The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1913-10-16
CHAPTER ii.
The Government lnterferes.

The Government lnterferes
There is short cut across that
meadow said the young girl, raising
rounded, sun-tinted arm, bare to the
shoulder. And. after that, you will
come to a thicket of white birches'
Thank you, mademoiselle.
And after that" she said, idly fol-
lowing with her blue eyes the contc Dir
of her own lovely arm, you must turn
to the left, and there you will cross a
hill. You can see it from where we
stand"
A deadened report shook the sum
mer air-the sound Of a cannon fired
very far away. perhaps on the cita-
del of Strasbourg. Without turning
my head | said: 1t is difficult to be.
lieve that there is war anywhere in
the worlds it not, mademoiselle?'
Not if one knows the world" she
said, indifferently
DO you know it, my child?"
Sufficiently" she said.
She had opened again the book
which she had been reading when /
first noticed her. From my saddle |
saw that it was Moliere
Why do you tend turkeys" |
asked
Because it pleases me" she re-
piled, raising her eyebrows in faint
displeasure.
For that same reason you read
Monsieur Moliere?" | suggested
Doubtless monsieur"
Are you what you pretend to be,
IN Alsatian turkey TENDER"
"Parbleu! There are my turkeys.
monsieur"
Perhaps" said l. but | have asked
you question which remains par
ried. Who are your" l demanded
'Oh, mere nobody in such learned
company" she said, shaking her head
with mock humility that annoyed
me intensely.
Very well" said |, conscious every
moment OF her pleasure in my dis
comtiture; under the circumstances
| am going to ask you to accept nv
escort to La Trappe; for think you
are MademOiselle Elven, recently OF
the Odeon theater"
Monsieur she said. do you ride
through the world pressing every
peasant girl you meet with such ar
dent enteaties? Truly. your fashion
of woOing is not slow, but everybody
knows that hussars are headlong gen
tlemen Nothing is sacred from a
hussar, she hummed deliberately.
in parody which made me writhe in
my saddle.
'MademoiselIe," said |. taking off
my forage cap. your ridicule is not
the most disagreeable incident that |
expect to meet with today. am at
tempting to do my duty, and must
ask you to do yours
And if ! refuse"
Then said I, amiably, u shall be
Obliged TO set you on my horse" And
dismOunted and went toward her
After a silence she said, very seri-
ously, Monsieur would you dare use
violence toward me-"
"Oh, shall not be very violent"
replied, laughing. l held the opened
watch in my hand so that she could
see the dial if she chose.
1T is one O'clock" / said. closing
the hunting-case with a snap.
She looked me steadily in the eyes
will you come with me TO La
Trappe?"
She did not stir.
| stepped toward her; she gave me
breathless, defiant stare; then in an
instant | caught her up and swung
her high into my saddle, before either
she or knew exactly what had hap
pened.
She was clever enough not to try
10 dismount, woman enough not to
make an awkward struggle or do any.
thing ungraCeful. In silence. | led the
horse forward through the open gate
out into the wet meadow.
AS for my turkey-girl, she sat stifly
in the saddle, with a firmness and de
termination that proved her to be
stranger to horses ! scarcely dared
look at her, so fearful was | of laugh
ing.
So we went on. The spectacle OF a
cavalryman in full uniform leading a
cavalry horse on which was seated an
Alsatian girl in bright peasant cos
tune appeared to astonish the few
people we passed.
We met a dozen people in all,
think. some Of them peasants, one
or two of the better class-a country
doctor and a notary among them.