The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1912-02-26

vi Iooseheu masonry, ana down came
the great blocks close to his hands
he was slipping! And, above, the wall
swayed. Then, in the instant OF time
before the catastrophe, Francois had
sprung like a cat into the center Of
danger and pushed the other boy. vlo-
lently Keeling, across the grass out of
harms way.
Alike screamed ono sharply. Fran.
co.'s lay motionless on his face and the
great stones rained around him. 1t
was all over In a moment; In a mo-
ment more a shout OF Joy rose from
Pietro, for Francois lifted his head
and began crawling difficulty. with
Pietro's help, out Of the debris.
81 have to thank you for my life,
Monsieur the peasant" the stranger
said. and held out his hand. More
over, It is seldom that a prophecy Is so
quickly fulfilled. You said a few min.
utes ago that you should one day do
n thing worth while for a Bonaparte.
You have done It. You have saved my
life"
Francois hand crept to his cap and
he pulled II OF and stood bareheaded.
Monsieur, who are your" he
brought out.
The strange boys vanishing smile
frightened his face a second. 81 am
Louis Bonaparte." he said quietly.
The little court OF three stood about
the young Prince, silent. And in a
moment, in a few sentences, he had
told them how, the day before, he had
been seized with a hunger for the air
OF France, which he had not breathed
since, as n boy OF seven. his mother
had escaped with him from Paris dur.
ing the Hundred Days. lie told them
how the desire to stand on French soil
had possessed him, till at last he had
run away from his tutor and had found
the path from his exiled home, the
castle OF ~Arenenberg, in the canton Of
T~hurgovie, I'm Switzerland, over the
mountains into the Jura valley.
1T is imprudent," he finished the
tale calmly. "The government would
turn on all its big engines in an uproa
to catch one schoolboy. II It wal
known. But ! had to do IT," He threw
back his head and filed his lungs with
a great breath. THE air OF France"
he whispered in an ecstasy.
For two hours more they told sto.
ries and played games through the
soft old ruins of the savage old strong.
hold, as light.heartedly, as carelessly
as II there were no wars or intrigues
or politics or plots which had been
and we're to be close to the lives OF
all OF them. Till, as the red round
sun went down behind the mountain
Of the Rose, Francois quick eve
caught sight Of a hsure swinging rap
idly down the mountain road where
the Prince had come.
But look. Louis" he called from be.
hind the rock where he was preparing,
as a robber baron. to swoop down on
Prince Louis conveying Alike as an
escaped nun to Pietro's monastery in
another corner
And the boy Prince, suddenly grave,
shaded his eye with his hand and
gazed up the mountain. Then his
hand fell and he sighed. The adven.
ture is over" he said. II must 20
back to the Prince business. II is
Monsieur Lebas."
Monsieur Lebas, the tutor, arrived
shortly in anything but a playful hu.
NOR. The boys mother. Queen Hor.
tense, was in Rome, and he was re.
sponsible; he had been frightened to
the verge OF madness by the princes
~escapade.
The playmates were separated
swiftly. Monsieur Lebas refused with
something like horror the eager sug.
gestion that he and his charge should
spend the night at the chateau. The
Prince must be gotten Off French
ground without a moments delay.