The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1914-04-03
CHAPTER XVI.
The Finest Thinna-


Endurance, Francois own negro how
brought note to Roanoke house on
morning five days after 1t read:
My Dear Miss Hampton:
The doctor has given me nermis-
sion to ride tomorrow and | wish tn
ride to Roanoke house before all 9th
er places. viii mademoiselle see me7
VIII mademoiselle permit me to see
her for a short time alone? l await
anxiously a word from you, and | am
your servant,
FRANCOIS BEAUPRE."
Mademoiselle sent fair sheet Of
paper with a few unsteady scratches
across 1t, 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.
co.'s 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
there-the miracle, as it seems at such.
moments to a woman, possibly to 4
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,V and
The door was closed; and they were
alone together. In flash she felt that
1t could not be endured that she must
escape. She rose hastily.
I'm sorry l must go; cannot
stay"
But Francois had laughed and taken
her hand and was holding it with a
lender force which thrilled her. He
understood. She knew he understood
the shame and fear of woman who
has given love unasked; she was safe
In his hands; she knew that. With
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
at these words of gentleness? Fran
co.'s was sitting beside her, holding
her hand In both his, gazing at her
with the clearest affection in his look
Yet she braced herself against she did
not know what. The voice went on
with its winning foreign infections, its
slip of English now and then, and its
never-to-be-described power of reach
ing the heart.
See, mademoiselle,' said Francois,
I'VE are too real friends, you and /, to
have deception between us. We will
not pretend, you and to each other
is 1t not, mademoisele? 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. ! have thought of those words
ever since, mademo selle, as / lay ill
with this troublesome arm; ever since
all the time. MY aeart has been full
of a-gratification I'd you which cannot
be told. shall reDember all my life;
shall be honoreC as no king could
honor me, by thoss words. And be-
cause you have Sc touched me, and
have SO laid that little hand on the
heart of me, am going to tell you, my
dear comrade and scholar, what is
most secret and most sacred to me-"
In as few words al might be, ne told
her of the peasant child who had been
lifted out of his n,verty- bound life
with such large kildliness that no
bond which held him to that poor. yet
dear life had been froken; who had