South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1913-11-17
CONTINUED From Saturday,
CHAPTER MI.
The Sfrangn RnN
Copyright III, BObb+Msrin Company.

noticed. and it was vacation time; it
was August Of the year 1924. The
Valley OF the Jura was all aaoat on
a sea Of scarlet peoples. They grew
higher than the corn, ana the wind
tossed the waves OF them against the
sunlight. and the sea of them glitter
ed silver, pricked with a million gold
red points; then the wind tossed the
thosuand, thousand waves back to-
ward the sun, and the land-sea was
shadOWy. streaked with flame unend-
inSly. The little riveT-the Cheulte-
rushed down between the fields OF gold
and scarlet in its immortal hurry.
murmuring over the stones. The old
chateau OF Nicques-the ruin-lay
back behind the corn fields and
smiled in hot sunlight at the two
thousandth ocean OF color which had
washed the land up TO its crumbling
walls. since the Roman governor pileG
the gray stones.
A tall lad Of IA. another boy.
slighter. quicker. darker ana a little
girl Of II i'm a short white dress. wan
dered through the ruins. talking ear
nestly now. silent now. filing the
grim place with easy laughter again.
Alike and Francois and Pietro were
growing up; the general already
grumbled words about kittens turn
ing into cats. as he looked at them.
Yet the general was satisfied in his
soul with each one, at whatever age,
and glad of each day more of this
long unconscious childhood III which
they held 10 one another MS closely
and frankly as if they were real sis
ter and brothers.
Today was the first complete day
Of the vacation; for till now Francois
had been at the farm, working hard
with his father at the harvesting
This morning he had come over to
spend a week at the chateau. And
without ARRANGEMENT. only because it
was their oldest and most fascinating
playground they had strOlled along
the steep hillside. into the road that
lead to the pastures at the foot Of the
mountain ard then TO the gate, barr
ing out wagons and cattle. the gate of
the fence which enclosed the old cha
teau.
The grass was green on the high
mound under which lay heaped the
stones of the Roman tower, il was
long, and waved in the breeze: the
ugliness OF the barbarism and cruelty
of those days lay so buried: on the
right were the granaries where the
wicked governor had stored the grain
wrung from the country people; over
the steep wall TO the left was the
opening to the corridor which led, as
all the world of Cheques had known
for centuries. to the treasure house;
ii was there that the phantom. the
great dog, appeared. The children
told the old story to one another;
they rebuilt as they talked. in the
peace of the summer afternoon. the
old war castle; they raised its long
walls and placed it's narrow widows
and machicolated it's rOOfs-in the
rose complete under the new chest
nut trees of only two or three hum
dred years standing.
''Just behind the great stone there :"
Alike formulated, was the dogs bed
room. OF course. a great monsieur
like the dog had his own bedroom
yes, and office, toO-and maybe his
dining ROOM
And the joke was enough on that
lazy day of vacation to set peals of
laughter ringing through the ruins,
ALIKE stopped laughing, suddenly
who is that" she demanded. Her
eyes lifted to the hill rising behind
the green mound, and the eyes of the
others followed hers A young man,
a boy, was coming lightly down the
slope. and something in his figure and
movement made it impossible even ct
a distance that it should be any one
Of the village. Strangers were not
common in quiet Nicques. and why
should a stranger be coming over the
mountain? The children were silent
as they watched the figure drawing
closer: ii seemed as if an event Of
importance was about 20 happen.
Rapidly the boy sprang down the
mOuntainside; they could see him
plainly now: he was two OF three
years older than the boys of the cha
teau; he was short. slender, compact,
with thin aquiline face. with some
thing about him which the country
bred children did not understand 10
be that subtle quality. presence. lie
saw them. and camC forward and
his cap was Off quickly rs he glanced
at Alike But with n keen look at
the three, it was Francois 70 whom
he spoke.
us this France" he asked
But yes. Monsieur" Francois an
swered wondering -and in n moment
he wondered more. The strange boy
his cap flung from him. dropped on
/ his knees and kissed the grass that
grew over the Roman governor
foundations. With that he was stand
ing again. looking at them unashamed
from his quiet gray eyes.
II Is the ITSt time nave loOCled
the soil of France since 7 was seven
/ years old" ne stated not as if TO eX-
cuse his act, but as if explaining
something historical And was S.
/ lent.
The children, going over this days
event many times after could never
remember how il happened that they
| talked SO much. The strange boy
I talked very little; they could not rec
/ ollect that he asked questions, after
I his first startling question: Yet there
was Alike. the very spirited and proud
1 little Alike. anxious to make him un-
derstand everything Of their own af-
I fairs.
II am Alike" she began-and
I stopped short. seized with shyness
Was it courtesy TO explain 10 the
I young monsieur about his Distinguish
/ ed father? or was il Dragging she
/ found herself suddenly in an agony
I OF confusion. for all Of them were
/ laughing their quick young laughter
at her brief statement Then the
stranger made a low bow and SPOKE
/ in the gentlest friendly tones.
/ annnuh IS oh f-r,, "a