Evening star., 1914-01-25
Continued from page s

to her side 1t was Pierre. He put his arm
about her and no man dared touch her.
But there was a loud demand for order,
and the Judge. his face crimson and his voice
resonant with suppressed rage, pronounced
sentence against Cerise. She was to be fined
for concealing the case of chickenpox and
for teaching without license, and she was
to be imprisoned thirty days for striking
Judge upon the bench.
AS soon as sentence was pronounced
Cerise was hustled away into another room
Already van was waiting to take her, with
a couple of other prisoners, to the common
prison, and into the van Cerise stepped
Pierre was close at hand, struggling with his
tears. The crowd had recognized him; for
in those eight years in which the world had
forgotten Cerise, Pierre had become a ia
vorite of the great, all powerful public. and ii
treated him we'll The people cheered and
applauded as the van started off, and Pierre
followed it on foot Cabmen came up at
every turn to give him lift; but he shook
his head As long as Cerise had to ride in
the prison van he would walk.
THE story of Cerise had preceded her to
the great. gloomy prison. With the
magic of her voice and eyes, Cerise managed
to tell her story to the prison officials, to tell
breaking pathos. such winning eloquence,
such pride of integrity, that in five minutes
she was declared exempt from many penal
ties, such as having her beautiful, rich hair
cut off but she must wear the prison garb.
At that Cerise, who feared not her enemy,
even when he was her Judge, was suddenly
overcome with despair. She fell falntlng,
and had to be carried to her bed IN little
cell And from that bed she would not rise.
Il am not a criminal | will not wear
prison clothes.~ she said.
Nevertheless prison clothes were put on
her; but SO great was her misery, and so
strong the sympathy felt for her, that she was
allowed to take them off and go to her bed.
There she remained. Ever her cry was:
Il am disgraced. l have worn prison
clothes for an hour! l. my fathers daugh-
ter. the girl who was to marry Pierre, am
disgraced disgraced.'
Nothing could comfort her, and 1t was her
wall by day and night.
Meanwhile Pierre moved all Paris and
heaven and earth besides, to get Cerlse par
doned And at last, on Christmas Eve,
eight years to day on which they had
parted, Pierre came to the prison with
pardon in his pocket.
TT was cold and clear December night,
nOI cloudy dllu ldlllg dS liidl ollSi
Christmas Eve Pierre was shown straight
to the cell OF Cerise. She lay in her narrow
cot, looking SO strangely white that Pierre
was frightened. He was more than fright
ened still wl1 Cerise told him calmly that,
being disgraced by wearing prison clothes, she
thought it time to make her exit. For answer
Pierre showed her the pardon triumphantly.
at is too late" answered Cerlse softly.
Forgive me, Pierre, but must go. This is
loves last greeting.
"Oh, Honevsweet!7 cried Pierre, burying
his head in the pillow, why will you be so
foolish. Clothes are nothing
"Clothes are everything when they are
badge" answered Cerise. al remember my
father telling me that once he did a mean
action. and when he came home he took off
his uniform, feeling himself unworthy to
wear it until he had made amends. Pierre,
do YOU remember how handsome my father
was in his uniform, especially on Sunday
mornings whenfle had been to the barber.
and his hair and mustache and imperial
were dyed beautiful black? And all the
colonies and majors knew my father, and
would say smiling to him as they rode by,
"Goodday, Sergeant.
Pierre remembered we'll enough; but he
was in no mood to discuss the late Sergeant
LeStocq.
"Whcn YOU are well once more" he said,