Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1914-04-18
CHAPTER XVI.
The Finest Things.


Endurance, Francois own negro boy,
brought note to Roanoke house on a
morning five days after 1t read:
My Dear Miss Hampton:
The doctor has given me permits
SsiOn to ride tomorrow and l wish to
ride to Roanoke house before all 9TH
er places. Will mademoiselle see me
Will mademoiselle permit me to see
her for a short time alone? 1 await
: anxiously a word from you, and 1 am
your servant
FRANCOIS BEAUPRE"
Mademoiselle sent a fair sheet of
paper with a few unsteady scratches
across it, and sat down to live over
1t was accomplished. The colonel had
ridden to Norfolk for the day-had
Francois known Of that, one wonders?
Lucy, waiting in that small stately
study with the dim portraits and the
wide vague view across the fields of
the James river, heard the gay hoof
beats of Aquarelle pound down the
gravel under the window, heard Fran
COTS deep gentle voice as he gave the
horse to Sambo, and waited one min
ute more, the hardest minute of all.
Then the door had opened and he stood
fhere-the miracle, as it seems at such
moments to woman, possibly to a
man-of all the gifts and qualities
worth loving.
He had made his precise bow, and
she had heard his voice saying gently:
Good morning, mademoiselle," and
the door was closed; and they were
alone together. In a flash she felt that
ut could not be endured, that she must
escape. She rose hastily.
I'm sorry 1 must go; 1 cannot
-stay-''
But Francois had laughed and taken
fher hand and was holding it with a
ftender force which thrilled her. He
understood. She knew he understood
the shame and fear of a woman who
fhas given love unasked; she was safe
in his hands; she knew that With q
sigh she let her fingers rest in his and
sat down again and waited.
Dear Mademoiselle Lucy said the
deep kind voice. my first friend in
Virginia, my comrade, my little
scholar"
Why did Lucy grow cold and quiet
rat these words of gentleness? Fran
cois was sitting beside her, holding
her hand in both his, gazing at her
with the ciearest affection in his look
Yet she braced herself against she die
not know what. The voice went on
ssiip of English now and then, and its
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES power of reach
1lng the heart.
See, mademoiselle,'' said Francois
I'VE are too real friends, you and 1. tc
have deception between US. We viii
mot pretend, you and 1. to each other
Ms it not, mademoiselle? Therefore
shall not try to hide from you that
heard that day those words so wonder
full which you spoke to me so unwor
thy. l have thought of those word:
ever since, mademoiselle, as 1 lay il
with this troublesome arm; ever since
all the time My heart has been full
of a-gratifcation to you which canno
szbe told shall remember all my life
- shall be honored as no king coult
honor me. by those words And be
vcause you have so touched me, an,
have SO laid that little hand on tn
heart of me, am going to tell you. m,
dear comrade and scholar, what i
most secret and most sacred to me-"
In as few words as might be, he toll
! her of the peasant child who had bee
lifted out of his poverty-bound nf
with such large kindness that n
bond which held him to that poor, We
-udear life had been broken; who ha