The citizen., 1914-02-06

| 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. l need not recite those things
to you, yet l like to do it. 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 a rapid step, to this castle
prison"
The rest of the letter belongs to a
later part of the story. That little
Pietro 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-
| complished, 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.
icled in the quoted letter, stared at
his old friend from under his heavy
brows as if 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 student than of soldier A
little the air, also, of an invalid, for
he stopped and walked languidly, and
cough caught him at times He was
talking, on that morning in the library,
while the general listened; it was not
the usual order of things.
80 you see, Gaspard," the marquis
went on in his quiet reticent way,
that have believed in our old friend
ship. l have taken for granted well
come for my boy-I could not have
done it with another man. The voy-
age to America and my stay there
will last, it may be year. | have
brought Pietro to leave him with you
If you will have him.
This old officer of Napoleon had
after all his battles and killings, the
simplicity and the heart of mis- own
little girl. But he cleared mis- throat
hurriedly with bravado of careless
ness, and before the marquis could dc
more than smile at hiIn wistfully, he
went on:
ut is all settled. there was no need
of word; Pietro is my son till you
claim him from me, and glad enough
l am to get him for as long as l may
have lieL on very good manner
of boy already, young Francois Beau
pre-, whom l wished to adopt, but the
lad would not give up his parents.
And that makes me more eager for
another. They will play better to-
gether and work better together, and
they will be good brace of brothers
for my Alike"
Your Alike" the marquis spoke
ref1ectively. "She is a charming per-
son, that little woman of yours"
"Alessandro, shall I tell you what
flashed into my head before you and
Pietro had been here an hour?"
What then?"
81 saw the children-your boy and
my girl-together as if lifelong play
mates over the big books in the win
dow-seat there, and it came to me
that 1t would be joy to crown ones
life if-later on" He stopped and
gazed inquiringly at the calm blue
eyes which met his.
YES" the marquis answered qui-
etly. 1T would be that-the crown of
our friendship, if some day they might
love each other"