Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1923-10-24
CHAPTER II-continued.

a buzz when she appeared among us
Of an 1lustrious Tory family, we are
told, that fled from New York to Can
ada after the old revolution. You
should know, sir!"
There were two women" said
Sazarac slowly. 1.-THE man took care
was not introduced. l think he as
sured them l was common gambler.
That, sir, Is why I took his measure
at the cards-that he put his women
to despise me. I am sorry that he
forced his game upon me to his own
ruin
"The slave girl" chuckled Domi-
nique. '"They say his lady's maid.
warrant she berated the colonel over
losing the servant to you'll"
"A woman on card rumbled
Beluche. ut made me think of old
days at Grand Terre-women against
gold and the traffic and the
rum-e-oh!"
The stranger was watching young
De Almonaster sharply. "You are Gu
riously constrained, sir?"
"It is nothing" Raoul laughed
shortly.
"Tell me what was on your lips the
moment beforel"
ooh, nothingl The coffee-houses
must have their scandal"
what then, sir? 1 have sensed
some jest among the tavern drinkersY'
The count shrugged. The two old
mn OF
had heard that Tone the tigerish
awakening Of the master, in days. of
blood and spl1ntering decks.
Monsieur" went on Sazarac, as If
coming from a mood he wished to put
away ''my game was fair. AS for the
wench, did not want her. Nor shall
I claim her now. The colonePs lady
need not fear for her yellow maid"
"In very truth" blurted De Almo-
master. "That Is why they laugh! If
the gossip is true, Cars act was that
Of a poltroon I"
"What is the gossip? That dare
not claim this wager?"
He was upon the young man now,
his luminous eyes narrowing fiercely,
the line deepening upon his lean
bronZed cheeks. Raoul tried to evade
him. "Come! They laugh-at what?"
"The tale, sir, runs about the coffee
houses-but I do not, for moment,
credit it-that, on the river trip,
your eye was taken by his wife's
companion. The latest beauty of our
Esplanade! And-the story, sir, is
that-as a jest, he wagered her
against your gold, knowing we'll"
The young man broke off as If
ashamed to voice the rest.
"Go on" Numbered Sazarac. "You
shall prove the word! I win at toss
an unknown chattel! The jest is that
I dare not claim the lady's maid!"
"That is not the point, Monsieur.
The lady had no maid. The girl in
Carr's mind was the one who took
your eye upon the packet. Free,
white-equaI to his wife in station
He was silenced by the tense breath
ing of the older man. Then Sazarac
stood quietly back. The two bucca-
neers were silent at his mood
OdTI WOuIu lOcI Will AOhShbNA -
you so much as mentioned the debt.
OF course he did not dream it would
come to the lady's ears-that would
be infamy beyond conception. An evil
jest of a drunken fool. But, doubt
less" added Raoul alphabetically,
there is no truth to the gossip"
The captain was gazing at the stars
above the river. Old Dominique
rubbed his velvet waistcoat Beluche
fingered his sword of Cartagena.
Sazarac at length spoke absently:
About the wineshops they spread the
test?"
"Ah," murmured De Almonaster, IF
the story is true!"
"The scoundrel deserves not chal-
lenge. but lRshing from here to the
German Coast levee," grunted Dom-
niQue; "but no, it is impossible. Go
claim your bIack-faced wench, my cap
tain. The colonel's wife may give you
q tongue-lashing, but think how she
will scotch him ~
1.-THE wench can lacky around the
emperor's suite when we sail
grinned Beluche sourly 'For / am
Of mind that Jean is to commando?
'What nonsense, old dog lin
such madness!" The captain stared
past the schooner's ghcstly sals
against the stars The Count
de Aimonaster alone seemed to guess
his thoughts and he was silent.
THE Seraphine-" growled Beluche
again. "a nrettier sight for sea-
mans eyes never the sun shone on )
Fast-unknown in all the ports,
Eunned to battle the best Of them
Ho. Dominique think Of her slipped
tree on the heels Of the traffic Name