The Washington times., 1914-01-15
CHAPTER XII.
T HE abbe had been called into Bou-
logne to attend a conference in
the cathedral The discussion

J ~ HE able had been called into BOu-
logne to attend a conference in
the cathedral. The discussion
had lasted longer than was in
! ticipated, and il was after 1850 before
the priests. from the church in Wine
TeuX and himself had caught he tram
, car to return home from BouiOgne.
He said good night to them at the
tram terminus outside the big church,
, crossed the bridge and began the as
cent of the dark, winding road which
would bring him up past the Cafe Tar
dot and the golf club and so on TO the
digue. The extension OF tram-line
which would have taken him in the
daytime to the loot of the dunes had
long since ceased running. 1t was,
therefore, a three-mile walk which
faced him.
The road. shut in by sleeping villas
and in dark shadow, first twisted up
steeply in a big S until. coming out
on top of the hill and leaving the houses
behind. the sea was spread out all white
{ beneath the moon, and the road, no
! longer III shadow, ran gently down past
the closed cafe Guerchard, past the
. Cafe Tardot. in whose windows there
were still lights. and so, by the big
! hotel. on to the digue.
1t was beautifully warm, and the abbe
! took the hill without hurrying. The
affairs of the evening still occupied his
mind, and IL was not until he had left
the big hotel behind that he dismissed
them. Then he stopped and looked out
over the sea to where it met the sky
and saw the great path of silver which
but few hours ago had been golden
from the sun.
The tide was very full and Tapped and
gurgled at the stOnework of the digue
at his very feet and he calculated that
even he, tall as he was, would be able
TO dive in, were he in the mood for a
midnight swim. But it didn't look so
warm and tempting in that pale and
creepy light, and SO he continued his
walk. The sands made odd little mys-
terious rustlings In the dunes at his
right as they shifted and slid. in their
dry rushes attempting to stem each
miniature torrent.
Far away along, almost by the little
Ambleteuse bridge. he made out a tiny
black figure standing facing the SEA
Some holiday maker. thought the abbe
taking a breath of fresh air before GO
ing to bed. And as he walked his eyes
fastened on the lonely rigure which
stood motionless and slowly grew bigger
as he decreased the distance between
them.
Perhaps it was poet wrestling with
stanza, 0! painter studying night
cjfeCts. The figure was that Of a man.
and he could see that there was no hat
on his head. There was nothing un-
who frequently took strUlls himself be-
fore retiring for the night, had never
seen any one there at that hour. He
wondered whether the man would sneak
tc him as he passed, and whether he
VAS an English golfer or not
Suddenly the able gave a rrv of
frightened disbelief. for he saw the man
0ut his hands into his pockets and throw,
himself into the sea. Then he began TO
run at top speed. tearing at the but
tons of his soutane as he did so, until
at last he venched it off and droDpad
il tehind n!m. and came to the spot
" here the man hau gone in
He paused tor d second, thought he
saw something black, and dived for II
His calculation mad been correct Al
that instant he touched something and
fTasped II tight, ard came up sDutter-
lnS and gasping, holding on TO the
mans coat.
Ii had taken aim a full minute, If not
mOr,. TO run. and he was painting heav-
lily. The figure was very limp and heavy
in his hands. and the aDbe asked him
self if he were too late The hands
were still stuck in the trousers mock
cts, so there was no resistance offcrcd
as he struck out fOr the digue with i'm
:nenst difficulty. Keeping hold of the
man with one hand. he dragged himself
up, and then hauled the unconscious
figure after him.
n
sciOUsness to a drowned man before
but he had seen ii done, so he laid tht,
man face downward and did his best
10 pump the water out Of him. Then he
rolled him over on his back.
Mon DieC! Can ii be? Yes il is that
Eug'ishnan. What is his name? | have
his pipe still. Leyden-M. Leyden! Mon
D:eu. Mon Dieu. What can have hap
BcnFC? Poor. poor lad
All the time he was pumping Ever
ard.8 arms up and down. working fren-
zIeI,y.
1t was an extraordinary scene. The
sea went on tapping as if nothing had
hGUDeped, and he moon shone down on
them, the abbe in his wet breeches and
boots. his hair ali draggled. the steel
burk.es OF his braces sparkling as he
Knelt and worked at the mans arms.
At last tho Englishmap's chest stirred
and he took faint breath. then an
Oth"T' his eyes opened and he began TO
baboi- things n English.
Continued Tomorrow