The public ledger. [volume] (Maysville, Ky.) 1913-1968, 1914-02-14

OF loosened masonry and down came
the great blocks close to his hands
he was slippingl And, above. the wall
swayed. Then, in the instant of time
before the catastrophe, Francois had
sprung like cat into the center of
danger and pushed the other boy, vio-
lently Keeling. across the grass out of
harms way.
Alike screamed once sharply. Fran
co.'s lay motionless on his face and the
great stones rained around him. 1t
was all over In a moment; in a mo-
ment more a shout of Joy rose from
Pietro, for Francois lifted his head
and began crawling difficulty, with
Pietro's help, out of the debris.
Il have to thank you for my life,
Monsieur the peasant" the stranger
said, and held out his hand. More
over, it is seldom that a prophecy is so
quickly fulfilled. You said few min
utes ago that you should one day do
a thing worth while for Bonaparte.
You have donS 1t. You have saved my
life"
Francois hand crept to his cap and
he pulled II Off and stood bareheaded.
Monsieur, who are you" he
brought out.
The strange boys vanishing smile
frightened his face a second. 81 am
Louis Bonaparte," he said quietly.
The little court of three stood about
the young Prince, silent. And in q
moment, in a few sentences, he had
told them how, the day before, he had
been seized with a hunger for the air
of France, which he had not breathed
since, as boy of seven, his mother
had escaped with him from Paris dur
ing the Hundred Days. He told them
how the desire to stand on French soil
had possessed him, till at last he had
run away from his tutor and had found
the path from his exiled home. the
castle Of Arenenberg. in the canton of
Thurgovie, in Switzerland, over the
mountains into the Jura valley.
1T is imprudent," he finished the
tale calmly The government would
turn on all its big engines in an uproar
to catch one schoolboy, If it was
known. But had to do it," He threw
back his head and filled his lungs with
great breath. THE air of France"
he whispered in an ecstasy.
For two hours more they told sto-
ries and played games through the
soft old ruins of the savage old strong.
hold. as light-heartedly, as carelessly
as II there were no wars or intrigues
or politics or plots which had been
and were to be close to the lives OF
all of them. Till, as the red round
sun went down behind the mountain
of the Rose, Francois quick eye
caught sight of figure swinging rap
idly down the mountain road where
the Prince had come.
But look, Louis" he called from be.
hind the rock where he was preparing.
as a robber baron, to swoop down on
Prince Louis conveying Alike as an
escaped nun to Pietro's monastery in
another corner.
And the boy Prince, suddenly grave,
shaded his eye with his hand and
gazed up the mountain Then his
hand fell and he sighed. "The adven-
ture is over" he said. 81 must 20
back to the Prince business. 1t is
Monsieur Lebas."
Monsieur Lebae, the tutor, arrived
shortly in anything but a playful hu.
NOR. The boys mother, Queen Hor-
tense, was in Rome, and he was re-
sponsible; he had been frightened to
the verge of madness nv the nripcn,s
escapade.
The playmates were separated
swiftly Monsieur Lebas refused with
like horror the eager sug-
gestion that he and his charge should
spend the night at the chateau. The
Prince must be gotten off French
ground without a moments delay.