Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1914-09-17
CHAPTER
THE THIRD WISH.

" NAAD Ll11IlD WlS11.
IN the DAY when Francois In Lon
don read that letter of Lucy Hampton
Mhlch a awaited his return from
rn ahoe; = letter from Lucy Hampton
reached Alike at the chateau of Vic
cues. She carried it to Pietro's room
where ne sat in a deep chair at a win
doW which looked over Delesmonte.
valley and the racing Cheulte river. anf
tme VlilaSe strung on the shores. Hi.
SlouW on the stone window sill, his CHR
IN MS hand, he stared at the familiar
picture. ~
alike, coming In without knocking a,
the open door, stopped across and stood
by MN, and he did not yet lift his head
MS llstless eyes did not vet shift thei,
gaze from the broad landscape. Alike
looking down at the black head wifi
its short curls set in thick locks4afte
tne manner of the curls of Praxiteles
Heflnes-was startled to see MANY
prlsht lines Of gray through the dark
mass. Was everybody getting old
FRANCOIS with the broad band Of white
~ ms halr-and now Pietro-big little
Learned to ride Cog and PLAYED wifi
gray? ~ oo anu
BY one of the sudden impulses char
acterlstic of her, her hand flew out and
rested on the curled head as If to pro-
time. VI
And Pietro turned slowly and looked
up at her with eyes full of hopelessness
ana alteration. Such a look he had
never before given her; such a look no
one could mistake except a woman who
wolld not let herself understand.
II is good to be W and at the win.
uom' isn't lt!. Alike spoke c%heerfully,
ana her hand left his head and she
went on in a gay disengaged tone.
You VIII be down stairs in two or
thfee days now, and then it is only a
jump to being out and about. and Their
then IN a minute you will be well
again. WV
ooh, yes" Pietro answered without
animation. ut will not be long before
| am WE'LL"
Look, Pietro"; Alike held out the
paper In her hand. Such a queer LET
ter. From Virginia. From the little
Lucy Hampton of whom Francois talks,
1 don't understand it. Will YOU let me
read it to you?"
surely" said Pietro, and waited
with his unsmiling eyes on her face.
My dear Mademoiselle," Alike read.
L am writing to beg your forgiveness,
as nave begged that of the Cheval-
Ter Beaupre, for the very great fault I
have committed. The Cheavalier
trusted to me a letter for YOU which
1879 Viii soClll Sou Olly M CASA
OF a certain event; by a carelessness
winch, unmeant as it was, o shall
lever forgive myself I gave it with
other letters to our negro Sambo to be
posted at once. BY now 1t may have
reached you. l a not tell if / have
made trouble or not, but in any case,
l can not rest without saying to YOU
as we'll as to the Chevalier-how sorry
! am. If you can find it In your heart
to forgive me. please do so, dear Mad
emoiselle. That 1 should have made
trouble for one as dear to the Cheyalier
as you are is a. deep grief to me. He
mas talked to me of you. With a very
earnest prayer again for your forgive
ness l am, Mademoiselle, yours faith
FULLY and sincerely-Lucy Hampton
Hampton"
Pietro looked bewildered. What is
it about?" he asked.
Il wonder" and Alike laughed and
frowned at the paper in her hand. 1T
seems Francois wrote me a letter and
left it with little Mistress Hampton
to be sent in case of a certain event.
What event? What a strange thing
Tor Francois to do! And then he came
to us here and said nothing of mys-
l can not make it out. Pietro-can
you?"
Not l." said Pietro.
"Ihe letter Of Francois has not come:
that is certain; l wonder if the negro
Sambo lost it,"
Probably" Pietro said. TT should
have come before this one, otherwise"
1T Is a riddle" Alike decided. land
| never guess them" Then, dropping
into a seat on the wide window sill
,P1etro-you are letting yourself be
depressed"
The gray eyes met hers with some
thing that seemed a wall Of reserve in
their steady glance. II think possibly
miss having no exercise" he said. Il
will feel more natural when I can get
about" ~
Alike looked at him. you are eating
our nea out to be with Francois"
she said. and laid her hand on his.
P1etro started as If the light touch
had shaken him; then slowly his large
fingers twisted lightly around the
small ones. and he turned his face
again, holding her hand so. to the win
dow n the view of the valley and the
river and the village. A moment they
a SO; the girls hand loose in the hol-
low OF n mans; a slow red crept into
Alixe's face: there was confusion in
her brain. She had laid her hand on.
that OF her brother; her brother had
taken 1t In his-and behold. by a
wltchcraft it was all changed. This
dellcate big grasp that held her was
not ~brotherly; through all her veins
suddenly she knew that; the flush shot
up to her eye to her forehead. and
she tried. with an attempt at an every
day manner. to draw her hand away.
But Pietro. his set pale face toward
the window, his eyes gazing out. held
her hand. With that the world had
reeled and was whirling past her.
Pietro had caught both her hands in a
tight grip and had drawn them against
him. was holding them there. was
looking at her with a face which not
even She. this time. might mistake.
Alike" he said. ~ know YOU don't
care Tor me. I know you love Fran
co.'s. | did not mean ever to sneak.
put wnen Q put your hand on
He held her palms together and
parted the palms and kissed the finger
tips. hrst OF n and then Of the other.
as Y ne kissed something holy.
Il shall speak again. but this
oncel viii. I always loved you-one
must, ! knew always that a slow
silent person like me- would have no.
chance against q fellow like francois.
So 4 have kept still, and it was hard
II wont be SO hard now that YOU know.
Are you angry. Alixe?"
Alike. with her head bent 40 that
sPietro did not see her face, with her
head bending lower-lower, suddenly
was on her knees by the chair and her
I1 "a UUd ~