The Carlisle independent., 1915-08-12
CHAPTER Xll-continued.


 My dear Julia, she said to the beautiful girl, looking at her through her lorgnon; T don't understand you. Every one of your family has married title. We have not thought that we could do better with our money than build up fortunes already started; than in preserving noble races and noble names. There has never been a divorce in our family I am a mar quise, your cousin is a countess. your aunt is one of the peeresses of Eng land, and as for you, my dear =. :" Miss Redmond was standing by the piano. She had lifted the cover and was about to sit down to play. She smiled slightly at her aunt, and seemed in the moment to be the older woman. There are' titles and titles, ma tante: the only question is what kind do you value the most?"
 The highest" said her aunt with out hesitation, and the Due de Ire mont is undoubtedly one of the most famous partis in Europe"
 He will then find no difficulty in marrying" said the young girl. "and I do not wish to marry man I do not love"
 She sat down at the piano and her hands touched the keys. Her aunt, who was doing some dainty tapestry, whose fingers were creating silken flowers and whose mind was busy with fancies and ambitions very like the work she created. shrugged her shoul- ders.
 That seems to be-" she said keenly, ''the only tune you know, Julia"
 It's pretty song, ma tante.'
 'T remember that you played and sang it the first night Sabron came to dinner" The girl continued to finger among the chords And since then never day passes that sometime or other you do not play it through
 Tt has become a sort of oraison, ma tante.
 "Sabron," said the marquise, lis a fine young man, my child but he has nothing but his officers pay. More over, soldiers life is a precarious one"
 Julia Redmond played the song soft tly through.
 The old butler came in with the eve ming mail and the papers. The Mar quise d'Esclignae with her embroid- cry scissors. opened Le Temps from Paris and began to read with her usual interest. She approached the little lamp on the table near her, unfolded the paper and looked over at her niece, and after few moments. said with a slightly softened voice:
 "Julia," Miss Redmond stopped playing. "Julia!" The girl rose from the piano stool and stood with her hand on the instrument
 My dear Julia," Madame d'EscIi- gnac spread Le Temps out and put her hand on it. As l said to you. my child, the life of a soldier is a pre- carious one"
 Ma tante," breathed Miss Redmond from where she stood. Tell me what the news is from Africa I think I know what you mean"
 She could not trust herself to walk across the floor, for Julia Redmond in that moment of suspense found the room swimming.
 There has been an engagement" said the marquise gently. for in spite of her ambitions she loved her niece. There has been an engagement, Julia, at Dirbal." She lifted the newspaper and held it before her face and read: There has been some hard fighting in the desert, around about Dirbal The troops commanded by Captain de Sabron were routed by the natives at noon on Thursday. They did not rally and were forced to retreat. There was a great loss of life among the natives and sev- eral of the regiment were also killed. There has been no late or authenic news from Dirbal, but the last dispatches give the department of war to understand that Sabron himself is among the missing.
 The Marquise dEsclignac slowly put down the paper, and rose quickly She went to the young girls side and put her arm around her Miss Redmond covered her face with her hands:
 Ma tante. ma tante," she mur- mured
 My dear Julia said the old lady, there is nothing more uncertain than newspaper reports. especially those that cone from the African seat of war. Si. down here, my child"
 The two women sat together on the long piano stool The marquise said:
 T followed the fortunes, my dear of my husbands cousin through the enlargement in Tonkin. I know little what 1t was" The girl was immov.