The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1914-07-16
ARbmale Of neutrality-suspicious.
liz MARSHAL
BINARY Raymond ShipmanAndrews
@ The Perfect Hzbue. etc
CHAPTER xIv-(continued).
Iopy1isht. The BobbsMerrm comparr

ieAS WS oAo T&WeiI OIL TO MS castle IN
Italy and you came back to me here as
fine a young gentleman as any dukes
son, I said to myself that / had done
well. Somewhere. from that remark
able mother OF yours, l believe, you-a
peasant-have got the simplicity and
the unconsciousness that are the finest
touches OF the finest breeding. 1 am very
proud o. you, Francois. ! vas proud
when, just after you graduated. the
leaders Of the B%onapartist faction in
France came to this chateau for a Sc
cret convention and / could present YOU
to them as my adopted child, as my
collaborator in the new book. our mill
tary history of the Austerlitz campaign
that had a good sound for a lad of is.
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!
ana then. when they wrote and sug-
gested sending o as ambassador on
the secret mission to the Duke OF
Reichstadt last year, I almost burst
with pride to think how well you were
fitted for 1t: fitted to talk with princes,
equipped With the knowledge and the
statecraft to handle a delicate politi-
cal situation. 1t Is no easy thing to
lind such an ambassador. for such a
mission man not marked or known,
yet with the subtle and strong quail
ties which make a man marked. You,
with your youth n peasant name INC
air of a young noble, filled the difficult
want. You did it well and won laurels
from critical old diplomatists.
nave been worrying a bit since to
nave 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, 1
await a revolution when men such as
you will be needed; the Bonapartist
VapCf 10 yUnrlyi1, 1,o11~ 49, N
all the country; the time will come
when a single crashing blow perhaps
will shake France and place one of the
emperor's name on the emperor's
throne. And at that time yea, mon
s.eur, be ready to put our
faith. my son, in that accolade of the
emperor of your infancy; you and I
believe that. as he said, you may lie one
Gay a marshal Of France under anoth-
er Bonaparte.' 1t is for you to fulfil
that prophecy"
knees. stared at the boy with burn
ing eyes. stirred by his own words in
70 a true French access of enthusiasm.
But the boys eyes did not meet his as
usual 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
MS boy; what he did was right. He
drew in a great breath and let it out
In a sigh Of contentment.
have talked you to extinction,
Francois" he growled. And in all my
what 1t 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
~ ike r'Pi0trnfb hn coi1 -1-rr1r ar -.
not thought Of that"
Yet You knew that Pietro was heart
and soul in the plots Of the Italian pa
t~riots?"
Yes"
But you had not thought of going
to help him fight?"
No. my %seigneur. I had thought only
of the fight for which I must be ready
here"
This italian business will be good
practlce,' said the general, as a man
of today might speak Of a tennis tour
nament. And you and Pietro will be
han to be together again"
Francois smiled and something in
the smile wrung the generals heart.
FRANCOIS, you are not going to be
unhappy about little Alixe?"
Quickly Francois threw back. as if
he had not heard the question: NV
seigneur, l will go to Pietro; it will be
the best thing possible-action and
training and good old Pietro for a
comrade; My s%eigneur, may I go to-
morrow?"
Tomorrow The general was
startled now, "A thousand blunders,
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
and steady, yet somehow not as the
~ DOW who had coma In To tho oonaro1
an hour before; more, perhaps, as a
man who had been through a battle
and come out very tired, with the noise
of the fighting in his ears.
I will go to the farm tonight, to my
mother my father. And this after
noon I will ride with Alike, If you do
not want ME for the book, my ~seigneur
and If she will go. May 1 ask you
not to tell Alike Of this-to leave it to
me to tell her?
Yes agreed the general doubtfully.
But you will be careful not to-upset
her, Francois?"
Il will be careful"
And-and you will do what you
can to help Pietro, will o not, my
A quick contraction twisted Fran
co.'s 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!"
Yes, my %seigneur." He faced about,
steady and grave, and stood holding
the door.
Francois, my son-I have not hurt
you-very much? You do not love
Allxe-deeply? Do you love her,
Francois p
There was a shock of stiffness in the
old dim library. Through the window
where the children's shouts had come
IN 10 years before to the marquis and
the general-one heard now in the
quiet the sudden staccato Of a late
cricket. The general, breathing anx-
iously, looked at Francois, Francois
standing like a statue. The general re-
neated his question softly, breathlessly.
Do o love her, Francois?"
With that the great eyes blazed and
the whole face OF the boy lighted as IL
a fire had famed inside a lantern. He
threw back his head.
With all my SOUL" he said. And
forever"
CHAPTER XIV.