Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-09-02

she replied, in low voice, and pointed
to her glove.
rose, and fastened the glove on my
hat, and said: "Thev shall find II on me
when | am dead, mademoiselle. Then
turned to 90 in search Of Pierre.
II shall go TO nv room now, she said,
and so, goodnight, monsieur !,
| turned, and made to take her hand
that | might kiss it, but she drew II
nway, and then, standing on the thresh-
old, she raised il as one does IN bestow-
ing benedcite, and said
God watch you through the night,
monsieurr'
And you forever, mademoisellel
said /, but she had gone. For moment
| stood looking mp at her chamber
window, thinking how it had come over
me again, as in the days of my youth,
the longing TO be near one woman.
Night was now coming on. In the
deeper shades of the forest IL WAS already
dark. but the sky was clear. and soon
the moon would rise. Musing as
went, walked along the road that
Pierre had first taken. The only sounds
that | heard were the ceaseless chirps
and whirrs of the insects OF the bushes
and trees.
When had gone some distance,
bethought me of my heedlessness' IN
coming away from the inn without my
sword. had taken this of before sitting
down to eat, and at my departure my
mind had been so taken UP with other
matters that had omitted to put it on.
MY dagger was with it at the. inn. At
frs. | thought of. returning for these
weapons, but | considered that | would
not be away long, and that there was no
likelihood of my requiring weapon IN
these solitudes. So | continued on my
way towards knoll whence expected TO
get n good view of the road, and thus,
should Pierre he returning on that road,
spare myself the labor of plunging into
the woods depths and listening for the
footsteps of his horse or of himself.
| had walked several minutes ID the
increasing darkness, when there came
to my cars, from the shades at the right,
the sound of human snore. Had the
boy fatigued himself IN trying to lind
the way, and fallen asleep without
knowledge of his nearness to the innp
"Pierrer' / called. There was no
answer.
called again. Again there was no
reply, but the snoring ceased. A third
time | called My call was unheeded.
turned into the wilds, and forced my
way through dense underground. At a
short distance from the road, came on
traces of the passage of some one else.
Following these, | arrived at last at a
small open space, where the absence
of vegetation seemed due TO some natural
cause. Sufficient of the day s failing light
reached the clearing TO show me the
figures of four men on the ground before
mo, three of them stretched in slumber,
the fourth sitting up. The last held a
huge old two-handed sword over hls
shoulder. ready to strike. The threatening
ing attitude of this giant made me take
mechanically step backward, and
feel for my sword. Alas, was unarmed!
so. my yenturesome lackev, we meet
again. came a sarcastic voice from the
left. and some one darted between me
and the four men, facing me with drawn
sword.
II was the Vicomtc de Berquin, and a
triumphant smile was on his face.
Moved by the thought that nademoi-
salle's safety depended on me, | was
not ashamed, beng unarmed, to turn
about for immediate flight But had no
sooner shown my back to NJ. de Berqula,
than found myself face to face with the
scowling Barbemouche, who stood mo-
tionless, the point of his swordnot many
inches from my breast.
TO be continued.