The Madisonian. (Richmond, Ky.) 1913-1914, 1914-07-28
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be no harder to give you up tomorrow
han it would be next month. Yes, to-
then, let it be-"
Francois stood up, slim, young. alert
and steady, yet somehow not as the
boy who had come in to the general
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.
Il will go to the farm tonight, to
my mother and my father. And this
afternoon will ride with Alike, II 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 herr.
YES" agreed the general doubt
fully. 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 you not, my
SOM"
A quick contraction twisted Fran
co.'s sensitive mouth and was gone,
but this time the general saw You
may trust me, my Seigneur," the boy
said, and moved to the door; but the
general 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
Alixe-deeply? Do you love her, Fran
cois?"
There was shock of stiffness in the
old dim library. Through the window
where tho children's shouts had
come i'll ten years before to the mar
quis and the general-one heard now
in the quiet the sudden staccato of
late cricket. The general, breathing
anXlously, looked at Francois, Fran
co.'s standing like a statue The gen.
erai repeated his question softly,
breathlessly. DO you love her, Fran
cois?''
With that the great eyes blazed and
the whole face of the boy lighted as
if fire had famed inside O. lantern
He threw back his head.
With all my SOUL" he said. "And
! forever"
A rushing mountain stream-white.
yelled in the falling, black-browr in
the fcam-fecked pools-tumbled
splashed, brawled down the mountain +;
the mountain hung over, shadowy;
banks of fern held the rampant brook
in chains of green. Alike and Fran.
coise, riding slowly in the GOODNESS OF
the road below, looked up and saw II
all, familiar, beautiful, full of old as
sociations.
"One misses Pietro," Francois said
He always wanted to ride past the
'Trou du Gouverneur.'"
A Roman legend had given thi!
name to the deep pool of the brook
by the road; it was said that the crue
old governor had used it, two Thousand
years back, for drowning refractor,
peasants. Alike gazed steadily at tn,
dark murmuring water.
Yes, one misses him. Is life Hk,
that, do you suppose, Francois? On,
grows up with people, and they ge
to be as much part of living as tn
air, or ones hands-and then. sue
denly, one is told that they are &c
ing away. And that ends 1t. On
must do without air, without hands
What world, Francois!"
We are not meant to like it to-
much, believe, Alike" said Francoi
sunnily. 1T Is just en- PEASANT, thi
world, when you stop to consider
This is school, this life, gather. M
mother says it is not very importan
if one has good seat in the schoo
room or a bad; If one sits near one
playmates or is sent to another col
ner. SO long as one is a good chill
! and works heartily at ones lessons
1t is only for a day-and then we e
. home, where all that is made righ
Not a bad idea of my mothers, is il
, Alixe?"
Your mother is a wonderful won
an" Alike answered thoughtfully
She lives like that. She never lie
things trouble her, not even when you
father lost everything. Did she, Frar
y cois?"
NO" said Francois. "She is one G
! the few people who know what tn
real things are and live in them.
Is hard to do that. l can not. l car
, so bitterly for what I want "It is"-
Francois lesitated-'it is very har
: for me to give up-what want" H
b, stumbled over the words; his voic
hot
saddle md looked at him inquiringl!
) Ali - dear" then Francoi
stopped. "Yo-. neeL not be afraid ths
l shall have more than Pietro," he b,
gan uncertainl.-. &c it is not goin
to be -. He will have what-what
would give :: life for" Then b
hurried -. 81 see how it is" he sal
gently, "and you are right to care s
Loyalty fo" Pietrc. He is worth i
And you must never care less, Alix
never forget him because he ma
gone away. He will come back" Th
10y spoke with effort, slowly, bu
Alike was too much occupied with he
own tumultuous thoughts to motto,
He will surely come back and-b,
long to you more than ever. He wi
come back distinguished and covere
with honors, perhaps, and then-an
then-AliXe, do you eee the chestnJ
tree at the corner that turns to tn
chateau? 1t is good bit of soft roa
we will race to that tree-shall we
And then l will tell you something
The horses raced merrily; Alike Sc
close to the saddle with the ligt
swinging seat, the delicate hand O
the bridlo, whic'l we're part of he
Q perfect horsemanship, and over an
over as he watched her ride Franco