The public ledger. [volume] (Maysville, Ky.) 1913-1968, 1914-04-11

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Surely" said Pietro. and waited
with his unsmiling eyes on her face.
my dear mademoiselle," Alike read.
II am writing to beg your forgiveness,
as have begged that of the Chevalier
Beaupre, for the very great fault
have committed. The chevalier trust
ed to me a letter for you which was to
have been sent you only in case Of
certain event; by a oarelessness which,
unmeant as 1t was, shall never for
give myself, / gave II with other let
tiers to our negro Sambo to be posted
at once. BY now 1t may have reached
you. 1 cannot tell II have made
trouble or not, but In any case, can
not rest without saying to you-as
we'll as to the Chevaiier-how sorry
am. II you can find 1t in your heart
mademoiselle. That l should have
made trouble for one as dear to the
cheyalier as you are is a deep grief to
me. He has talked to me of you. With
a very earnest prayer again for your
forgiveness am, mademoiselle, yours
faithfully and sincerely...Lucy Hamp-
ton Hampton"
Pietro looked bewildered. What is
It about?" he asked.
Il wonder" and Alike laughed and
frowned at the paper In her hand 1T
seems Francois wrote me letter and
left 1t with little Mistress Hampton to
be sent In case of a certain event
What event2 What a strange thing
for Francois to do! And then he came
to us here and said nothing of mys-
FERROUS letters left cooking in Vir-
ginia. l cannot make it out, Pietro-
can your"
mot l." said Pietro.
THE letter of Francois has not
come; that is certain; wonder II the
negro Sambo lost It,"
Probably" Pietro said. at should
have come before this one. otherwise"
1T is a riddle" Alike decided, land
l never guess them" Then, dropping
into a seat on the wide window-sill.
'Pietro-you are letting yourself be
depressed"
The gray eyes met hers with some
their steady glance. II think possibly
l miss having no exercise" he said.
IL will feel more natural when can
get about"
Alike looked at him. you are eat
ing your heart out to be with Fran
co.'s" she said, and laid her hand on
his.
Pietro stared as il the light touch
had shaken him; then slowly his large
fingers twisted lightly around the
small ones, and he turned his face
again, holding her hand so, to the win
dow and the view OF the valley and
the river and the village. A moment
they sat SO, the girls hand loose in
the hollow of the mans; slow red
crept into Alixe's face; there was con-
fusion in her brain. She had laid her
hand on that OF her brother; her broth
err had taken it In his-and behold, by
witchcraft it was all changed. This
delicate big grasp that held her was
not brotherly; through all her veins
suddenly she knew that; the flush shot
up to her eyes, to her forehead, and
she tried, with an attempt at an every
day manner, to draw her hand away.
But Pietro, his set pale face toward
the window, his eyes gazing out, held
her hand. With that the world had
reeled and was whirling past her
Pietro had caught both her hands in
tight grip and had drawn them against
him, was holding them there, was
looking at her with face which not
even she, this time, might mistake.
Alike" he said, Il know you don't
care for me- l know you love Fran
co.'s. / did not mean ever to speak,
but when you put your hand on
mine"
He held her palms together and
parted the palms and kissed the fin.
ger-tips, first of one and then of the
other, as If he kissed something holy.
Il shall never speak again, but this
once ! will. / always loved you-one
must. / knew always that a slow ST.
lent person like me would have no
chance against fellow like Francois
So have kept still, and 1t was hard. 1t
won't be so hard now that you know.
Are you angry, Alixe?"
Alike, with her head bent so that
Pietro did not see her face, with her
head bending lower-lower, suddenly
was on her knees by the chair and her
face was on Pietro's arm.
Alike" he whispered, what is tt
what have done?"
But the brown waves of hair with
the blue ribbon tied around them lay
motionless on his arm. And suddenly
a thought shook him.
1T cannot bel" he gasped.
And Alike lifted her face. and the
exaggerated black lashes lifted, and
the blue glance lifted and rested on
Pietro's black hair bent down where
the light shone on the silver lines
through II. Up flashed her hand i'm
pulsively, gently--as Alike did things,
and touched the thick lock with an In
finitely delicate caress. Your hair
is all turning gray" she whispered in
two quick breaths, and at that, In some
occult fashion Pietro knew.
For moments they had no need Of
that makeshift, language; the great
house was very quiet, and one heard
the horses stamping in the paved
courtyard and the erooms singing, and
yet one did not hear it. Distant sounds