The star-independent. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1904-1917, 1915-04-08

MIN, JuilA
ma tante. he has not asked me to
be the Duchess de fremont"
Her aunt's voice was earnest.
Julia. do you wish to spoil your life
and your chances of happiness? Do
you wish to mourn for dead soldier
who has never been more than an &C.
Quaintance? won't even say a friend"
What she said sounded logical.
MA tante, l do not think of Mon
sieur de Sabron as dead. you know"
well. in the event that he may be.
my dear Julia"
Sometimes" said the girl, drawing
near to her aunt and taking the Older
lady's hand quietly and looking in her
eyes, sometimes, ma tante, you are
cruel"
The marquise kissed her and sighed
Roberts mother will be so un.
happy"
But she has never seen me. ma
tante."
she trusts my taste, Julia"
There should be more than taste
in matter of husband and wife, ma
tante."
After moment in which the Mar
quise d'Esclignac gazed at the bougain
villea and wondered how anyone could
admire its crude and vulgar color, Miss
Redmond asked:
Did you ever think that the Due de
fremont was in lover"
Turning shortly about to her niece,
her aunt stared at her.
I'm love. my dear,"
with Madame de la Maine
The arrival of Madame de la Maine
had been a bitter blow to the Mar
qutse d'Esclignac. The young woman
was, however, much loved in Paris and
quite in the eye Of the world. There
was no possible reason why the Mar.
cuise d'Esclignac should avoid her.
you have been hearing gossip,
Julia"
Il have been watching a lovely
woman" said the girl simply, "and a
man. That's all. You wouldn't want
me to marry man who loves another
woman, ma tante. when the woman
loves him and when l love another
man?"
She laughed and kissed her aunt's
cheek.
Let us think of the soldier" she
murmured. "let US think just of him,
ma tante, will you not?"
The Marquise d'Esclignac struck
her colors.
In the hallway of the villa, in a
snowy gibbeh (and his clean-washed
appearance was much in his favor)
Hammet Abou waited to talk with the
grandmother" and the excellency.
He pressed both his hands to his
forehead and his breast as the ladies
entered the vestibule There was a
stagnant odor Of myrrh and sandal.
wood in the air. The marble vesti.
bule was cool and dark, the walls
hung with high-colored stuffs, the
windows drawn to keep out the heat.
The Due de fremont and Madame
de la Maine came out of the salon
together. fremont nodded to the
Arab.
Il hope you are little less" and
he touched his forehead smiling, ito.
day. my friend"
Il am as God made me, Monsieur. "
What have you got today?" asked
Julia Redmond anxiously, fixing her
eager eyes upon Hammet
1t seemed terrible to her that this
man should stand there with a vital
secret and that they should not all be
at his feet. He glanced boldly around
at them.
There are no soldiers here?"
NO, no, you may speak freely"
The man went forward to fremont
and put paper In his hands, unfold.
ing II like chart
This is what monsieur asked me
fora plan of the battlefield. This is
the battlefield, and this is the
desert"
fremont took the chart On the
page was simply a round circle, drawn
In red ink, with a few Arabian charac.
ters and nothing else. Hammet Abou
traced the circle with his fingers
tipped with henna.
That was the battle, Monsieur"
But this is no chart, Hammet
Abou."
The other continued, unmoved:
"And all the rest is desert, like
this"
fremont, over the mans snowy
turban, glanced at the others and
shrugged. Every one but Julia Red
mond thought he was insane. She
came uD 10 him where he stood close
to fremont. She said very slowly in
French. compelling the mans dark
eyes to meet hers:
You don't wish to tell us, Hammet
Abou, anything more. Am not
right? You don't wish us to know the
truth"
Now 1t was the American pitted
against the Oriental The Arab, with
Difference. touched his forehead be-
fore her.
If l made q true ulan." he said