The Climax-Madisonian. (Richmond, Madison County, Ky.) 1914-1917, 1914-12-02


belonging to that part of France. The
intimacy began in her often meeting
among the vineyards a pretty child. a
girl with a most compassionate heart.
who was never tired OF listening to the
solitary English iady's stories of her
poor son and the cruel wars. The fam
lily were as gentle as the child. and at
length she came to know them so well
that she accepted their invitation to
pass the last month of her residence
abroad under their roof. All this in
telligence she wrote home. piecemeal
as it came about. from time to time.
and at last inclosed polite note from
the head of the chateau soliciting. on
the occasion OF his approaching mis-
sion to that neighborhood, the honor Of
the company Of Get homme 81 juste-
ment celebre, NJ. lie Capitaine Richard
Doubledick.
Captain Doubledick. now a hardy.
handsome man in the full vigor of life.
broader across the chest and shoulders
than he had ever been before. dispatch
ed courteous reply and followed it in
person. Travelling through all that ex-
tent of country after three years of
peace. he blessed the better days on
which the world had fallen. The corn
was golden. not drenched in unnatural
red: was bound in Sheaves for food.
not trodden underfoot by men in NOR
tai fight. The smoke rose up from
peaceful hearths. not blazing ruins. In
softened spirit he reached the old
oh ~ nj
evening.
1t was a large chateau Of the genuine
old ghostly kind. with round towers
and extinguishers and a high Ieaden
roof and more windows than Alad-
din's palace. The lattice blinds were
all thrown open after the heat of
the day. and there were glimpses Of
rambling walls and corridors with
in Then there were immense out
buildings fallen into partial decay.
masses of dark trees. terrace gardens.
balustrades. tanks OF water too weak
to play and too dirty to work, statues.
weeds and thickets of iron railing that
seemed to have overgrown themselves
like the strawberries and to have
branched out in all manner of wild
shapes. The entrance doors stood open.
and the captain walked in.
He walked into a lofty stone ball.
refreshingly cool and gloomy after the
glare of the southern days travel. Elk
tending along the four sides of this
hall was gallery leading TO suits of
rooms. and it was lighted from the top.
Still no bell was to be seen.
Faith" said the captain hating,
ashamed of the cIanking of his boots.
this is a ghostly beginning!"
He started back and felt his face
turn white. In the gallery looking
down at him stood the French officer
the officer whose picture be had car
ried in his mind so long and so far.
Compared with the remembered orig.
inar at last-in every lineament how
like it was!
He moved and disappeared, and Cap
tain Richard Doubledick heard his
steps coming quickly down into the
hall. He entered through an archway.
There was a bright. sudden look upon
his face, much such a look as it had
worn in that fatal moment at Bada-
jos.
M. lie Capitaine Richard Double
dick? Enchanted to receive him! A
thousand apologies! The servants were
all out in the air. There was a little
fete among them in the garden. In
ter, the little cherished and protected
Of Nine. Taunton.
He was so gracious and so frank
that NJ. lie Capitaine Richard Double
dick could not withhold his hand.
ct is the hand of brave English
man." said the French officer, re-
tanning it while he spoke. IL could
respect a brave Englishman even as
my foe, how much more as my friend!
also am a soldier"
HE has not remembered me as I
have remembered him. He did not
take such note of my face that day as
I took Of his" thought Captain Rich
ard Doubledick. How shall 1 tell
him?"
The French officer conducted his
guest into garden and presented him
to his wife. an engaging and beautiful
woman, sitting with Mrs. Taunton in
l.
His daughter, her fair young face
beaming with joy. came running to
embrace him. and there was a boy
baby to tumble down among the or
ange trees on the broad steps in max
ing for his fathers legs. A multitude
Of children visitors were dancing to
sprightly music, and all the servants
and peasants about the chateau were
dancing too. 1t was a scene. of inno-
cent happiness that might have been
invented for the climax Of the scenes
of peace which had soothed the cap
tain's journey.
He looked on, greatly troubled in his
mind. until resounding bell rang. and
the French officer begged to show him
his rooms. They went upstairs into
the gallery from which the officer had
looked down, and NJ. lie Capitaine Rich
ard Doubledick was cordially wei
coined to grand outer chamber and
smaller one within, all clocks and
draperies and hearths and brazen dogs
and tiles and cool devices and elegance
and vastness.
you were at Waterloo?" said the
French officer
II was" said Captain Richard Dou-
bledick. And at Badajos."
Left alone with the sound OF his own
stern voice in his ears, he sat down to
consider. What shall l do and how
shall tell him? AT that time unhap-
PLY many deplorable duels had been
fought between English and French
officers arising out of the recent war.
and these duels and how to avoid this
officers hospitality were the upper
most thought in Captain Richard Dou-
bledick's mind.
He was thinking and letting the time
run out in which he should have dress