The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1912-04-23
Suddenly a Thought Shook Him.

dom he spoke OF the speculations which
often filled his scholarly mind; today it
seemed easy to talk of everything. Joy
had set wide all the doors of his be-
ing. Alike opened her eyes in aston
ishment.
"Pietro! You are-talking like
book! But 1t Is true; something OF
that sort has come to me. too-which
proves 1t to be true. | have felt al
ways that Francois had notes in him
which are not on our pianos" Pietro
smiled, looking at her.
And yet, Alike, you do not love
Francois, with all these gifts and all
his power over hearts-but only com.
monplace mel"
Alike Strengthened against his arm.
Monsieur the Marquis Zappi, the gen.
tleman I-care for, is not common
place. ! thank you not to say It," she
shot at him, and then, melting to a
sudden intensity, she put hand on
each side OF his dark face and spoke
earnestly. "Pietro, dear, listen. / be-
lieve | always cared for you. When
was little It hurt me to have Francois
forever the one to do the daring things.
Do you remember how / used to scold
at you because you would not fight
him?" Pietro smiled again. "Then he
was captain of the school and you only
private, and | cried about that when
| was alone at night. And when you
went off to Italy so quietly. with never
word said about the danger, did not
know that you were doing a fine deed
i thought It n commonplace that you
should go back 20 your country, till
Francois opened my eyes"
"Francois?" Pietro asked
"Yes. The day before he went to
Join you we were riding together and
he told me what 1t meant to be a
patriot in Italy under the Austrlans.
That day realized how unbearable 1t
would be IL anything happened to you.
But | thought / cared for Francois; If
he had spoken that day should have
told him that cared for him. But he
did not; he went-and was In prison
five years"
"And all that time believed you
loved him, and were mourning for
him." Pietro said gently.
81 half believed 1t too Alike an
swered "Yet all the time / was
jealous for you, Pietro, for it was still
Francois who was the hero-not you.
Then when there came a question of
his rescue ! was mad with the desire
to have you do it-and you did it."
Her voice dropped. She laid her
hand against his shoulder and spoke,
in quick cautious way.
But all that is immaterial. ] just
love you-that's the point" mo-
ment later she spoke again. 81 want
to finish telling you-and then we need
never speak of it again. / did think
you were-commonplace. And yet
knew in my heart you were not. for
/ resented your seeming so. So
urged you into danger. ! wanted you
to be hero. l had that echo of q
schoolgirls romance about Francois
in my mind, and clung, all along, to
the idea that loved him and that per.
haps he secretly loved me but would
not say 1t because he was poor and q
peasant; that he was waiting till his
future was made. Then, one day, only
the other day, he told me that he had
asked three wishes Of life-'of the
good fairies he said. One was to make
Prince Louis Emperor, one was to be
Marshal of France; the third" she
stopped.
"What?" Pietro demanded. his
mouth a bit rigid.
Alike flushed and smiled and took
Pietro's big hand and covered her eyes
with 1t. THAT I should-love you
Monsieur He said he had wished that
all his life."
MAY heaven grant him his wish,
said Pietro fervently, and then, reflect
ing, ut seems a strange wish for Fran
co.'s. You are sure, Alixe?"
"Yes, he said So" Alike insisted
"Our dear Francois" she went on soft
ly, and the blue intensity of her eyes
grew misty Dear Francois" she re
peated, ut is only he who could have
had those three wishes. The single
one that was for himself was not be