Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1914-02-18

tie, Dut only little, Tor they we're
carefully wrapped in the bit of oiIsxin
in which they had coma Ea unfoIied
the letter.
III you viii press the lower corner
on the left-hand side" Pietro said
the lower corner."
And he had been concentrating all
his efforts, all his despair, on the up
per corner. When it is a question Of
life and death a man is superhumanly
strong and quick sometimes, but he Is
also sometimes forgetfuI. II is an ex-
citing and confusing thing, likely, to
be working for life and liberty after
five years of Imprisonment. Francois
pushed the lower left-hand corner and
Ike magic the great block above
swung out. With his lighted candle
end iii his hand he slipped through
and turned and swung back the door
into place and turned again and faced
blackness. Narrow, low, cold black
ness. Quickly enough. however. with
good courage, with his heart thump-
ing out song of hope, which he lad
kept down sternly till now, he walked,
at times STOPPING low as he must be-
cause Of the descent, down the secret
road of the old Zappis. His candle
held forward, he could see few feet
ahead, but all he could see was huge
blocks Of rough stone. green with
mold, water dripping between them.
The air he breathed was heavy and
thick; through mis- wet clothes he felt
chill as of the grave. But what mat
tered the road, when the road led to
| freedom?
Suddenly it came to him that the
passage might be blocked 1t was years
since Pietro had been through it;
some of the stones might have fallen
1t would take very little to close so
narrow way. With an anxiety which
was physical pain, with breathless
eagerness now, he hurried on. He had
| to stop to light his second candle;
again he hurried on. Would the end
never come? Was any mistake pos
| sible? With that he stumbled against
something and fell, and the candle
flew from his hand and was put out;
with hoarse groan he threw out an
| arm to steady himself, to rise; his
hand went through yielding. prickly
mass; a glimmer came in past it,
/ light-the end!
Pushing. crashing, staggering
through, he came into a strange place.
1t was as If giant had taken a huge
spoon and scooped out the top of the
earth deep. very deep. All Of this
great hollow was filed with trees and
tangled underground. 1t was full of
/ vague shadows in the glimmer of the
/ earliest dawn. Francois, standing
there sobbing, CHASTITY with paleness.
with matted hair and wild-staring eyes
and gasping mouth and wet torn
/ clothes. was fit demon for the haunt
ed spot. He saw nothing, no one; with
/ that there was a soft swapping of
| twigs and a movement in the darkness
( farthest from him; movement toward
him. Tottering he crawled to meet it,
/ in another second the shadows had
! shaped into figures-a peasant boy on
horse, leading another horse.
Then he stood close to them, and
the boy, leaning over without a word
put something into his hand, and Fran
co.'s, swaying with exhaustion, saw
that it was flask. He took long
swallow of cognac and his chilled blood
leaped, and with that he had caught
the bride from the lad and was in the
saddle
In the shadows of trees. in lonely
lane. the peasant boy stopped his
horse suddenly and made a short ges.
ture toward the flask sticking out of
Francois coat pocket. His strength
was going again. it was exactly the
right moment Another swallow of
brandy and he rode on with fresh
courage. But something in the ges-
ture of the peasa t boy; something
about his seat in the saddle. about the
touch of his hands on the rein, gave
Francois curious underlined shock. In
the growing daylight he turned toward
the silent rider The coat collar was
up and the broad-brimmed soft hat
drawn down. The slim figure. outlined
against the cool pink vastness Of the
morning sky was clad like an ordinary
young peasant-yet. There was
poise. sure grace, which seemed unlike
q i'teASethbt WHICH seSliiGu
Have we far to Fo?" Francois de-
manded suddenly in French.
The head turned swiftly; black ex-
aggerated lashes lifted and under them
were the blue eyes he knew.
Alike"
He cried II out loud, reckless. for
getting everything. But she did not
forget In an instant her hand was on
his mouth. and she was whispering in
terror.
Francois. dear Francois, be careful.
We are not safe vet. We have a viii
lage to ride through-see. there is
house. 1t is almost time for them to
be awake. Ride fast. 1t is two miles
yet"
They were racing again over the
soft ground. the horses unshod feet
making little noise. and Francois
heart was playing mad music. No
need now of cognac. Then they were |
galloping down the sand of a lonely |
beach, and with that there was little |
group of people ard boat drawn up: |
and they had pulled IN the horses, and |
Francois felt hims elf lifted of like a |
child and lying Ike a very little, |
WORKOUT child in the generals arms;
and the general was crying, swearing. |
H.. Il szNA