The Climax-Madisonian. (Richmond, Madison County, Ky.) 1914-1917, 1914-10-21


proves it to be true. have felt al
ways that Francois>had notes In him
which are not on our pianos" Pietro
smiled, looking at her.
"And yet, Alike, you do not love
Francois, with all these gifts and all
his power over hearts-but only COM
monplace me?"
Alike Strengthened against his arm.
Monsieur the Marquis Zappi, the gen.
tleman I-care for, is not common
place. / thank you not to say it" she
shot at him, and then, melting to
sudden intensity, she put hand on
each side of his dark face and spoke
earnestly. "Pietro, dear, listen. l be-
lieve / always cared for you. When
was little it hurt me to have Francois
forever the one to do the daring things.
Do you remember how l used to scold
at you because you would not fight
him?" Pietro smiled again. Then he
was captain OF the school and you only
a private, and cried about that when
1 was alone at night. And when you
went off to Italy so quietly, with never
a word said about the danger, did not
know that you were doing a fine deed
i thought it commonplace that you
should go back to your country, till
Francois opened my eyes"
"Francois?" Pietro asked.
Eyes. The day before he went to
join you we were riding together and
he told me what 1t meant to be a
patriot in Italy under the Austrians.
That day realized how uRbearable 1t
would be IL anything happened to you.
But thought 1 cared for Francois; If
he had spoken that day 1 should have
told him that cared for him. But he
did not; he went-and was in prison
five years"
"And all that time 1 believed you
loved him, and were mourning for
him." Pietro said gently.
81 half believed it too" Alike an
swered yet all the time I was
jealous for you, Pietro, for it was still
Francois who was the hero-not you.
Then when there came a question of
his rescue 1 was mad with the desire
to have you do it-and you did it."
Her voice dropped. She laid her
hand against his shoulder and spoke,
in a quick cautious way.
But all that is immaterial. I just
love you-that's the point" A mo-
ment later she spoke again. 81 wait
to finish telling you-and then we need
never speak of it again. 1 did think
you commonplace. And yet
knew In my heart you were not, for
| resented your seeming so. So i
urged you into danger. wanted you
to be a hero. / had that echo OF
schoolgirls romance about Francois
in my mind, and / chung, all along, to
the idea that / loved him and that per-
haps he secretly loved me but would
not say it because he was poor and
peasant; that he was waiting till his
future was made. Then, one day, only
the other day, he told me that he had
asked three wishes of life-'of the
good fairies he said. One was to make
Prince Louis Emperor, one was to be
Marshal of France; the third" she
stopped.
"What?" Pietro demanded. his
mouth a bit rigid.
Alike flushed and smiled and took
PietEo,s big hand and covered her eyes
with 1t. THAT 1 should've you,
Monsieur. He said he had wished that
all his life"
MAY heaven grant him his wish"
said Pietro feryentiy. and then, reflect
ing, ct seems a strange wish for FFanz
co.'s. You are sure, AlixeT
Eyes, he said So" Alike insisted.
sOur dear Francois" she went on soft
~. and the blue intensity Of her eyes
grew nasty. Dear Francois" she re-
peated, III IL only he who could have
had those thres wishes. The single
one that was for himself was not be-
cause he cared for it himself, but be-
cause it was the Bmperor's prophecy"
Il always thought" Pietrp spoke