The Madisonian. (Richmond, Ky.) 1913-1914, 1914-07-28

turned away with the message. And
your father shouted after him:
"'Stcpl Come back here! What
do you mean by that? Bring the mon
sieur to me- And the purple clothes
disappeared and appeared again in a
few minutes cleaning in the sun
against the gray old walls-I can see
it all now, .Alixe-like a large violet
blossom of a strange flower. And be-
hind Jean Philippe was tall man
in long travelling cloak, and behind
him tall little boy. And as they
came the seigneur turned to go to
meet them, and stopped and stared.
And the monsieur in the cloak stopped
and stared; and you, mounted on Coo,
and 1, holding Coq's bride, watched
curiously, because of the other child,
and we saw how the seigneur sud-
with hoarse shout rushed to the
tall man and threw his arms about
him and held him, and sobbed aloud.
That was strange thing to see the
seigneur do, and never forgot it. And
to think that the child who stood
there, shy and unknown, was Pietro!
1t seems unreasonable that ever there
was a time when you and Pietro and
l did not know one another well.
GAS 1 rode that day, with the Aus
TRANS after me, I thought out the
whole chain of events; how Pietro had
come and had stayed while his father,
the marquis, went to America, and had
fitted into our life and become dear to
US, the big, beautiful, silent lad. And
how then, because of the death of the
marquis, Pietro had come under the
charge of your father, the seigneur,
and how he and went away together
to the military school, always more
and more like brothers and-all the
rest. / need not recite those things
to you, yet 1 like to do it. My
thoughts, in that wild dangerous mo-
ment, seemed to go in detail through
all, from the morning that the Mar
quis Zappi arrived with his little son
at the chateau, through the ten years
of our life together, to my coming
into Italy as his secretary-and from
that, by a rapid step, to this castle
prison."
The rest of the letter belongs to a
later part of the story. That little
Pietro Zappi should be led into the
narrative by the hand of his closest
friend was the object for which the
letter was introduced, and, that &C
complished, the course of history
bends back to the quiet Valley of
Delesmontes and the children growing
up under the shadows of the castle
towers.
The general, sitting in his library
the morning after the arrival chron-
icled in the quoted letter, stared at
his old friend from under his heavy
brows as if trying vigorously to con-
vince himself of his presence. The
marquis, an Italian OF North Italy, tall
and proud and quiet, had the air more
Of a student than Of soldier. a
little the air, also, Of an invalid, for
be stopped and walked languidly, and
cough caught him at times. He waS
talking, on that morning In the library,
while the general listened; It was not
the usual order Of things.
$50 you see, Gaspard," the marquis
went on in his quiet reticent way,
that have believed in our old friend
ship. have taken for granted wei
come for my boyI could not have
done it with another man. The voy-
age to America and my stay there
will last, it may be a year. I have
brought Pietre to leave him with you
If you will have him.
This old officer of Napoleon had,
after all his battles and killings, the
simplicity and the heart OF his own
little girl. But he cleared his throat
hurriedly with a bravado of careless.
ness, and before the marquis could dc
more than smile at him wistfully, he
went on:
"It is all settled; there was no need
of word. Pietro is my son till you
claim him from me, and glad enough
/ am to get him for as long as l may
/ have lien on very good manner
of boy already, young Francois Beau
pre-, whom l wished to adopt, but the
lad would not give up his parents
And that makes me more eager fol
another. They will play better to
geCn6r ana WOrH DoCLer together, dnt
they will be good brace of brothers
for my Alike
Your Alike" the marquis spoke
ref1ectively "She is charming per
son, that little woman of yours"
"Alessandro, shall l tell you wha
flashed into my head before you ant
Pietro had been hero an hour?"
What them"
Il saw the children-your boy AM
my girl-together as if lifelong play
mates ovec the big books in the win
dow-seat there, and it came to m
that it would be joy u crown one
life if-lateT on" He stopped an
gazed inquiringly at the calm blu
eyes which met his.
YES" the marquis answered gu
city. at would be that-the crown c
? our friendship, if some day they Nigh
! love each other"
CHAPTER Viii