Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1916-09-20
q1ickly, in French. "vOus avez raj

less than the infection of warning in
his voice. brought Captain Redmond
around sharply: and he saw that they
were no longer alone. 1t was the inn
keeper, Henri Christophe, who had
come back to serve his leisurely pat
ron.
"Ah. gentlemenl Something to
drink?' Christophe asked them. rub
bling his hands in anticipation of the
feel of good coin in them.
NO, thank youl My friend is Ieav-
ing now" the Frenchman said.
but l will be back soon," Larry
promised. And with that Henri Chris
tophe had TO be content.
Again the indefatigable newspaper
reader returned to his favorite pas
time while Henri Christophe regarded
him with a mild pensiveness. The fell
low had loafed much in his inn during
the past two days: but he had been al
together too abstemious to suit the pro-
prietor's notions of what was due him
from a guest And then all at once old
Henri's face turned happy once more,
at the sight of quaint little creature
who tripped into the room and called
to him:
"Ah, father! You are home again!
What news of the warp
Nothing, ma petlte! he said.
Nothing! Do not be alarmed
But all say the Germans are COM
ing through Belgium" she told him
plaintively.
Her remark seemed TO exasperate
him. What with poor business. and
the worry Of the last few days-for
Henri Chistophe did not entirely share
the complacency of his more placid
patrons regarding runaOrs that were in
the air-what with those things to
trouble him his patience had become
finespun. The good God knew that he
did not desire war to sweep over his
fatherland. He hoped passionately that
it might escape that calamity. And
dreading it as he did, he took occasion,
whenever the possibility was men,
toned, to denounce the contingency
as being beyond reason. Somehow, he
derived comfort simply from asserting
his disbelief in such a thing.
"All say itr' he repeated after her
with an irritation which was strange
in him. so always it is with you
women--you exaggerate every rumor,
he cried. 81 tell you-your father-we
are neutral country. All the big ma
tons they have promised us that our
land is safe from invasion. 1t is near
" hundred years since they gave us
their word and always they have kept
it,"
"But still l am frightened" his
daughter reaffirmed. She was, in truth
timid little thing-just the sort to
be thrown into a twitter of excitement
over mouse--Or a war. 1t mattered
not what one might tell her to calm
her She would still be alarmed, And
now Jeanne looked up at her father
with such fear in her great dark eyes
that he forgot his anger in his attempt
TO soothe her.
"But whyf' he asked her more
gently. ''They did not come through
our country in 1870 in the Franco.
Prussian war. Why should they now
The Germans make much money from
us and we from them. They are our
friends. No, ma petite. thanks
to God we need fear nothing"
81 hope. father, you may be right,
she said. albeit somewhat doubtful
still
you shall see! You shall seer he
treasured her. He made his way to the
cigar counter and busted himself set
ting things to rights there. "What
worries me far more than the Ger
mans. my little one" he went on,
what worries me is that we have so
few Americans automobiling this sum.
mer. Always in August there are
many; and they pay we'll"
Perhaps it is the Germans who
keep them away" she ventured unhap.
PLY.
"Will you cease?" he cried angrily.
always you talk of the Germans.
Soon you will have me nervous like
you" he complained, as if he were not
already that.
81 am sorry. mon PEREZ" she said in
filial repentance.
'sThere, therep' he exclaimed. as If
ashamed that he had chided her. 81
did not mean to be cross. Comet For
get your fears and pray to your saints
that business will be better. To think
tl,o+ ~ Auu,,e+ mo houa orIx, @bo4 49,,
lady iodgerr'
At his remark the French spy
glanced up quickly from his newspa-
per. He had not known that there was
a lady staying in the house. And he
wondered whether she might not prove
to be the person for whom he was on
the lookout.
And what do you suppose she is do
ing here in COurvoisier?' little Jeanne
asked her father. 1t was not quite the
usual thing for a foreigner any other
lady to stay in an inn without an es-
cort
THAT do not know-nor do l care,
ma petite" Henri Christophe said.
''She is not French as she says. One
may tell from her accent" the girl re-
marked. 1t was patent that her wom-
ans curiosity had been aroused by
their feminine guest.
'But she pays, my little one-and
she minds her own business" her ia
Their responded. Let us do likewise.
!. Wipe off the table yonderr' he
directed Jeanne, as il he would give
her something to think of that would
take her mind of such idle thoughts.
Little Jeanne fook the clnfh from q