The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1922-09-19
Nias the Gone WoF:
by Louis Joseph Dance /:
tcoFsrlsht isiL Isssfnasenai Magazine Company,
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. sssssssssssssss,

Et"~NF VI tttH WWt"AfRA6 IttHtAAhH
ever tho fortunes OF one OF those
dingy little Partisan shops wherein
dehatable antiques accumulate dust
I'll they fetch the ducats OF the
eredulous; and Of Sunday walking
out. In n shiny froek'coat with his
ribbon OF the legion In tho button.
hole, a ratty topper crowning his
placid brows. humid grandchiid
ndhcrlng 20 his hand. a thrifty and
respectable bourreols. tho final
avataf OF rolling stonel
Yes. Il Il amusing. but quite
true. tho Il would need deal Of
oontriving. something llttle short %
revolution To bring u about. TO
precisely such a future a. that did
nuchemln most seriously propose to
dedicAte himself.
Hut always. they say. II Ia Cod
who dispoSes
And for all this mood Of premn.
ture resignation TO the bourgeois
virtues puchcmin was glad enough
whom his fourth day IN Meyruels
dawned fair. and BY eight was up
ana away. purposing a round days
tramp across the cauaeo Nolr TO
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. coneerntnr
which ono heard curious talcsl then
on by way OF the gorge OF the
bourble TO Miiiau for the night.
Nor would he heed tho dubious
head shaken by his host OF Mcy.
Fueis. who earnestly advised a
guide. Tho caussea. he declared,
wure trcaehcroua. men sometimes
lost their why upon those lofts
plains and were never heard OF
more. Duchemin didn't In the least
mind getting lost. that Is 10 say
falling TO make his f1nai objective.
at worst he could depend upon a
good memory and an unfatling sense
Of direction 10 lead him back the
way he had come.
He was 20 learn there n moth.
Ing moro unpaiatahle than the re-
pcntancs OF tho headsfrong. =.
He found u a stlfnnh climb up
out OF the valley OF the Jonte. by
tho time no had managed II. the
sun had already robbed all vcgsta.
ton OF It's ephemerai icwciry. tho
Causse itself showed few signs OF
n downpour which had drenched IL
for 70 hours on end. To that porous
limestone formation water in what
ever quantity u as beer 10 a boche
Only. II one paused 20 llsten on the
brink OF an nvsn. there were odd
and disturbing noises 90 DO heard
underfoot. liquid whisperihws. grim
chuekles. horrible gurwles. that told
cf subterrnnenn streams In spate.
eours,ng in darkness to destinations
unknown. ungueesable.
Ills path there was no trace Of
road ran snaklly thru dense
miniature forest Of dwnrftd. gnarlcd
pinea. OF n peculiarly somhre green.
ever and again IN some seant clear.
ing losing itself In web Of similar
paths that converwed from ell points
OF the compass. 80 that On wayfar.
err was fain to steer by tnr sun
and at one time found himself
abruptly on the brink OF a ravine
that gaAhed tho cath like a cruel
wound
AlI WI NtA tAtH WY W MI ttFNWr
ttcn which showed him plainly that
---uniess by q dshatabls desoar Of
several niies--ther, wns no way 20
the farther side but thru the depths
OF the ravfne itsc,s.
II that descent was . desperate
business. the subsequent climb was
hemrtbrsaking. lie needed a long
rest before he was able 10 piof
on. now concelving the sun In the
gutss OF a personal enemy. The
sweat that steamed from his face
was brine upon his lips. For hours
Il was thus with Duehemin. and In
all that time be met never a soul.
Once no saw from a distance a
lonely chateau overhanging another
ravsne. but II was apparently only
ono more OF the many ruins Indig-
enous TO that land. and he took
no step toward closer acquaintance.
Long after noon. sheer fools luck
ted him 10 hamlet whose mean
auberge served him bread and
cheese with wine singplariy thin
and acid. Here he inquired for n
guide. but the one abie-bodicd man
IN evidence. a huiking. nuriy AMI.
NAL. on learning that Duchemin
wished 10 visit vteux.
refused. with growi. TO have any.
thing 70 do with him. Several times
during she course OF luncheon he
caught tho fellow eye,ng him
strangely. ne thought. from a win.
dow Of the auberge. In the end
the peasant girl who waited on him
grudgingly consented to put him on
his way.
In a rocky gorge. called the rsajol.