The Climax-Madisonian. (Richmond, Madison County, Ky.) 1914-1917, 1914-10-07

and Miss Hampton say they will not be
married unless you come to be best
man at the wedding" Francois smiled.
Pietro went on again. Moreover, boy,
Francois-you are not doing well here.
You are too useful; they want to use
you constantly and you are ready; but
you are not fit. You must get away
for another year or two. Then you
will be well and perhaps by then the
prince will have real work for you.
And you must have strength for that
time. Your mother says l am right"
With that his mother stood in the
doorway, regarding him with her calm
eyes, and nodded to Pietro's words. So
it came about that Francois went back
shortly to Virginia.
On the day before he went he sat in
the garden of the chateau with Alike,
on the stone seat by the sun-dial where
they had sat years before when the
general had seen him kiss the girls
hand, in that unbrotherly way which
had so surprised him.
Alike" said Francois, 81 am going
to the end of the world"
Not for the first time" Alike an
swered cheerfulIy.
Perhaps for the last" Francois
threw back dramatically. 1t is hard
to have ones best-beloved discount
ones tragedies. And Alike laughed
and lifted long stem of spring flow
er which she held in her hand, and
brushed his forehead delicately with
the distant tip of it.
Smooth out the wrinkles, do not
frown; do not look solemn; you al
ways come back, Monsieur the Bad
Penny; you will this time. Do not be
melodramatic, Francois"
Francois, listening to these sane
sentiments, was hurt, and not at all
inspired with cheerfulness. alike"
he said-and knew that he should not
say it-"there is something 1 have
wanted all my life-all my life
rs there?" inquired Alike in COM
monplace tones. "a horse, per ex-
emple?" He caught her hand, disre-
garding her tone; his voice was full of
passion and pleading. do not be
heartless and cold today, Alike, dear
Alike. I am going so far, and my very
soul is torn with leaving you-all."
1t takes no more than a syllable, an
infection at times, to turn the course
of life. If Francois had left his SEN
tence alone before that last little
word; if he had told the girl that his
soul was torn with leaving her, then
it is hard to say what might have hap
pened. But-"you all''-he did not
wish then to have her think that it
meant more to leave her than to leave
the others. Alike readjusted the guard
which had almost slipped from her,
and stood again defensive.
81 won't be cruel, Francois; you
know how we-all-are broken-hearted
to have you 60"
Francois caught that fatal little
word "alI," repeated, and dimly SOW it's
significance, and his own responsible
ity. Alike went on.
81 wonder if 1 do not know-what it
is-that you have wanted all your
life?"
Eagerly Francois caught at her
words. MAY tell you Alike, Alixe?"
mo" Alike spoke quickly. mo, let
me guess. 1t is-it is"-and Francois,
catching his breath, tried to take the
word from her, but she stopped him.
mo, must-tell it. You have wished
all your life"-Alixe was breathing
rather fast-"that-I should care for
Pietro."
A cold chill at hearing that thing
said in that voice seized him. Very
still his eyes down, he did not speak
'Is-is that it?"
There is an angel of perversity who
possesses our souls at times. He
makes us say the unkind thing when
we wish not to; he tangles our feet so
that we fall and trip and hurt our
selves and our dearest-and behold
long after we know that all the same
it was an angel; that without that
trouble we should have gone forever
down the easy wrong way. We know
that the perverse angel was sent to
warn us off the pleasant grass which
was none of ours, and by making
things disagreeable at the psyche
logical moment, save our souls alive