South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1914-01-08

Beaupre turned scarlet. He was
marvellous man, this Prince Louis.
How had he guessed? she loves me
Il have here a letter in which she
tells me that she loves me. VIII his
highness read it?" With an impetu-
Gus step forward he held the paper
toward Louis Napoleon.
Il thank you" the Prince said
gravely. He read:
Francois. what you have wished
all your life is true. The good fairies
have granted one of your wishes be-
fore the battle. That they Will give
you the other two on the day of the
battle is the belief of your
ALIKE"
And below was written hurriedly.
'PietrO sends his love-"
The prince gave back the letter
with respectful hand; then looked
at Francois implOringly. What you
have wished all your life mon ami 20
Francois laughed happily. "One must
explain, if it will not tire his high
ness" And he told, in a few words.
of that day when his self-restraint
had given way and how, when his
guard was down and he was on the
point Of telling his lifelong secret
4ONts SOIut spirit OF DtTNeTStly-Dul
Francois did not know il was an an
gel-had caught Alike, and she had
accused him of wishing always that
she might love Pietro. And how,
meshed in that same net Of hurt reck-
lessness he had answered in her own
manner-'yes," he had said, lit was
that which had been the wish of his
life-that Alike might love Petrol"
And Francois laughed gaily, telling
the simple ENHANCEMENT to the prince.
the night before the battle. "One
sees how she is quick and clear
sighted, my Alike" he said For she
knew we'll even then il was not that
1 wished" He stopped, for in the
quiet contained look OF the listener an
Intangible something struck chill to
his delicately-pOiSed sensitiveneSs.
What is it, Louise" he cried out.
You do not think I mistake her
mistake-Alixe!"
Prince Louis saw the dawning of
CONSERVATION. Rapidly ne considered.
Was il well to take away a mans hap
piness and courage Just before a
fight? He remembered some words
of Francois spoken three years before,
words whose dramatic baroness had
struck him. when a knight Of the
old time went into battle" the young
man had said, che wore on his he'll
met the badge Of his lady, and the
LllOuBnl OF neT III MS nedTI. "A man
fights better sO.' Very well. This
blind knight should have his letter.
with the meaning he had read into il,
for his lady's badge, and he should
fight tomorrow with the thought of
her in his heart. The letter suggested
another meaning to sophisticated
LOUIS Bonaparte, but there is no need
to hasten the feet of unnappiness.
The resonant French voice spoke at
last in an unused accent of cordially
and the prince lied, with ungrudging
graciOusness.
Mistaken. my Francois! Not at
all. The little billet-doux breathes
love for you in each line-there is no
question! But. mon ami, you have
not finished your story" So Francois
explained about the letter left with
Lucy Hampton and it's premature
sending. That has reached her now
she knows now that / love her. she
knows what has really been my life
long wish-she has hurried this" and
his hand crushed his note tenderly-
she has hurried this TO me before
the fight-that l might know her love
alSo-that / might fight better for
you, my prince-LOuiS-wit that Joy
in my heart" Prince Louis, his head
thrown back, his eXpresSionlesS eyes
watching the rings Of smoke which he
pulled from his mOuth-ring after
ring, mounting in dream-like process
sion to the low ceiling. considered
again. Somewhere in the chain Of
events of this love affair his keen
practical sense felt link that did not
fit-a link forced into connection.
Vaguely he discerned how il was
something had happened to the Nir-
ginian letter-there had been a confu-
sion somewhere. To him the four
words of AliXe'S postscript were final.
''PietrO sends his love" a subcOn-
sciOus reasoning made him certain
that Pietro would not have come in
10 such a letter if il had been indeed
a lOve-letter; that the three lines Of
writing just before the battle could
not have held another mans name. If
they had been written to the man
whom she loved. Very dimly. very
surely the prince concluded these
things; and then he lowered his cigar,
and his gray dull eyes came down
from the ceiling and rested. kindly.
on the radiant face. You are right.
my friend. 1t was an exquisite
thought of your lady-lOve TO put this
other weapon. this bright sword OF
happiness into your hand, 10 fight
with tomorrow. Mon dieu. we will re-
ward her by sending her back a mar
shals baton by YOU; marshal'S bat
on tomorrow. Francois, How would
it sound, par example, to say Madame
Ia Marechale -
The light from Francois eyes was
like a lamp.
My prince-sire-there are three
things I have desired all my life. all
great things. but of them that one
the baton of a marshal-is the least
II I might win her love- have said
If / might help put YOU in NapOleon's
place and shout vive lempereur' for
you on the throne Of France: if I
might fulfil the emperor's prophecy
and be not a marshal some day any
longer but marshal OF your empire
lit is asking much OF one lifetime.
above all for man born a peasant, is
IL not? Yet OF those three wishes one
wonderful furiilment has come TO me"
-he gripped his letter Closer-"and
one. | believe tomorrow brings. Be
fore tomorrow night'-his great ewes
were lifted toward the ceiling OF the