The Press., 1917-02-22

pencil. a fine glow of eagerness added to that of rage in his eyes very deep under their brows. Now I'll go and call in Jim," he said after a few min utes of waiting and left the room in which was then alone with my Cap. itaine the Count de Lasselles, who came to me with outstretched hands.
 "Ah, Mile. Roberta" he exclaimed, T am in n debt of gratitude to you for bringing this great gentleman, your friend, to my rescue and also to the solving of this very strange situation concerning these contracts. Indeed have you accomplished the mission for which you enlisted-yOur friends for France
 "But before procedure l must ask you. little lady, why 1t was that you made a vanishment from that hote. in New York. I sought you there in vain, and 1t Is a great ease to my un- happy heart to find you in the care Of family and friends. I make compli- ments on your costume of the ride. also observe the custom of attire mas. culine to be on those plains of the great west where bought the wheat"
 "It is great joy to me, mon capi- talne, that you give to me your ap' proval. Much has happened to me in these short weeks since you left me in loneliness on that great ship that l must tell to you" said as sob rose into my words.
 Poor little girl! It will not be many hours now before l can sa" to you the things that have been growing in my heart for you since that night upon the ship" he said to me Ea a great tender. ness as he raised my hand and bent to kiss 1t just as entered the great Gou verneur Faulkner and the wild Jim, had not the courage to gaze Npon | the face of my Gouverneur Faulkner, but I felt its coldness strike into my 1 hody and turn 1t to hardness. For a second I stood as stone; then a sud- | den resolve rose In me, and again that | daredevil seized upon my thought. | took a piece of that white paper with caution and also a pencil and with them slipped from the room, while that | wild Jim seated himself upon my low | ly stool beside the table at which again ] the two great men were writing. And out in the soft light that was now slowly fading from the side of | The mountain because of the retire ment of the sun 1 sat me down upon the step of the hut and wrote to my | Gouverneur Faulkner this small letter | Honored Excellency the GouverneuT I IL s,Ff fIA nF Hnr h R | from you into the trenches of France. If | valIr humble boy Robert has done for you l any small service, I beg of you in that | name that my uncle, the General Robert >nd my friends never know of my dis | nolor of lies about my woman's estate | but believe me to die as soldier foI | France, as will be the case. Make all clear for me to my Capitaine the Count de Las s"res, It is tha+ all women are not lies
 Aarquise of Greg and Bye.
 Then left that letter upon the door step. held in place by the weight of a stone. and very softly slipped out into the shadows of the twilight and down the mountain by the path up which that morning had come with my be loved GOuverneur Faulkner. then my friend
 1 felt a certainty that as many as two hours would those men continue n consulting with that wild Jim ant in that time by going fleetingly I could
 sain the place where were tethereC the horses before a complete darkness lad come From my hOnOred father had learned the ways of woods in hunt
 ing, and also 1 knew that the gOoG
 I.ightfoot would in darkness carry mt
 in safety to his stall in the barn O
 Mir. Bud Bell, beside which stood m! cherry.
 From there I could gain the city of Hayesville in the dead hours of tho night and i'll those same dead hours de part to France after obtaining the money I had left in my desk and whicl | had earned by my labOrs and would not be in the act of stealing from the S.ate of Harpeth. Only one night ant day would be alone in the forest, AnC I drd lot care if death should over talle me. Tn my body my heart was lead. and why should desire the lift )f that body?