The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1914-04-02

talks. l don't understand 1t. VIII you
let me read it to you?"
Surely" said Pietro, and waited
with his unsmiling eyes on her face.
MY dear mademoiselle," Alike read.
81 am writing to beg your forgiveness,
as have begged that Of the Chevalier
Beaupre, for the very great fault
have committed. The chevalier trust
ed to me letter for you which was to
have been sent you only In case Of
certain event; by carelessness which,
unmeant as it was, shall never for
give myself, gave It with other let
ters to our negro Sambo to be posted
at once. BY now 1t may have reached
you. l cannot tell If / have made
trouble or not, but ia any case, can
not rest without, saying to you-as
we'll as to the Chevaiier-how sorry
am. II you can find it in your heart
to forgive me, please do SO, dear
mademoiselle. That l should have
made trouble for one as dear to the
cheyalier as you are is a deep grief to
me. He has talked to me of you. With
very earnest prayer again for your
forgiveness / am, mademoiselle, yours
faithfully and sincerely.-.,Lucy Hamp-
ton Hampton"
Pietro looked bewildered. What is
it about?" he asked.
Il wonder" and Alike laughed and
frowned at the paper in her hand. 1T
seems Francois wrote me letter and
left it with little Mistress Hampton to
be sent In case Of a certain event.
What event? What a strange thing
for Francois to dol. And then he came
to us here and said nothing Of mys-
terious letters left cooking in Vir-
ginia. l cannot make it out, Pietro-
can you"
Not l." said Pietro
"The letter of Francois has not
come; that is certain; wonder IL the
negro Sambo lost it."
Probably" Pietro said. 'Tt should
have come before this one, otherwise. "
1T is riddle" Alike decided, "and
l never guess them" Then, dropping
into a seat on the wide window-sill,
"Pietro-you are letting yourself be
depressed"
The gray eyes met hers with some
thing that seemed wall of reserve in
their steady glance. Il think possibly
l miss having no exercise" he said.
II will feel more natural when l can
get about"
Alike looked at him. "You are eat
ing your heart out to be with Fran
cois," she said, and laid her hand on
his.
Pietro stared as If the light touch
had shaken him; then slowly his large
fingers twisted lightly around the
small ones, and he turned his face
again, holding her hand SO, to the win
dow and the view Of the valley and
the river and the village. A moment
they sat so, the girls hand loose in
the hollow of the mans; slow red
crept into Alixe's face; there was con-
fusion in her brain. She had laid her
hand on that of her brother; her broth
er had taken it in his-and behold, by
witchcraft it was all changed. This
delicate big grasp that held her was
not brotherly; through all her veins
suddenly she knew that; the flush shot
up to her eyes, to her forehead, and
she tried, with an attempt at an every.
day manner, to draw her hand away.
But Pietro, his set pale face toward
the window, his eyes gazing out, held
her hand. With that the world had
reeled and was whirling past her
Pietro had caught both her hands in a
tight grip and had drawn them against
him, was holding them there, was
looking at her with face which not
even she, this time, might mistake.
Alike" he said, II know you don't
care for me. know you love Fran
co.'s. did not mean ever to speak
but when you put your hand or
mine"
He held her palms together and
parted the palms and kissed the fin
ger-tips, first of one and then Of the
other, as If he kissed something holy
81 shall never speak again, but this
once will. l always loved you-one
must. l knew always that slow 81
lent person like me would have nc
chance against fellow like Francois
So have kept still, and it was hard. Il
won't be so hard now that you know
Are you angry, Alixe?"
Alike, with her head bent SO tha
Pietro did not see her face, with hel
head bending lower-lower, suddenl!
was on her knees by the chair and he
face was on Pietros arm.
Alike" he whispered, what is it
what have l done?"
But the brown waves Of hair will
the blue ribbon tied around them la.
motionless on his arm. And suddenl,
thought shook him.
ut cannot bel" he gasped.
And Alike lifted her face. and tn
exaggerated black lashes lifted, AM
the blue glance lifted and rested o.
Pietro's black hair bent down wher
the light shone on the silver line
through it. Up flashed her hand i'm
pulsively, gently-as Alike did things
and touched the thick lock with an II
finitely delicate caress. Your hair
is all turning gray" she whispered 4
two quick breaths, ana at that, in som
occult fashion Pietro knew.
For moments they had no need &
Q that makeshift, language; the grea
house was very quiet, and one hear
9 the horses stamping in the pave
8 courtyard and the erooms singing, an