Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1914-07-15
CHAPTER x1v-(continued).

1t the top or the school,. when Ptetro
left US and went off to his castle in
Italy and you came back to me here as
fine q young gentleman as any dukes
son. I said to myself that 1 had done
well. Somewhere. from that remark
able mother Of yours, l believe, you-a
peasant-have got the simplicity and
the Inconsistencies that are the finest
touches Of the finest breeding. l am very
proud Of you Francois. l was proud
when. just after you graduated. the
leaders Of the B~onapartist faction i
France came to this chateau for a Sc
cret convention and I could present you
to them as my adopted child. as my
collaboration in the new book. our mill.
tary history of the Austerlitz campaign
And. name-of-a-dog! you held up your
ead-you could talk to them like a SOL
der and a statesman. Mon Dieu, yes!
And then. when they wrote and sug-
gested sending you as ambassador on
the secret mission to the Duke OF
with pride to think how we'll you were
fitted for it: fitted to talk with princes.
equipped with the knowledge INC the
statecraft to handle a delicate politi-
cal situation. 1t is no cas- thing to
find such an ambassador. for such a
yet with In subtle and strong quali-
ties which make a man marked. You.
with your youth and peasant name and
air Of q young noble. filled the difficult
want. You did it we'll and won laurels
from critical old diplomatists.
have kept you here chained to me and
the writing OF a history. when you
ought to be at the job Of making his
tory. Yet you are only 20. Time has
not pressed. SO far. And moreover. I
await a revolution when men such as
SyaYY uv%vv h~ ~~@1@ Ill., D>-----A1-A
yeast Is working under the surface OF
al! the country: the time will come
when a single crashing blow perhaps
Will shake France and place n of the
emperor'S name on the emperor's
throne. And at that time you. mon
strength into that blow. You and I have
faith. my son in that accolade Of the
emperor Of your infancy; you and I
believe that. as he said. you may lie one
day a marshal of France under anoth-
or Bonaparte.' It IL for you to fulfil
that prophecy"
The general. his big hands on his big
knees. stared at the boy with burn
Ing eyes, stirred by his W words in
to . true French access Of enthusiasm.
But the boys eye did not meet his as
with the flame Of whole-hearted
response which he loved: yet the gen
eral. carried away by his own generous
feelings. was not dissatisfied. This was
his boy; what he did was right. He
drew In a great breath and let It out
In e sigh of contentment.
II have talked o to extinction.
Francois" he growled. "And in all my
words I have not managed to tell you
what It is that I am talking about" He
tapped the letter again which lay un-
der his hand. "Pietro wants you to
come to him as his secretary"
Francois large eyes lifted to the gen.
erals face. inquiring. startled. child
like. "Pietro!" he said, slowly. 81 had
not thought Of that"
Yet you knew that Pietro was heart
n soul in the plots Of the Italian pa
triots?" 90
YES"
But you had not thought OF going
to help him fight?"
mo. my seigneur. I had thought ONLY
OF the fight for which I must be ready
This Italian business will be good
practice" said the general, as a man
nament. "And you and Pietro will be
enchanted to be together again"
smiled and something in
the smile wrung the generals heart.
unhappy about little Alixe?"
Quickly Francois threw back, as IL
he had not heard the question: "My
seigneur. ! will go to Pietro: it will be
the best thing possible-action and
training and good old Pietro for a
morrow"
Tomorrow " The general was
startled now. "a thousand biunders,
but you are a sudden lad. Yet it will
be no harder to give you up tomorrow
than 1t would be next month. Yes. to-
morrow. then, let it be-"
Francois stood up, slim, young alert
steady, yet somehow not as the
boy who had come in to the general
an hour before; more. perhaps. as a
man who had been through a battle
n come out very tired. with the noise
Of the fighting in his ears.
7 will go to the farm tonight, to my
mother and my father. And this after
noon I will ride with Alike, if you do
not want me for the book, my seigneur
and II h will go. May 1 ask you
not to tell Alike of this-to leave it to
Yes agreed the general doubtfully.
but you will be careful not to-upset
her. F~rancois?"
4 will be careful"
"And-and you will do what you
can to help Pietro. will you not, my
eon?''
a quick contraction twisted Fran
COTS sensitive mouth and was gone.
but this time the general saw You
may trust me. seigneur," the boy said,
and moved to the door: but the gen.
eral called to him as his hand touched
the latch.
"Francois!"
Eyes, my seigneur." He faced about.
steady and raw and stood holding
tho door.
Francois, my son-I have not hurt
you-very much? You do not love
Alixe-deeply? Do you love her.
Ffancois'?
There was q shock Of stiffness in the
old dim library. Through the window