Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1914-07-08

sand, thousand waves back toward the
sun, and the land-sea was shadowy.
streaked with flame unendingly. The
little river-the Cheulte-rushed down
between the fields of gold and scarlet
in its immortal hurry, murmuring over
ques-the ruin-lay back behind the
corn fields and smiled In hot sunlight
at the two ~thousandth ocean of color
which had washed the land up to its
crumbling walls, since the Roman gov
ernor piled the old gray stones.
A tall lad Of IA. another boy, slighter,
quicker, darker, and a little girl of II
through the ruins. talking earnestly
now, silent now filling the grim place
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 me at
more of this long unconscious childhood
in which they held to n 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 the farm, working hard with
his father at the harvesting. This
III lc d COI1l0 ONOI " SROA1o "
week at the chateau. And without ar
rangement, only because it was their
Oldest and most fascinating play
ground, they had strolled along the
steep hillside. into the road that led to
the pasture at the foot 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, it was long,
and waved in the breeze; the ugliness
of the barbarism and cruelty of those
days lay so buried; on h right were
the granaries where the wicked gov
ernor had stored the grain Wrung from
to the left was the opening to the cor
ridor 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
walls and placed its narrow windows
and machicolated its roofs-in the
young minds a dream of the old place
rose complete under the new chestnut
trees Of only two or three hundred
years standing.
JuSI OCIllIlU CAO SIOdI SSOAAO SA1OaS,
Alike formulated, was the dogs bed
room. OF course. a great monsieur like
the dog had his w 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, was coming lightly down
the slope, and something IN MS inquire
and movement made it impossible even
at a distance that it should be any one
of the village. Strangers We're not
common in quiet Vicques, n why
should a stranger be coming over the
mountain? The children were silent as
they watched the figure drawing clos
err; it seemed as if an event of inn
portance 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
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.
els 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 tine Roman governors founda-
tions. With that he was standing
again. looking at them unashamed from
cit is the first time I have touched
the soil of France since I was z years
DID," he stated, not as if to xcu his
act. but as If explaining something his
torical. And was silent.
The children, going over his days
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 OWE affairs.
Il am Alike" she began-and stopped
short, seized with shyness. Was it
courtesy to explain to the young non
sieur about her distinguished father?
Or was it Dragging? She found her.
self suddenly in an agony of confusion.
for all Of them were laughing their
quick young laughter at her brief state
ment. Then the stranger made q low
bow and spoke In the gentlest friendly
tones.
ut is enough. It is q charming
name. Mademoiselle Alike. I belive I
shall now think it the most charming
name In France"
And Alike. blushing furiously. yet felt
a satisfactory conviction that she had
not been at all stupid.
"She has more Of a name than that,
however. Monsieur" and Francois step
ped across the grass and stood by the