Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1914-04-01
cAAprER xxxI.--contInued.

Prince Louis saw the dawning OF
CONSERVATION. Rapidly he considered.
Was It we'll to take away a mans hap
piness and courage just before fight?
He remembered some words of Fran
co.'s spoken three years before. words
whose dramatic baroness had struck
him. when knight of the old time
went INTO battle" the young man had
said, "he wore on his helmet the badge
of his lady, and the thought OF her In
his heart. A man fights better So"
Very we'll This blind knight should
have his letter. with the meaning he
had read into Il. for his lady's badge.
and he should fight tomorrow with the
thought of her In his heart, The let
ter suggested another meaning to so
phlsticated Louis Bonaparte, but there
is no need TO hasten the feet OF I'M
happiness. The resonant French voice
spoke at last in an unused accent OF
cordially and the Prince lied, with
ungrudging graciousness.
Mistaken. my Francois! Not at all
The little billet-doux breathes love for
you in each line-there is no question!
But, mon ami. you have not finished
your story" SO Francois explained
about the letter left with Lucy Hamp-
ton and it's premature sending THAT
has reached her now--she knows now
that | love her, she knows what has
really been my lifelong wish--she has
hurried this" and his hand crushed
the note tenderly--"she has hurried
~ no hn arbt
might know her love also-that !
might fight better for you, my Prince
--Louis-with that JOY In my heart ="
Prince Louis. his head thrown back.
his expressionless eyer watching the
rings of smoke wh.on he pulled from
his mouth-ring after ring. mounting
in dream-like procession TO the low
ceiling, considered again Somewhere
I'm the chain of events OF this love
affair his keen practical sense felt q
link that did not flt--a link forced into
connection. Vaguely he discerned how
it something had happened TO
the Virginian letter-there had been
a confusion somewhere. To him the
four words of Alixes postscript we're
final. "Pietro sends his love" A sub.
conscious reasoning made him certain
that Pietro would not have come into
such a letter If II had been indeed q
love-letter; that the three lines OF
writing just before the battle coulc
not have held another mans name. Il
they had been written TO the mar
whom she loved. Very dimly, very
surely the Prince concluded these
things; and then he lowered his cigar
and his gray dull eyes came dowr
from the ceiling and rested. kindly OF
the radiant face. You are right, m,
friend. II was an exquisite thought o
your lady-love TO put this other weap
or, this bright sword OF happiness int,
your hand, to fight with tomorrow
Mon Dieu. we viii reward her by send
ing her back a Marshal's baton b
you; a Marshals baton tomorrow
Francois, How would IL sound. On
example. to say Madame la Mar,
chalet"
The light from Francois eyes wa
like lamp.
My Sire-there are thre
things / have desired all my life, "a
great things. but of them that one
the baton OF a Marshal--is the leas
II | might win her love- have said
If might help put you In Napoleon
place and shout 'Vive l'Empereur' fC
you on the throne of France. II
might fulfill the Emperor's propheC
land be not Marshal some day an
longer but Marshal Of your empire
ii is asking much OF one lifetime, aboS
ali Tor a man born a peasant is
not? Yet of those three wishes o.
wonderful fulfillment has come to m,
he gripped his letter eloser--"aI
one, believe tomorrow brings. b
fore tomorrow night"-h.s great ey'
were lifted toward the ceiling of q
room. and in them as the rapt loo
of the child of the farmhouse in Il
Jura, look of a seer Of visions, loo