The Tabor independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1913-19??, 1914-07-30
CHAPTER XXX

CHAPTER XIX.
GOOD NEWS. Il
In the garden OF the chateau OF VIC
cues, where the stiff, gray stone vases
spilled again their hearts blood OF
scarlet and etching Of vines; where
the two stately lines of them led down
to the sun dial and the round lawn on
one OF the griffin supported stone seats
Alike and Pietro sat where Alike and
Francois had sat Ave years before.
Alike, again in her dark riding habit
with the blue feather In her hat and
the gauntleted hands, was grown from.
an exquisite slip of girl into a woman
more lovely than the girl. Her eyes,
when she lifted the long, exaggerated,
curled lashes, held fire and force. and
knowledge Of suffering, 1t might be.
under their steady smile, but held all
these In control This was q woman
able not only to endure things, which
10 the gift OF most women, but to do
things. Pietro, his big arm stretched
along the back OF the stone seat,
watched her-as Pietro had watched.
her always. 1t seemed never to trouble
her to turn and find his honest eyes
fixed calmly on her face. Pietro, whose
illness at Ancona had put Francois
into his place in the escape OF Louis
Napoleon, had put Francois in his
place as the prisoner Of Austria now
these five years--Pietro had managed
to get away from Italy and had Joined
Queen Hortense and her son before
they entered Paris. Both the prince
and Pietro had moved heaven and
earth to find out the fate OF Francois.
That he had been taken by the Aus
trian squad at the end Of his wild ride
they knew. More than this they could
not discover, except that one or two
things pointed to the conclusion that
he had been immediately executed.
The prince believed this, and Pietro
came to believe II. But Alike had never
believed It. t. a
In these I'VE years Pietro had not
been back to Italy; the Inevitable
Austrians'' had put down in 1881 the
revolution In the Romagna, the rising
In which Prince Louis and Pietro, the
Marquis Appi, had taken part. In the
war-torn country no movements Of any
Importance had taken place since that.
Pietro. a Carbonaro member OF
young Italy" marked man, was not
safe inside the Italian frontier. With
other patriots he awaited in q
foreign country the day when
he might go back to fight again for a
united Italy. In the meantime he con-
spired. planned, worked continually for
the patriot cause, and as continually he
find a trace of Francois. The boy who
had dashed through the Austrian sol
dierg on that morning at Chiana, and
leaped to the landlords horse and
cleared his way through with the play
of the old soldiers sword, and led
wild race, to fall into the enemy's
hands at last-the boy had disappeared
from the face OF the earth. Pietro,
grieving deeply for his old friend,
grieving bitterly because 1t was In fill
ing his place that Francois had met his
fate, believed him dead. But Alike did
not believe 1t. Pietro was often at
Vicques now, and the two went over
might not speak to the general OF
Francois; the blow had been heavy,
and the old soldiers wound had not
closed; 1t might not be touched. But
Pietro and Alike spoke Of him con-
stantly.
Today, as they sat in the garden.
they had been going over the pros and
cons of his life or death for the
thousandth time. Pietro's quiet gray
eyes were, sad as he looked away from
Alike and across the lawn to the beech
wood.
God knows I would give my life
quickly II could see him coming
through the trees there, as we used
to see him, mornings long ago, in his
patched home spun clothes" 81
Alike followed the glance considering
ly, as IL calling up the little brown,
trudging figure 80 well remembered.
Then she tossed up her hea1 sharply
WHO ?'-and then she laughed. IT
shall be seeing visions next, like Fran
co.'s" she said. IT thought II was he
back In the beech wood"
IT see no one" Pietro stared.
'But you have no eyes. Petrol can
always see a thing two minutes before
you" Alike threw at him. There
the man"
"oh," said Pfetro. "Your eyes are
more than natural, Alike You see into
a wood; that Is uncanny. Yes, / see
him now. Mon Dieul he Is q big fell
low"
"A peasant-from some other vil-
lage." Alike spoke carolessly. do
not know him." and they went on talk
ing, as they had been doing, of Fran
co.'s.
And with that, here was Jean Phil
lippe Nelson, 40 now and fat, but still
beautiful in purple millinery, advanc-
ing down the stone staps between the
tall gray vases, making symphony Of
color with the rich red of the flowers
He held silver tray; a letter was on
It.
"For MademoiseIle"
Mademoiselle took II calmly and
glanced at It, and with that both the
AOOllhon anu tno h1dxQulb Zdpp1j were
,astoinshed to see her fall to shivering
as If in sudden illness. she caught Pie
tro's arm. The letter was clutched in
her other hand thrust back of her.
Petrol
What Is II. Alixe7" His voice was
quiet as ever, but his hand was around
her shaking fingers, and he held them
strongly. What is it, Alixe2"
She drew forward the other hand I;
the letter shook, rustied with her trem-
bling. 1T is-from Francois!"
Jean Philippe Nelson, having stayed
to listen. as he ought not, lifted his
eyes and his hands TO heaven and gave
thanks In general way, yolubly, un-
| rebuked. BY now the unsteady fing-
ers OF Alike had opend the paper, and
her head and Pietro's were bent over
It, deyouring the well known writing.
Alike, excited, French, exploded into a
disjointed running comment.
From prfson-our Froncois--dear
Francoisl" And then: Five years,
PietrOl Think-while we have been
free" And then, with swift clutch
again at the big coat sleeve crowding