The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1914-04-02
PAGE ELEVEN

at had flown away. An desire for sport
had left the lady, and her only wish was
to get ont OF the tolls Of the mailman
without being murdered. She walked
on through the wood. endeavoring to
conjure up some plan of escape Pres
emily an idea was suggested to her by
seeing birds nest far up on branch.
Il have never got over my child
ish desire for birds nests" she said.
How | would like to go up and get
that one. Alas. what Is for little
girl is not for wOmanw
Her companion dropped the game
bag and rested his gun against the
tree. Then. without even doffing his
coat, he jumped. caught lower limb.
swung himself upon it, then stepped
from one limb to another till he reach
ed the one on which the nest had been
built, scrambled out on 1t, seized the
nest and was making his way back
when he heard mademoiselle say:
"Stopw
Looking down, he saw her pointing
her gun at him with her finger on the
trigger. He could see that she was
very much excited.
"Stay where you arep' she said. IF
you attempt to come down I'll shoOtw
"Why, mademoiselle," said the man.
what means this change In Your
Mademoiselle was so taken up with
her own plans for having the lunatic
secured that she did not hear. She
was too far from the chateau to call
II she fired her gun it would be sup
posed that she was simply killing
birds, and. now that she had antago-
nized him, she feared she would have
to kill him in self defense. What to
do she did not know.
MAY / ask, mademoiselle,' said the
man up in the tree, what / have done
to offend you?"
Nothing, assure you"
There was a mutual pause. The man
was puzzled, and, as for the lady, how
can one explain to a lunatic?
would you mind showing that con-
fidence by lowering your gun? / see
it is cooked. Your finger is on the trig-
ger and trembling. The gun might go
off,"
There was a shout of merriment from
thicket near by, and it seemed as If
pandemonium had been let loose. A
dozen men and women in fantastic
costumes emerged from behind trees
and came trooping toward the tree.
amazement Nevertheless she kept her
nerve.
81 was not aware" she said. that
there is lunatic asylum in the vicini-
ty. l supposed the gentleman up in
the tree was alone in his madness"
"You have lost LIE Vergnep cried
one of the men.
mot at ALL" replied the man above.
ION the contrary. have won"
prove it."
"Mademoiselle,' asked LIE Vergne,
Ibid you not give me permission to
shoot in your grounds?"
81 did. | feared that If ] refused
you would kill me-"
"You have lost, Bertier!' cried the
crowd. laughing.
"Mademoiselle," said lie Vergne, III
Is time that you were given an ex-
PLANTATION of these singular proceed
ings. If you will permit me to come
down will enlighten you"
Certainly, monsieur; come down."
Her gun had been already lowered
LIE Vergne came down and. standing
before her, deferentially said:
LAST night the officers of the Fifty !
seventh of the line gave dance in
costume to some friends from Paris.
We danced till morning, when, sitting
over some champagne and eatables.
our conversation turned upon your
splendid preserves and your unwill-
ingness to allow any one to shoot
therein. l. Captain LIE Vergne, bet Ma
jor Bertier that would shoot In your
grounds with your permission. en-
tered the preserves dressed as / am,
expecting to be arrested and taken to
you. had no definite plan as to how
should extract your forgiveness and
gain your permission to shoot / In
tended to rely entirely on my wits.
II was surprised to meet you so ear
ly in the morning and to find you SO
kindly disposed toward me- wonder
ed that you did not ask the reason for.
my strange costume, and it did not oc-
cur to me that you mistook, me for a
lunatic till | saw you pointing your
gun at me when / was coming down
with your birds nest. Permit me to
apologize for making you the subject
of bet and to offer you the birds
nest as souvenir of the occasion
Mile. Chauvier was much amused at
the explanation as well as relieved at
the termination of the freak. She ac-
cepted the souvenir graciously.
Il would not be satisfied, mademoi-
selle," said one of the ladies of the
party, ''if were you, at such paltry
gift. Captain lie Vergne has won 1000
francs from Major Bertier and can
afford to offer you much more sub
stantial acknowledgement of your kind
ness in permitting him to use your pre-
serves and especially for not shooting
him for q mailman when Won had mt