silence. Every man in the
heated room was now awake, save Jolibois
who, exhausted with grief, lay close to the
fire in a corner, buried in profound oblivion
And the eyes of the francs tireurs watched
the strange scene with gaze of wolves that
sit round a campfire at distance, watching
and waiting, and thinking terrible thoughts
Nevertheless. suddenly went on Dago-
bert. irnmovable as marble, "if you imagine
that am going to let you depart, you make
a great mistake. There is no need for us to
retread old ground; our secret is best kept
to ourselves. The matter can be easily adj
justed. Give the prisoner his sword'
A DOLPHE, who held the weapon, in
= stantly extended it toward Oroshaz.
The latter shook his head and did not move.
@Coquiui" breathed Laporte.
@You refuse to fghto" said Dagobert in
a choked voice.
Certainly
The Count struck him across the face
with a back handed blow that sounded like
a pistol shot.
Oroshaz went pale as death, 1ivid pallor,
enhanced by the beating of pulse at his
right temple. And shudder ran through
his erect form.
II should advise you to stand on guard,
said Dagobert, who could hardly speak
al refused before. and decline absolutely
now was the answer. u think | should
have killed you BET re you struck me; now
am sure that ! S ould.'
"You are afraid af, all?' said Dagobert
in an almost inaudiblc tone.
"Do | look like a coward, Monsieur"
"But you will not fight mel"
"Why? Because you are her His lips
formed the concluding y.ord of the sentence,
the word husband. And Dagobert had
no need for audible cy ression.
D'Ormonde, the aut..or, whispered to him.
self, @Ciel! there is romance here, if only
| could find it."
Jolibois uttered profound sigh in his
sleep. He was with his brother Paul at the
farm, stealing cherries before they were ripe.
He heard him laugh, he wrestled with him
in the orchard. Dreams flung a bridge
across the abyss of death. He laughed in
his sleep, the bright laugh that was his be-
fore he had seen charnel houses and that
terrible platoon fire.
Dagobert took few PAGES up and down.
Beads of cold dew had started upon his
forehead, and he gnawed with strong white
teeth one side of his gray mustache.
Oroshaz, disdaining to notice the presence
of anyone there save the Count, stared fix
edly at the wall.
7 OOK here." said Dagobert abruptly, fac
= ing the prisoner with an air of determine
tion at is evident to you, suppose, that
one of us is in the wayo"
"That is unfortunately quite palpable.'
81 am glad you see that, at any rate.
might have you shot, as German; for al
though you have surrendered yourself as
prisoner of war, yet, on your own showing,
franc tireur is out of the military code, and
that code might overlook, therefore. Hao'
"You are at perfect liberty to do so; but
afterward you would be sorry"
POSSIBLY will tell you what mean to
do. Since your delicacy revolts at the idea
of killing me, you will allow me the right to
kill myself. In plain words, we will let
chance decide which of us must remove him
self eternally; for one of us must go. You
understands
Oroshaz bowed.
Dagobert snatched handful of dirty
straw from the ground, and flung it away,
save two lengths. at is simple, said he.
9Cno of thaca Diacac &c o,,ite an inch LONGER