Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1914-02-12
CHAPTER VII. ,
The Crown Of Friendship.

NF1ST & N WI.
The Crown Of Friendship.
In the claw-footed. carved, old ma
hogany desk OF Virginia house. in
drawer where are packets Of yellowed
letters tied up and labeled, is letter
written years later. referring to that
earlier time in France Perhaps this
bit Of the chronicle of Francois Beau.
pre- could not be told so wildly as in
these words OF Francois written from
his prison. he begins with the ac-
count of an adventure. OF a ride for
life. ..
$50. dear Alike" he finishes this
the detailed story of his capture
down went the poor horse. and over
his head | spun into the ditch with
bump on the skull which dazed me.
And when ! came TO there were the
heavy Austrians around me, gaping
to see the Prince. And only Francois
Beaupre to see. which they found out
pretty promptly. as | have told you
before. and also how l defied them.
in a great danger they say one
thinks more clearly than usual-one's
mind works with smoothuess and at
leisure. 1t was so during that ride.
for followed out as dashed along.
hearing the shouts OF the men back
OF me, the whole train OF circum-
stances from one Of those mornings
with Coo in the park, to this adven-
ture OF life and death. 1t was the
morning-you win know before say
it--when Jean Philippe Nelson. in his
lovely purple clothes. came mincing
down the graveled drive, as IL afraid
of spelling his good shoes--and ]
think he was-to the seigneur, who
taught us to ride Coo. Do you re-
member how your father Numbered at
him?
"a strange monsieur to see me?
Impossible! | am engaged. Tell him
will not see him
And Jean Philippe smiling. for all
OF them understood the seigneur, and
saying gently, Yes, my Seigneur.'
turned away with the message. And
your father shouted after him:
stop! Come back here! What
do you mean by that? Bring the mon.
sieur to me- And the purple clothes
disappeared and appeared again in a
few minutes cleaning in the sun
against the gray old walls--i can see
it all now, Alixe--like a large violet
blossom OF strange flower. And be.
hind Jean Philippe was a tall man
in long travelling cloak. and behind
him a tall little boy. And as they
came the seigneur turned to 60 to
meet them, and stopped and stared.
And the monsieur in the cloak stopped
and stared; and you. mounted on COG.
and |, holding Coos bride, watched
curiously, because OF the other child.
denly began to shake as il i'll, and then
with hoarse shout rushed to the
tall man and threw his arms about
him and held him, and sobbed aloud.
That was strange thing to see the
seigneur do. and never forgot 1t. And
to think that the child who stood
there. shy and unknown. was Pietro.
II seems unreasonable that ever there
was time when you and Pietro and
did not know one another WELL
AS | rode that day, with the Aus
trians after me, | thought out the
whole chain OF events; how Pietro had
come and had stayed while his father.
the marquis. went to America, and had
fitted into our life and become dear, to
us, the big. beautiful. silent lad. And
how then. because of the death OF, the
marquis. Pietro had come under the
charge OF your father, the seigneur,
and how he and went away together
to the military school, always more
and more like brothers and--all the
rest | need not recite those things
to you, yet ! like to do il. My
thoughts. in that wild dangerous mo
ment. seemed to go in detail through
all, from the morning that the Mar
quis Zappi arrived with his little son
at the chateau, through the ten years
of our life together. to my coming
into Italy as his secretary--and from
that. by rapid step to this castle
prison"
The rest of the letter belongs to a
later part of the story. That little
Pletro Zappi should be led into the
narrative by the hand of his closest
friend was the object for which the
letter was introduced. and. that ac-
compliehed, the course OF history
bends back to the quiet Valley OF
Delesmontes and the children growing
up under the shadows Of the castle
towers.
The general. sitting in his library
the morning after the arrival chron-
lcled In the quoted letter. stared at
his old friend from under his heavy
brows as II trying vigorously to con
vince himself OF his presence. The
marquis, an Italian OF North Italy. tall
and proud and quiet. had the air more
OF a student than OF, soldier. "A
little the air. also. OF an invalid. for
he stopped and walked languidly. and
a cough caught him at times. He was
talking. on that morning in the library.
while the general listened; 1t was not
the usual order OF things.
$50 you see. Gaspard." the marquis
went on in his quiet reticent way.
that have believed in our old friend
ship. / have taken for granted wei
come for my boy-I could not have
done q with another man. The voy-
age to America and my stay there
will last. I; may be year. have
brought Pietro to leave him with you
II you will have hiiu."
This old officer of Napoleon had,
after all his battles and killings. the
simplicity and the heart OF his own
little girl. But he cleared his throat
hurrledly with brayado of careless
ness. and before the marquis could do
more than smile at him wistfulIy, he
went on:
1T is all settled; there was no need
OF word: Pietro is my son till you