Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1914-09-17
failed any one-not once. AS Francois
said. you are a heart of gold, a wall Of

failed any memo once. AS Francois
said, you are a heart of gold. a wall OF
rock"
Her voice dropped. She laid her hand
against his shoulder and spoke, In q
quick, cautious way:
But all that is immaterial. I just
love you-that's the point" A moment
later she spoke again. IT want to fin
ish telling you-and then we need new
er speak of 1t again. I did think you
were-eommonplace. And yet l knew
in my heart you were not, for I resent
ed your seeming so. So I urged you
into danger. I wanted you to be &
hero. L had that echo Of a ~schoolgirl,f
romano about Francois in my nina,
and l clung, all along, to the idea that
l loved him and that perhaps he Sc
cretly loved me but would not say it
because he was poor and a peasant;
that he was waiting till his future was
made. Then, one day, only the other
day, he told me that he had asked three
wishes of llfe-'of the good fairies he
said. One was to make Prince Louis
emperor. one was to be marshal OF
France; the third" she stopped.
"What?" Pietro demanded, his mouth
a bit rigid.
Alike flushed and smiled and took
Pietro's big hand and covered her yes
with it. THAT I s~hould--love you, mon
sieur. He said he had wished that all
his life"
May heaven grant him his WISH"
said Pietro fervently, n then, reflect
ing. 1T seems a strange wish for Fran
co.'s. You are sure, Alixe?"
yes, he said So" Alike insisted.
Our dear Francois she went on soft
ly, n the blue intensity of her eyes
grew misty. Dear Francois" she re-
peated. lit is only he who could have
had those three wishes. The single one
that was for himself was not because
he cared for it himself, but because it
was the emperor's prophecy"
Il always thought Pietro spoke
slowly, that 1t was not indeed for him.
self that he wished to be a marshal
some day, but because it might make
MIN, In a manner, your equal. 1t was
for you"
For met Alike was astonished. 1T
never thought of that. / think YOU
thought of it, Pietro, only because you
cared for me-and thought Francois
must care also"
Yes, I thought he cared" Pietro
considered. II can not believe other
wise yet"
you may believe it," Alike was
wished always was that 1 ~should-love
you. I did it mostly to please Fran
co.'s" she added serenely.
n Pietro's response to that was
apt, but not to 90 given here. The minds
OF those w happy lovers We're full of
that third who had been so close always
to each of them.
"Pietro," Alike spoke earnestly. COM
ing back to the same subject, you
Know that I love Francisco course.
But you do not know in what way T
love him as if he We're one of the
salnts-but also as if he We're a helpless
little child. Yet not-Pietro-as if he
Were-the man [ love. 1 would give
my life for him in a rush of delight, if
ne needed it. But L know now, what
ever We're my vague dreams in past
that 1t is not in Francois to care
iof a woman as a human man. Some
now. among all his wonderful uuali-
ties That one thing was left out. He
never could have cared for me so that
the touch of my hand counted. or-or
SO that all other women should seem
dlfferent. L think, indeed, that if some
dear girl should have loved him he
might easily have married her out of
pure friendship and gentleness, not
knowing what the real love of a man
TO a woman is like. That is impossible
to him"
Il am not SO sure" said Pietro, and,
shook his head.