Middletown transcript., 1920-10-16
CHAPTER XIV-continued.

Nf1AT NtV0SVusUsNSSs
-14H
The major and I were raising his
head, in the hope that some fiutter o.
life might remain, when heard well
remembered voice at my side, and
there was De Lissac, leaning upon his
elbow, among litter Of dead Guards
men. He had a great blue coat NUT
fled round him, and his hat, with the
high red plume, was lying on the
ground beside him. He was very pale
and had dark: blotches under his eyes
but otherwise he was as he had evel
been, with the keen, hungry nose, the
wiry mustache and the close-croppet
head, thinning away to badness upor
the top. His eyelids had always
dropped, but now one could hardly SEE
the CLINT Of his eyes from beneath
them.
"Halloo, Jackr' he cried. T didn''
thought to have seen you here, anc
yet I might have known it, too, Wher
I saw friend jim"
1T is you that have brought all this
trouble" said /.
"Ta, ia, tai" he cried in his old
impatient fashion. 1T is all arranged
for us. When was in Spain learned
to believe in fate. It is fate which
has sent you here this morning"
"This mans blood lies at your door,
said I, with my hand on poor J1m's
| shoulder.
"And mine on his, so we have paid
our debts" He flung open his mantle
as he spoke, and saw with horror
that a great lump of clotted blood was
hanging out Of his side.
"This is my thirteenth and last,
said he, with a smile. ''They say that
thirteen is an unlucky number. Could
you spare me drink from your flask! Z
The major had some brandy-and-wa
ter. De Lissac supped it up eagerly
His eyes frightened, and little aech
Of color came back into each Of his
haggard cheeks.
1T was Jim did this" said he. y
l SOluc Oklc FALLING LILY NANNY sAAAN
there he was, with his gun against my
tunic. Two of my men cut him dowI
just as he fired. Well, well, Edie was
worth it all. You will be in Paris IL
less than month, Jack, and you vii
see her. You will find her at number
eleven Of the Rue Miromesnil, which
is near the Madelaine. Break it very
gently to her, Jack, for you canno
think how she loves me. Tell her thai
all l have is in two black trunks, ant
that Antoine has the keys. You vii
not forget?"
Il will remember"
"And madame, your mother?
trust that you have left her very well
And monsieur, too, your father? Beal
them my distinguished regards" Ever
now, as death closed in upon him, HI
gave the old bow and wave as he sen
his greetings to my mother.
Surely" said I, ''your wound ma!
not be so serious as you think. coult
bring the surgeon Of our regiment t
you"
"My dear Jack, have not been Civ
ing and taking wounds this fifteel
years without knowing when one ha
come home. But it is well, for
know that all is ended for my Littl'
Man, and 1 had rather 60 with m.
voltigeurs than remain to be an exil
and a beggar Besides, it is quite Ger
tain that the Allies would have sho
me, so l have saved myself from tina
humiliation"
"The Allies, sir" said the major
with some heat. "would be guilty 0
no such barbarous action"
But De Lissac shook his head wit
the same sad smile.
"YOu do not know, major" said he
"Do you suppose that should have fle
to Scotland and changed my name
had not more to fear than my CON
rades in Paris? I was anxious to live
for | was sure that my Little Ma
would come back. Now had rattle
die, for he will never head an arm
again. But I have done things tina
could not be forgiven. It was l tina
led the party that took and shot til
Due d'Enghien. It was I-ah, mo
Dieu, Edie, Edie, ma cherie!'' H
threw out both his hands, with all tn
fingers feeling and quivering in tn
air. Then he let them drop heavil
in front Of him, and his chin fell fol
ward upon his chest. One Of our sci
geants laid him gently down, and tn
other stretched the big blue mantl
over him, and so we left those tw
whom fate had so strangely brough
together, the Scotchman and tn
Frenchman, lying silently and peace
fully within hands touch of each othe
upon the blood-soaked hillside nea
GIO,,uo,,rannf