The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1914-06-26
CHAPTER XVI.


Endurance. Francois own negro boy.
brought note TO Roanoke house on
morning ave days after, 1t read:
NY Dear Miss Hampton:
The doctor has given me permits.
sion 70 ride tomorrow and | wish TO
ride 70 Roanoke house before ali 9th
er places VIII mademoiselle see me
VIII mademoiselle permit me TO see
her Tor short time alone2 | await
anxiously word from you. and am
your servant,
FRANCOIS BEAUPRE."
Mademolselle sent fair sheet OF
paper with n few unsteady scratches
across It, and sat down to live over
II was accomplished. The colonel had
ridden TO Norfolk for the day--had
Francois known OF that. one wonders?
Lacy. waiting in that small stately
study with the dim portraits and the
vide vague view across the fields of
the James river. heard the gay hoof
beats OF Aquarelle pound down the
gravel under the window, heard Fran.
co.'s deep gentle voice as he gave the
horse 70 Sambo. and waited one min
ute more, the hardest minute OF all.
Then the door had opened and he stood
there-the miracle. as II seems at such
moments 20 woman, possibly to a
man--of all the gifts and qualities
worth lsving.
He had made his precise bow, and
she had heard his voice saying gently:
Good morning. mademoiselle." and
the door was closed. and they were
alone together. In a cash she felt that
Il could not be endured. that she must
escape. She rose hastily.
I'm sorry must go. cannot
stay
But Francois had laughed and taken
her hand and was holding It with a
tender force which thrilled her. lie
understood she knew he understood
the shame and fear OF woman who
has given love unasked; she was safe
IN his hands: she knew that With a
sigh she let her fingers rest In his and
sat down again and waited
Dear Mademoiselle Lucy" said the
deep kind voice. my first friend In
Virginia, my comrade. my little
scholar"
Why did Lucy grow cold and quiet
at these words OF gentleness? Fran.
cois was sitting beside her holding
her hand In both his. gazing at her
with the clearest affection in his look
Yet she braced herself against she did
not know what The voice went on
with its winning foreign infections, it's
slip Of English now and then. and its
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS power OF reach
ing the heart.
See, mademoiselle," said Francois,
I'VE are too real friends. you and |. 70
have deception between us. We will
not pretend. you and !. TO each other
is il not. mademoiselie? Therefore !
shall not try to hide from you that !
heard that day those words 30 wonder,
fui which you spoke TO me SO unwor
thy. ] have thought of those words
ever since. msdemoiselle, as / lay IN
with this troublesome arm; ever since
--all the time. My heart has been full
of specialization TO you which cannot
be told. | shall remember all my life
] shall be honored as no king eoult
honor me, by those words. And be
cause you have SO touched me, an,
have so laid that little hand on tn,
heart of me. ! am going to tell you, 10,
dear comrade and scholar. what i
most secret and most sacred to me-"
Ia as few words as might be, he toll
her of the peasant child who had bee
lliited out Of his Poverty7bound lii
with such large kiEdliHees that n
leenG Which held him &c that poor, ye
q nj been .bEokeIj wbo ha