Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1914-07-30

SseAAeo US II. IN touch1ng IT he touched
his mother and his sweetheart and his
home.
CHAPTER XIX.
] GOOD NEWS.
In the garden Of the chateau of Vic
cues. where the stiff. gray stone vase.
spilled again their hearts blood OF
scarlet and etching OF vines; where
the two stately lines Of them led down
TO the sun dial and the round lawn on
n or the griffn-supported stone seats
Alxe and Pietro sat, where Alike and
francois had sat five a before.
Alike. again in her dark riding habit,
with h blue feather in her hat and
the gauntleted hands, was grown from
an exquisite slip Of a girl into a woman
more lovely than the girl. Her eyes,
when she lifted the long. exaggerated
CURED lashes, held fire n force, and
KnoWledge Of suffering, it might be,
these in control. This was a woman
able not only to endure things. which
IS the gift of most women, but to do
Things. Pfetro, his big arm stretched
along the back of the stone seat
watched her-as Pietro had watched
her always. 1t seemed never to trouble
ner to turn and IN his honest eyes
fixed calmly on her face. Pietro, whose
illness at Ancona had put Francois
into his place in the escape of Louis
Napoleon, had put Francois in his
place as the prisoner Of Austria now
these hve years-Pietro had managed
to get away from Italy and had Joined
they entered Paris. Both the prince
and Pietro had moved heaven and
earth to find out the fate of Francois.
mat ne had been taken by the Aus
TRAN squad at the enc of his wild ride
they knew. More than this they could
things pointed to the conclusion that
he had been Immediately executed.
h prince believed this, and Pietro
came to believe it. But Alike had never
believed it.
In these five years Pietro had not
been back to Italy; the inevitable
Austrians" had put down in. 1881 the
revolution in the Romagna, the rising
in which Prince Louis and Pietro, the
Marquis Appi, had taken part. In the
War-torn country no movements of any
Importance had taken place since that.
Pietro, q C~arbonaro. a member Of
other patriots he awaited in a
foreign country the day when
he might go back to fight again for a
united Italy. In the meantime he con-
spired. planned, worked continually for
the patriot cause, and as continually he
tried. though now without hope, to
find a trace of Francois. The. boy who
had dashed through the Austrian SOL
diers on that morning at Chiana. and
leaped to the landlords horse and
cleared his way through with the play
OF the old soldiers sword, n led a
wild race. to fall into the enemy's
lands at last-the boy had disappeared
from the face Of the earth. Pietro,
grieving deeply for his old friend.
grteving bitterly because it was in fill
ing his place that Francois had met his
fate, believed him dead. But Alike did
not believe 1t. Pietro was often at
Vicques now, and the two went over
the question again and again. One
might not speak to the general of
Francois; the blow had been heavy.
and the old soldiers wound had not
closed; it might not be touched. But
P1etro and Alike spoke Of him con-
stantly.
Today, as they sat in the garden.
they had been going over the pros and
cons of his life or death for the
thousandth time. Pietro's quiet gray
eyes were sad as he looked away from
Alike n across the lawn to the beech
wood.
God knows I would give my life
quickly If / could see him coming
through the trees there, as we used
to see him, mornings long ago, in his
patched home spur Clothes"
Alike followed the glance considering
y, as II calling up the little brown,
trudgtng figure SO well remembered.
Then h tossed up her head sharply
-"Who?'-and then she laughed. Il
shall be seeing visions next. like Fran
co.'s, she said. II thought it was he
back be In the beech wood"
NRnf vnyr hove 80 900. rs.A-- as
always see q thing two minutes before
Alike threw at him. There
Oh said Pietro. .Your ewes are
more n natural, Alike. You see into
a wood; h is uncanny. Yes, I see
low" -
= peasant-from some other VII
age. Alike spoke car0lessly. I do
not know him. and they went on talk
ing, as they had been doing, OF Fran
And with that. here was Jean Phil
!tppe Moison. 40 now aud fat, but still
beautiful In purple millinery, advanc-
ing down the stone staps between the
TAI gray vases, making a symphony Of
color with the rich red Of the flowers.
ae held q silver tray; q letter was on
For MademoiseIe.n
M~adefnoisefle took IL calmly ana
glanced at It. and with that both the
lootman and the Marquis Zappi were
to see her fall to shiyering
q = ~ q sudden illness. She caught Pie
Jross arm. The letter was clutched in
her otner hand thrust back OF her.
What IL It. Alixef, His voice was
quiet as ever. but his hand was around
ner fingers, ind he held them
What Il Il, Altxe?"