The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1914-02-26

| III WHICH Iney naQ come IA un1OlQeo
the letter.
IF you will press the lower corner
on the left-hand side" Pietro said
"the lower corner!"
And he had been concentrating all
his efforts, all his despair, on the up
per corner. When it is a question of
life and death a man is superhumanly
strong and quick sometimes, but he is
also sometimes forgetful 1t is an ex-
citing and confusing thing, likely, to
be working for life and liberty after
five years of Imprisonment. Francois
pushed the lower left-hand corner and
like magic the great block above
swung out. With his lighted candle
end in his hand he slipped through
and turned and swung back the door
blackness. Narrow, low, cold black
ness. Quickly enough, however, with
good courage, with his heart thump-
ing out song of hope, which he had
kept down sternly till now, he walked,
at times STOPPING low as he must be-
cause of the descent, down the secret
road of the old zappis. His candle
held forward he could see few feet
ahead, but all he could see was huge
blocks of rough stone, green with
mold, water dripping between them.
The air he breathed was heavy and
thick; through his wet clothes he felt
chill as of the grave. But what mat
tered the road, when the road led to
freedom?
Suddenly it came to him that the
passage might be blocked. 1t was years
since Pietro had been through it;
some of the stones might have fallen
it would take very little to close so
narrow way. With an anxiety which
was physical pain, with breathless
eagerness now, he hurried on. He had
to stop to light his second candle;
again he hurried on. Would the end
never come? Was any mistake pos
sible? With that he stumbled against
something and fell, and the candle
flew From his hand and was put out;
with a hoarse groan he threw out an
arm to steady himself, to rise; his
hand went through a yielding, prickly
mass; a glimmer came in past it
end!
Pushing, crashing, staggering
through, he came into a strange place.
1t was as if giant had taken a huge
spoon and scooped out the top of the
earth deep, very deep. All of this
great hollow was filled with trees and |
tangled underground. 1t was full of |
vague shadows in the glimmer Of the
earliest dawn. Francois, standing
there sobbing, CHASTITY with paleness,
with matted hair and wild-staring eyes
and gasping mouth and wet torn |
clothes, was fit demon for the haunt
ed spot. He saw nothing, no one; with |
that there was soft swapping of |
twigs and movement in the darkness
farthest from him; movement toward |
him. Tottering he crawled to meet it; |
In another second the shadows had |
shaped into figures-a peasant boy on |
a horse, leading another horse.
Then he stood close to them, and |
the boy, leaning over without word
put something into his hand, and Fran
,ois, swaying with exhaustion, saw
that it was a flask. He took long
swallow of cognac and his chilled blood
eaped, and with that he had caught
he bride from the lad and was in the
saddle.
In the shadows Of trees, in lonely
ane, the peasant boy stopped his
lorse suddenly and made a short ges-
ure toward the flask sticking out of
Francois coat pocket. His strength
vas going again; it was exactly the
light moment. Another swallow of
brandy and he rode on with fresh
courage. But something in the ges-
ure of the peasant boy; something
bout his seat in the saddle, about the
ouch of his hands on the rein, gave
curious underlined shock In
he growing daylight he turned toward
he silent rider. The coat collar was
lp and the broad -brimmed soft hat
lrawn down. The slim figure, outlined
Lgainst the cool pink vastness Of the
morning sky was clad like an ordinary
'oung peasant-yet! There was a
,oise, sure grace, which seemed unlike
peasant, which seemed like
Have we far to go?" Francois de-
handed suddenly in French.
The head turned swiftly; black ex-
ggerated lashes lifted and under them
we're the blue eyes he knew.
Alike"
He cried 1t out loud, reckless, for
'etting everything. But she did not
orget. In an instant her hand was on
is mouth, and she was whispering in
error.
Francois, dear Francois, be careful
We are not safe yet. We have a viii
age to ride through-eee, there is a I
ouse. 1t is almost time for them to
e awake. Ride fast. 1t is two miles
ct" !
They were racing again over the
oft ground, the horses unshod feet
making little noise, and Francois
cart was playing mad music. No ;
eed now of cognac. Then they were
alloping down the sand of lonely
each, and with that there was little {
roup of people and boat drawn up; {
nd they had pulled in the horses, and {
francois felt himself lifted off like a
hild and lying like very little, {
child in the generals arms; !
nd the general was crying, swearing,
Juggling him without shame Pietro {
vas there; Pietro was rubbing the
hin hands In futile useless sort of
vay, and holding them by turns to his !
ace. Alike, her peasant hat off now, ;