Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1913-07-02

when he heard mademoiselle say:
Stop E
Looking down. he saw her pointing
her gun ut him with her finger on the
trigger. He could see that she was
very much excited,
stay where you arer' she said. 'If
you attempt to come down III shoot
why. mademoiselle." said the man.
what means this change in your
MademoiSelle was so taken UP with
her own plans for having the lunatic
secured that she did not hear. she
was too far from the chateau to call
II she fired her gun it would be sup
posed that she was simf'y killing
birds. and. now that she had antago-
nized him. she feared she would have
to kill him in self defense. What to
do she did not know.
May l ask, mademoiselle." said the
man up in the tree, "whe, have done
to offend your
Nothing. / assure you"
There was mutual pause. The man
was puzzled, and. as for the lady, how
can one explain to a lunatic?
Would you mind showing that con-
fldence by lowering your gun? see
it is cooked. Your finger is on the trig-
ger and trembling, The gun might so
off"
There was shout of merriment from
a thicket near by. and it seemed as il
pandemOnium had been let loose. A
dozen men and women I'm fantastic
costumes emerged from behind trees
and came trooping toward the tree.
Mademoiselle stood looking at them in
Amusement Nevertheless she kept her
nerve.
II was not aware" she said. "that
there is lunatic asylum in the vicini-
~. l supposed the gentleman up in
the tree was alone in his madness"
you have lost lie Vergnew cried
one of the men.
Not at ALL" replied the man above
ION the contrary. have won"
prove it."
"MademoiseIle," asked lie Vergne,
did you not give me permission to
shoot in your grounds?"
Il did. | feared that II refused
you would kill me-"
"You have lost, Bertierr' cried the
crowd, laughing.
"Mademoiselle." said LIE vergne, ut
is time that you We're given an ex-
PLANTATION of these singular proceed
ings. If you will permit me to come
down will enlighten you"
certainly, monsieur; come down."
Her gun had been already lowered
lie Vergne came down and, standing
before ter. deferentially said:
Last night the officers of the Fifty
seventh OF the line gave a dance In
costume to some friends from Paris.
We danced till morning, when. sitting
over some champagne and s~taDiSS.
our conversation turned upon your
splendid preserves and your unwili'
ingness to allow any one to shoot
therein. /, Captain lie Vergne, bet Ma
jof Bertier that would shoot In your
grounds with your permission. en-
tered the preserves dressed as ! am,
expecting to be arrested and taken to
ylu. | had no definite plan as to how
] should extract your forgiveness and
tended to rely entirely on my wits.
II was surprised to meet you so ear
" in the morning and to find You SO
kindly disposed toward me. l wonder
ed that you did not ask the reason for
my strange costume, and It did not &C.
cur to me that you mistook me for
lunatie till I saw you pointing your
gun at me when I was coming down
with your birds nest. Permit me to
apologize for making you the subject
Of n bet and to offer you the birds
nest as a souvenir of the occasion"
Mile. Chauvier was much amused at
the explanation as we'll as relieved at
the termination of the freak. She ac-
cepted the souvenir graciously.
81 would not be satisfied. mademoi-
selIe." said one of the ladies Of the
party, "if / were you. at such paltry
gift. Captain lie Vergne has won 2,OOOI
francs from Major Bertier and CAM
afford to offer You a much more subj
| stantial acknowledgment Of your kind
ness in permitting him TO use your pre-
serves and especially for not shooting
him for a mailman when you had put
| him up a tree"
"You have omitted to tell me how 1t
happens that you are all here" said
nnademoiselle.
I'VE followed lie Vergne from DIS
lance to observe what he would do"
Now that understand the matter
you must all come home with me to
breakfast"
And SO it was that mademoiseIe en-
tertained at breakfast a number or
guests in masquerade costume who
had not slept a wink for thirty SIX
hours. After that she added the words
without permission to her nouces
fOrbldding hunting on her grounds
and the permission was usually grant
cd. She was also a frequent visitor to
q the military station from whence her
breakfast guests had come. and 1t Is
! reported now. several years after the
function. that she is about TO enter the
: srfny as Nine lie Colonel lie Vergne.
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