The Press., 1917-03-08

ner only In time to aVoid oeihs discovered therein. My beloved uncle, inc General Robert, entered the door in A great hurry, with that much frightened Bonbon following close at his heels.
 .sWhat's all this that fool nigger phoned about ghosts walking and - Then he stood very still in the spot upon which his feet were placed and regarded me as I turned from the arms of my Gouverneur Faulkner and faced him.
 Heavens, governor. what has hap pened to my boyT he asked, and his fine old face was of a great whiteneSS and trembling. sam says he's dead, and the ghost"- And then came an other pause in which all of the persons present held for a long minute their breath
 Did make excuses and explanations and pleadings to my beloved uncle, the General Robert, in such suffering over the death of that Robert2 I did not. opened my strong young arms wide and took him into them with a tender ness of such great force that it would of a necessity go into his very heart.
 "I am a wicked girl who has come to you In lies as a boy, my Uncle Rob- ert. but l have a love that Is so great for you that will be in ceath if you do not accept of it from me-" I said as I pressed my cheek fin Its tears against his.
 And for still another long minute all of the persons present waited again, and I forced to remain in my throat a sob, while my beloved GOuverneur Faulkner laid one of his hands on the shoulder of my uncle, the General Rob- ert.
 And then did come that explosion!
 "You young limb of Satan. you! could shake the life out of you if l didn't prefer a live girl to a dead boy. knew just such a thing as this would happen to me in my old age for long life of cussedness. And, what's more, I'll wager I'll never be able to give a great husky thing like you away. You cost as much to feed as a man. Who'd want youT" But even as he stormed at me felt his strong old arms cease from their trembhngs and clasp me with a very rOngh tenderness.
 "I do, general" said my GOuverneur Faulkner as he attempted to take me from that very rough embrace of my uncle, the General Robert. ''I'n take her off your hands"
 'No, sir; never ask personal favors of my friends" answered my uncle, the General Robert, as he held me away from the arms of the Gouyerneur Faulkner with a very great determine ton.
 General Carruthers," then said my beloved Gouverneur Faulkner as he drew his beautiful body to all the height that was possible to him and looked into the eyes of my beloved Un- ele Robert with his own, which are stars of the dawn. so that all of his heart and soul and honor shone there from in a radiance, ''the Marquise or Greg and Bye went a three days jour ney into the wilds of the Harpeth mountains with me to rescue my honor and for the welfare of this great state and of France. And because we thought not of ourselves, but of the welfare of Harpeth and of France, and did but what was necessary as two comrades. God has revealed to us his gift of gifts-love. AS you see, she Is returned to you radiant aRd unharmed Have your consent to try to win her hand in marriageT
 For no more than a long minute my uncle, the General Robert, gazed straight into the eyes of my beloved Gouverneur Faulkner, and then a very beautiful smile did break from under those white swords crossed above his lips as he spoke with great urgency:
 Would you like to take the baggage along with you tonight, governor? Don't leave her here l don't want a woman about my house. I can wake up the county court clerk for license" !" he said, with fine twinkle of the eye. I "Oh, but all friends must forgive me my deception. And then must not a courtship of great decorum be made from my Gouverneur Faulkner for the hand of the lady whom he would make his wifeT' I asked with an uncertain ty as looked from my uncle, the Gen. eral Robert. to my GOuverneur Faulk- ner.
 'I'm sorry. sir, but I think the mar louise Is right, and under the circum- stances I'll have to make a very public lcourtship, which out of consideration for you I'll make as ardent and rapid as possible. Only we three know the wonderful truth, and we'll keep it to ourselves" And as he spoke that great Gouverneur Faulkner bent and laid a kiss of great ceremony upon the hand of Roberta, marquise of Greg and Bye.
 "Yery we'll, sir; I'll keep her for few days and have her fitted out in q lot of folderols for you, but only for q short period. mind you-a very shorl periOdr" answered my uncle. the Gen eral Robert. with smile that showed much delight in me. 1 flew to him and gave to him an embrace with my arms and also laid my cheek against his.
 "I am for always your most humble and obedient girl, my Uncle Robert | whispered to him.
 Humble and obedient-no woman would know those words If she me them in her own drawing room," Inc answered to me, with a great scorn but he also gave to me shake tha was of a seeming great fierceness. bu that knew to be a caress.
 And into that caress came also an other interruption of great hurry. My Ruzz entered the door with rapidity and this exclamation:
 Whats the trouble, general? jus got your phone and'- Then he, too stool in n great and sudden stiffness regarding me as I stood from the shel ter of the arms of my uncle, the Gen eraI Robert. and looked into his eye' of great fright.
 My Huzz. said to him softly. | Fssn -F--E. .