The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1922-09-19
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because thIs was France. whore one
may affect whisker without losing
fsee. he neglected his rasors. and
sho this was not his first thought.
q fair disguise II proved. For
when. toward the end OF the sec.
ond week. he submitted that wan.
ton lnxurianee 10 be tanned by a
barber Of Fierac. he hardly knew
the trinity bearded mask OF hronsc
that looked back at him from a
mirror.
Not that u matsered 20 Monsieur
rnchemin. From the first he met
NV 81 any sort and mona at all
whom "A lively and eSactinw distrust
seckoned likely factor In his al.
AIRS Il was wild. hold land tss
tfaversed. and thinly prspled. at
palms TO avoid the larger towns. he
sought by choice tho lonciicst paths
that ioopcd its quiet hills. such as
passed the time Of day with him
were few and for the most part
peasants. duh. dour hot. taciturn
~ a degree that pleased him well.
81 that he scon forgot 10 be for.
ever alert for the crack Of an am.
pushed pistol or the psttcFing foot.
fAlls OF an assassin with a knife
II was AZ Fiorae. ON the Tarnon.
that he parted company with the
trail OF Stevenson. Here that ono
had turned east 70 Alass. whereas
n0chemin had been lost to the
wcfld not nearly long enough. he
was minded 10 wander on tan weary.
The weather held. thcrc waa sun.
! shine IN golden ficods. and By night
| mccnliEht like molten silver. He
| tween hectllng ramparts OF stone.
| t<rraccd. creneristcd and hastlement.
| I'll tn motley strata OF pink and
brown and yellow and black. the
raer Tarn had gots-cd out for Itself
"a canyon thru which It's waters
swept and tumbled. a. green az
translucent tada In sunlight. pro-
Srund emeraudc in shadow. cream
white In ehurning rapids The lofty
| prcfiles Of It's cliffs were fringed
With stunted growths Of pine and
| axh. a ragged stubble. while hero
. and there chateaux. forsaken as a
rrsc. and crumhllng. reared ruined
| szihoucttes against the blne. Eigh.
teen hundred feet below. Il might
be more. the Tarn threaded iash bot.
tpggiands. titled fields. soodiy or.
sGhrds. plantations Of walnut and
Spanish chestnut. and infreaucnt.
uny villages that chung TO Pre-
cHrious footholds between cliffs and
water.
on high again. beyond the cliffs.
stretched the CRusses. vast. arid
and barren piafeaux. fat and fea.
turciess save for an occasional low.
rounded mound. mcnhsr or dot
man. and ttf such may be termed
features) great pits that opened in
the earth IKE cold craters. which
- eountryfcik termed avcns. A
Strange. bleak land. inhospitAble.
| ufnd- hsrrted. haunted. the homo OF
usven howling devils Of desolatlon
Rain az length in,srned the trzv.
.nsr for three days In llttie place
piled Mcyrueia. which lies swestiy
y the valley Of the Jonte. at its
epnfsuence with TIRE Butexon. long
haguss remote from railroads and
ths world they stitch toxether--that
world Of unrest rncertAinty and
intrigue which In thoss days seemed
No better than Z maahousc.
The break In the uonotony Of
1Aily footfaring proved agreeable.
n suited one well 20 camp for a
space In that quaint town. isolate
In the heart OF an enchanted land.
With which ono was In turn en-
chanted. and contemplate uOberly
ths grave issues Of life and death.
Here tsaId Ducheminl nothing can
| disturb me. and u IL high time for
me TO be considering what I am to
make Of the remainder OF my days.
Too many OF them have been
wasted. too great portion Of my
span has been sacrificed 20 want
4 dkS- One must not forget ono Is
1 In fair way 10 become a grand.
/ father: 10 II plainly an urgent duty
4 10 reconcile oneself to that cstats
/ and cuitivats its proper gravity and
decorum. Yet a little while and
one must bid adfeu 10 that youth
which one has 80 heedlsssiy squan-
dersd. a last adieu 20 youth with
iu days OF high adventure. Its care
free heart. It's susceptibility TO the
Infinite sednctlons Of romance.
Quite seriously the adventurer en-
teftaaned a premonition OF his to-
l morrow. vision OF himself IN
skuil-cap and seedy clothing ftha
trousers weli-bagEed at the kneesl
| with rather more than a mere hint
Of an equator emphasized by grease