Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1914-07-09
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1fIE MARSHAL
ByMary Raymond Shipman Andrews
Ma1A@' The Perfect T1buze. etc
Copyright The BobAeMurm cou,srn

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with easy laughter again. Alike and
francois and Pietro. were growing up;
the general already grumbled words
about kittens turning into cats, as he
looked at them. Yet the general was
satisfied in his soul with each one. at
whatever 6 n glad of each day
more Of this long unconscious childhood
In which they held to one another as
closely and frankly as if-they were,real
sister and brothers.
Today was the first complete day of
the vacation; for till now Francois had
been at h farm, working hard with
his father at the harvesting. This
morning he had come over to spend a
week at the chateau. And without ar
Tngement, only because it was their
ground. they had strolled along the
steep hillside, into the road that led to
the pasture at h foo of the noun
tain and then to the gate, barring out
wagons and cattle, the gate of the
fence which enclosed the old chateau.
The grass was green on the high
mound under which lay heaped the
stones Of the Roman tower, 1t was lone,
and waved in the breeze; the uglineSs
Of the barbarism n cruelty of those
days lay SO buried; on the right were
the granaries where the wicked gov
ernor had stored the grain wrung from
the country people; over the steep wall
to he left was the opening to the cor
rider which led, as all the world Of
Vicques had known for centuries, to
the treasure house; 1t was there that
the phantom, the great dog. appeared.
The children told the old story to n
another; they rebuilt as they talked, in
the peace of the summer afternoon, the
old war castle; they raised it's long
and m~achicelated Its roofs-n the
young minds a dream Of the old place
rose complete under the new chestnut
trees Of only two or three hundred
years standing.
"Just behind the great stone there"
Alike formulated, was. the dogs bed
room. OF course. a great monsieur like
the dog had his own bedroom-yes.
and office, too-and maybe his dining
room."
. And the Joke was enough on that
lazy day Of vacation to set peals OF
light laughter ringing through the
ruins. Alike stopped laughing sud-
denly.
who is that?" she demanded. Her
eyes were lifted to the hill rising be-
hind the green mound, and the glance
Of the others followed hers. A young
man, a boy, vas coming lightly down
the slope, and something in his hgure
and movement made IT lmposslpie even
at a distance that it should be any n
Of the village. Strangers We're not
common in quiet Vicques, and why
should a stranger be coming over n
mountain? The children were silent as
they watched the figure drawing clos
err; it seemed as If an event OF m
p%ortance was about to happen. Rapid
ly the. boy sprang down the mountain.
side; they could see him plainly now;
he was two or three years older than
the boys of the chateau; he was short,
slender, compact, with a thin aquiline
face, with something about him which
the country bred children did not UNI
derstand to be that subtle quality,
presence. He saw them, and came for
ward, and his cap was off quickly as
he glanced. at Alike. But with a keen
look at the three, it was Francois to
whom he spoke.
lis this France?" he asked.
but yes, Monsieur" Francois an
swered wondering-and in a moment he
wondered more. The strange boy, his
cap flung from him, dropped on his
knees and kissed the grass that grew
over the Roman governors founaa-
tons. With that he was standing
again, looking at them unashamed from
his quiet gray eyes.
1T is the first time I have touched
the soil Of France since / was z years
DID," he stated, not as If to excuse his
act. but as If explaining something his
torical. And was silent.
The children, going over this days.
event many times after, could never
remember how it happened that they
had talked SO much. The strange boy
talked very little; they could not recol-
lect that he asked questions. after his
startling question; yet here was Alike.
the very spirited and proud little Alike,
anxious to make him understand every
thing OF their own affairs.
IT am Alixe,' she began-and stopped
short, seized with shyness. Was it
courtesy to explain to the young mon
sieur about her distinguished father?
Or was it Dragging? She found her
self suddenly in an agony of confusion,
quick young laughter at her brief state
ment Then the stranger made a low
bow and spoke in the gentlest friendly
tones.
ut is enough. It Is a charming
name Mademoiselle Alike. I pelive I
shall now think it the most charming
name in France"
And Alike, blushing %furiously, vet felt
q satisfactory conviction that she had
not been at all stupid.
She has more of a name thar that
however, Monsieur" and Francois STEP
ped across the grass and stood by the
little girl, her knight, unconscious of
the part he played. '"It is a very grand
name. the other one. For our seigneur,
the father Of Alike, Is Monsieur the
Baron Gaspard Gourgaud, a general of
Napoleon himself; he was indeed with
the Emperor at st. Helena"
Francois had no false modesty, no
self consciousness; he felt that he had
placed Alixe's standing now in the best
light possible. The strange boy felt it,
too, it seemed, for he started as Fran
co.'s spoke Of Napoleon; his reserved
face frightened and his cap was off
and sweeping low as he bowed again
to Alike more deeply. Francois was de-
lighted. 1t vas in him to erjoy dra-
matte effect, as 1t is in most French
men. He faced about to Pietro.
This one, Monsieur" he went on,