The Tabor independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1913-19??, 1914-09-24

AIixe's postscript were final. sPietro
sends his love" A subsconscious
reasoning made him certain that
Pietro would not have come into such
a letter IL It had been indeed a love LETT
ter: that the three lines OF writ
not have held another mans name,
IL they had been written TO the
man whom she loved. Very dlmly,
very surely the Prince concluded these
THINGS and then he lowered his cigar,
and his ray dull eyes came down from
the ceiling and rested. kindly on he
radiant face. You are right, my
friend. 1t was an exquisite thought Of
your lady-love to put this other
weapon. this bright sword OF happf-
ness into your hand, to fight with to-
morrow. Mon Dieu. we will reward
her by sending her back a marshal's
baton by you; a marshaPs baton to-
morrow. Francoisl How would IT
sound, par exemple, to say Madame la
Marechale'?"
The list from Francois ayes was like
my Prince-Sire-there are three
things I have desired all my life, all
great things, but Of them that one
the baton OF n marshal-is the least.
II / might win her love--I have said;
IL ! might help put you In Napoleon's
DlACC III bAOhL Wv ALAAAADCASAA "
you on the throne of France; II I
might fulfil the emperor's prophecy
and be not a marshal some day any
longer but a marshal OF your empire
Il is asking much OF one lifetime, above
all for a man born a peasant, Is IL notR
Yet of those three wishes n wonder
full fuhlment has come to me"--and he
gripped his letter closer-"snd once, I
believe tomorrow brings. Before to-
morrow night'-his great eyes were
lifted toward the ceiling Of h room,
and In III am was the rapt look of the
child OF tNa farm house in the Jura, q
look of a '.eer Of visions. a look that
caught at lie Princes nerves. and made
him draw a breath quickly. Something
above myself tells me-" Francois said
slowly, and the words came with
languid power, as IL his personality
were a medium, that before tomorrow
night the officers who stand about you
shall hail you emperor over the body
OF a man who lies before you"
In the silence. the princes watch
could be heard ticking. Francois
shivered violently.
"UghI" he said, his teeth chatter
ing. 1T gives me a crise de nerfs',
that trick OF vision seeing. / do not
like 1t. and yet at times 1t selzes me
Why should 1t come to a man happy
as / anna man who has dared ask
three enormous wishes of the good
fairies; who holds one Of them In his
hand"-he lifted the letter-"who sees
another in easy reach, and who" he
smiled brilliantly. who will be well
content without the third. my prince,
the first two being his" He shivered
again. is the night raw? 1t is as II
/ were In q grave. this coldness." he
said. looking about with a disturbed
gaze. yet my life is just beginning"
The prince rose and tossed his cigar
to the fireplace. ut is simply that you
are tired. Francois" he said in the
tranquil tones which no peril disturbed.
THE nerves Of us all are stretched and
yours are the finest strung. Go to
bed. and at daylight you will be warm
enough. with the work that awaits us.
Sleep well-good night, my friend"
Later. In the darkness of his cham
Der. Prince Louis lay awake, his inn
agination filed with the man whose
dramatic personality appealed to him
as few had ever done. He thought Of
his own life. according to his lights
not a bad life. radically strong and
radically gentle. yet complicated, abb
normal from its start, with many
shadows and many stains; then OF the
crystal ~clearness OF this others, with
his three wishes In which he trusted
as simply as a child would trust to the
fairies. A small almost tender stole
across the mask-like features In the
dark. There is no doubt but the girl
will marry the MARQUIS" he reflected.
Yet I am glad ! left him his hope and
his happiness" A vision Of Francois
beatihed look rose before him.
"A a fights better so" the prince
murmured aloud. and. his own sad
ness FORGOTTEN in another mans Joy,
he fell asleep.
r ".#nr