The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1914-02-06
to the military highway which passes
the Chateau de la Trappe?"
CHAPTER II.
The Government Interferes.

The Government lnterferes.
There Is a short cut across that
meadow" said the young girl, raising
rounded, sun-tinted arm, bare to the
shoulder And, after that, you will
come to thicket Of white birches."
Thank you, mademoiselle"
And after that" she said, idly fol-
lowing with her blue eyes the contour
Of her own lovely arm, you must turn
10 the left, and there you will cross a
hill You can see it from where we
stand"
A deadened report shook the sum
mer air-the sound of cannon fired
very far away, perhaps on the cita-
del OF Strasbourg Without turning
my head | said: 1T is difficult TO be.
lieve that there is war anywhere In
the worlds II not, mademoiselle?"
Not if one knows the world, she
said, indifferently,
do you know IT, my child?"
Sufficiently she said.
She had opened again the book
which she had been reading when /
first noticed her. From my saddle
saw that II was Moliere.
why do. you tend turkeys?"
asked.
Because it pleases me-" she re-
piled, raising her eyebrows in faint
displeasure.
For that same reason you read
Monsieur Moliere?" | suggested.
Doubtless, monsieur"
Are you what you pretend to be,
an Alsatian turkey tender?"
"ParbIeu' There are my turkeys,
monsieur"
Perhaps" said I, but have asked
you a question which remains par
ried. Who are you?" ! demanded.
"Oh, a mere nobody in such learned
company" she said. shaking her head
with a mock humility that annoyed
me intensely.
Very we'll" said I. conscious every
moment of her pleasure in my dis
comhture; under the circumstances
all EOlAl6 W tLoR NDu " clAANlN AAA1
escort to La Trappe; for / think you
are Mademoiselle Elyen, recently Of
the Odeon theater."
Monsieur" she said, "do you ride
through the world pressing every
peasant girl you meet with such ar
dent entreaties? Truly, your fashion
of wooing is not slow, but everybody
knows that hussars are headlong gen
tlemen-'Nothing is sacred from
hussar,'" she hummed, deliberately,
in a parody which made me writhe in
my saddle.
"Mademoiselle,7 said !, taking off
my forage cap, your ridicule is not
the most disagreeable incident that |
expect to meet with today. | am at
tempting to do my duty, and | must
ask you to do yours"
And if / refuse?"
Then" said l, amiably, Il shall be
obliged to set you on my horse" And
dismounted and went toward her.
After a silence she said, very seri-
ously, Monsieur, would you dare use
violence toward me?"
"Oh, | shall not be very violent" |
replied, laughing. l held the opened
watch in my hand so that she could
see the dial if she chose.
1T is one O'clock" | said, closing
the hunting with a snap.
She looked me steadily in the eyes.
will you come with me to La
Trappe?"
She did not stir.
| stepped toward her; she gave me
a breathless, defiant stare; then in an
instant | caught her up and swung
her high into my saddle, before either
she or l knew exactly what had hap
pened.
She was clever enough not to try
to dismount, woman enough not to
make an awkward struggle or do any
thing ungraceful. In silence, led the
horse forward through the open gate
out into the wet meadow.
AS for my turkey-girl, she sat stiffly
in the saddle, with a frmness and de-
that proved her to be
stranger to horses. l scarcely dared
look at her, so fearful was l of laugh
ing.
So we went on. The spectacle of a
cavalryman in full uniform leading a
cavalry horse on which was seated an
girl in bright peasant cos
tune appeared to astonish the few
people we passed.
We met dozen people in all, / !
think, some of them peasants, one
Or two of the better class-a country
Ioctpr and q notary among them !