The Tabor independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1913-19??, 1914-09-10

capitaine. turn from the shady avenue
OF the chestnuts and ride slowly to the
house. With that he heard his mother
greeting Pietro below in the great
kitchen, then the two NOTES.-THE deep
one and the soft one--talking. talking
long time. What could his mother
and Pietro have to talk about SO long2
And then Pietro's step was coming up
the narrow stair. and he was there, In
FRANCOIS" Pietro began In his d.
rect fashion, Il think you must go back
to Virginia"
Francois regarded him with startled
feyes, saying nothing. There was
thought OF yet another parting.
Pietro went on. Il have a letter from
Harry Hampton. The place needs you;
the people want you; and Harry and
Miss Hampton say they VIII cot be
married unless you come TO be best
man at the wedding" FRANCOIS
smiled. Pietro went on again. More
over. boy. Francois-you are not
doing well here. You are too
are not doing well here. You are too
useful; they want to use you con-
stantly and you are ready; but you are
not at. You must get away for an
other year or two. Then you wili DC
Il
will have real work for you. And you
must have strength for that time.
Your mother says / am right With
that his mother stood In the doorway,
regarding him with her calm eyes, and
nodded to Pietro's words. So 1t 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
i general had seen him kiss the girls
hand, in that unbrotherly way which
had so surprised him.
| Alike" said Francois, Il am going
| to the end Of the word"
Not for the first Il 1le," Alike ans
wered cheerfully.
Perhaps for the last" Francois
threw back dramatically. 1t is hard TO
have ones best-beloved discount ones
tragedies. And Alike laughed and lift
ed long stem OF a spring flower which
she held in her hand. and brushed his
forehead delicately with the distant
tip OF It.
Smooth out the wrinkles, do not
lfrown: do not look solemn; you always
come back, Monsieur the Bad Penny;
lyou win this time. Do not be nelo-
i dramatic, Francois"
Francois, listening to these sane sem
ltiments. was hurt. and not at all In
/ spired with cheerfulness. Alike" he
said--and knew that he should not say
Iit-"there Is something have wanted
all my life-all my life"
els thereT' inquired Alike In COM
monplace tones. "A horse, par ex-
garded her tone; his voice was full OF
passion and pleading. DO not be
heartless and cold today, Alike, dear
Alike. am going so far. and my very
soul is torn with leaving you--all."
II takes no more than a syllable, an
1 infection at times, to turn the course
OF q life. II Francois had left his SEM
tence alone before that last little
/ word; IL he had told the girl that his
soul was torn with leaving her, then 1t
Is hard to say what might have hap
pened. But--''you alP'--he did not wish
then to have her think that 1t meant
more to leave her than to leave the
others. Alike readjusted the guard
which had almost slipped from her,
and stood again defensive.
II won't be cruel, Francois; you
know how we-all--are broken hearted
to have you go"
Francois caught that fatal little
word "all," repeated, and dimly saw its
Significance, and his own responsible
ity. Alike went on.
II wonder If I do not know--what II
lis-that you have wanted all your life"
Eagerly Francois caught at her
words. May tell you Alike, Alixe?'
"No." Alike, spoke quickly. mo,
let me guess. 1t is--it is"-and Fran
COTS, catching his breath, tried to take
the word from her, but she stopped
i him "No z 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.
Isis that it?'
i There is an angel OF perversity who
possesses our souls at times. He makes
us say the unlSind thing when we wish
not to; he tangles our feet so that we
i fall and trip and hurt ourselves and
our dearest--and behold long after we
know that all the same 1t was an
angel; that without that trouble we
should have gone forever down the
easy, wrong way. We know that the
Iperverse angel was sent to warn US of
the pleasant grass which was none OF
ours, and by making things Disagree
able at the psychological moment, save
our souls alive for right things to come
/ Some such crosswise heavenly mes
sen9er gripped the mind OF Alike, and
she said what she hated herself fol
saying, and saw the quick result In the
downcast misery OF poor Francois
! face. And then the same cruel, wise
angel turned his attention to Francois
III she thinks that, let her" whispered
the perverse one. Let 1t go at that;
say yes"
And Francois lifted mournful eyes
and repeated, That you should love
i Pietro-- IL what have
wished for all my life."
i -