South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1913-12-26
CHAPTER XXI.
How Lucy Told.


The priD 2 was gone. There had
been festivities and formalities. great
dinners gatherings of the Virginia
nobility 90 do honor to his highness
at Roanoke house. and elsewhere;
everywhere the Chevalier Beaupre
had been distinguished by his high
ness most marked favor. And Lucy
HamptOn's eyes had shOne with quiet
delight TO see it and to see the effect
on her father. For the colonel. con-
fused in his mind as 10 how it might
lie true, reluctantly acknowledged
that there must be something of i'm
portance about this Chevalier
Beaupre, that a prince should treat
him a brother. He believed that it
would be best 10 treat him-he also
at least as a gentleman. So the
French lessons were continued and
the jefferson Troop was encouraged,
and Francois was asked often TO ROa-
nOke house. And as the months roll
ed on he tried with every thoughtful
and considerate effort 10 express TO
the little lady OF the manor his graft
tude for the goodness of her family.
IL troubled him more than a little
that the early friendliness and init
macy of Harry Hampton seemed 10
be wearing off. The boy did not come
often to Carnifax. and when he
came he did not stay for hours for
days sometimes. as was his way at
stammered and the prince cut short
and his friend wondered and did not
understand, but hesitated to push
way INTO the lads heart. He Will
tell me in time" thought Francois,
and. sure of his own innocence. wait
ed for the time
Meanwhile ne was going home.
Going. much against the advice of the
Norfolk doctor, who warned MIN that
he was not yet we'll or strong, that
the Out-of-door life 10 the mild Vir-
ginia climate should be continued
perhaps for two years more, before he
went back TO the agitation and effort
. of a Bonapartist agent in France.
But he could not wait: ne must see
his old home, his mother. hiS father,
and all the unforgOtten faces. lie
lOnged to watch the black lashes curl
upward from the blue Of Ali5.; eyes.
He lOnged TO hear her clear voice
with its bOyish note of courage. 1t
would put new life into him that
voice. 1t was even seven years now
and more since he had left them all
at days notice 10 go to PietrO in
Italy-tO a living death of five years,
TO many undreamed of happenings.
The fever was on him and he must go
home.
There was TO be a celebration for
the new and very fashionable cavalry
troop OF which Francois was the Off
cial backbone and author. In the
great grassy paddock at Bayly's Folly
the proud mother Of eighteen-year-
old CapertOn Bayly-frst lieutenant,
and the most finished horseman in the
Virginia cOunty-had invited the
gentry from miles about TO feast with
her and to watch her son and his
friends show how the Chevalier
Beaupre had made them into soldiers.
They came in shoals, driving from far
OF over bad roads in big lurching
chariots, or riding in gay companies,
mostly Of older men and girls and
young boys, because all of the gilded
youth were in the ranks that day.
The day was perfect; a day remem-
Dered IN that part of Virginia among
the great families who came to see
their boys ride. Yeardleys and Car
ters and Littletons anQ LetChers and
Bowmans were there; and Joynesses
and HarrisOns and Bowdoins and
CastlebuTys and Churchills and Wises
and Fitchetts and Stewards and
Wards-and the rest of them. names
there in Virginia when Charles /.
was king. The big carriages We're
drawn up in a massive line and the
horsemen and horsewomen stood
about picturesQuely in and out of the
saddle. talking, watching. admiripg
the surprising military things which
/ their sons and brothers and sweet
hearts We're doing. And the lads went
through their drill nobly. and the
stalwart body OF men and horse-hesh
formed in fOurs in twOS melted into
long-drawn lines. wound into close
concentric circles and unwound again.
and charged and dismounted and
leaped into the saddle, at Harry
Hampton's shouts OF command with
surprising accuracy: also 20 the un-
bounded pride OF Francois who. in
the ranks, watched every evolution.
every move OF every rider. with
anxious delight. They did wonders;
| the horses were on their best be-
havior and pushed into the places
they had learned So eagerly that the