The vidette. (Iuka, Tishomingo County, Miss.) 1912-1967, 1923-03-08
CHAPTER VII

not run into the house; she stood
dazed, her marvellous eyes in wild,
stare. Slowly he came forward, gaz
ing, his hat in his hand. He dropped
the hat, stopped, caught it up ant
now stood before her.
If she were agitated, he could no
discover It, She stood where the rec
blooms brushed her brow. He helt
forth his hand, and slowly she SHOOT
her head.
Monsieur. how foolish to come! Il
you do not so now, in a short time 70,
will die. My father! He will shoe
you. l should like it not to see yor
dead, you are so brave. My father, HI
win think you come for him."
"But I will tell him that did not
II
He moved nearer, but with her hand
raised, palm toward him, she motionet
him away.
'You do not know what you talk
Nothing could you tell him, for the
gun fire, and you will be no more
Please go away now"
ooh, it is because you want to get
rid of me-"
mo, 10, no. 1t is not that. / like
you much. You are so brave and
handsome. 1t is because 1 fear for
You. My father would be angry to
have me talk with northern nan.
Go now, and for my sake, come no
more
"Mr. Boyce,' said brace then, 'Ts
not. a northern MANI"
She shot sudden startled look at
him. "Mr. Boyce-but he Is my IA
theirs friend. My father expects me
to marry Mr.. Boyce. And il my father
should come back and find me here
talking with you, he would-Please,
Mr.. brace, go at once, before it Is too
late. See, the sun Is almost set. The
stars come soon, and then through the
cane he come. Oh, won't you please
be kind to me and go at once"
''Kind to you? God bless you, I
would die for you."
"Oh, you make love soon! But
won't you please go now Quick, hear
something"
'You hear my heart. Let me stay
ten minutes, and then CO."
"Ah, but why would you give me ten
minutes Of fear?''
He saw that her anxiety was real,
and his heart smote him for cruelty to
this dazzling creature whose father he
would hang with rope brought from
the North.
Eyes, win go. wanted to tell ycu
something, but my regret at going is
so deep that forget what it was. But
/ must come again when the sun is not
so low. No, tell me please when that
shall be?"
"Never would a man before talk like
this to ms But If you must come
when beg you no, let it be next
Thursday. My father then will be In
the hills to buy cattle"
''This is Friday, and that will be q
week, lacking one day. You have set
doomsday for my return"
IF you come before, you will not
find me. And now II is the good-by."
She drew back quickly through tbs
door, and down Into the fringe of tall
cane he went, parting his way to the
canoe that lay nosing the messy bank.
Only now that she was gone ana
night had come did he remembers
member that this girl who had BE-
witched the swift minutes with him
was the daughter Of his sworn enemy
Stepho la vitte.
A voice called him as he was curs-
ing himself for traitor to his fathers
memory. On point of land he saw
three men standing. One of them
beckoned him, and he turned in to-
ward them. One of them spoke:
"Would you be kind to set rs
across? The night he comes, and we
would not be lost in the swamp. We
will get to the river. Would you.
please?"
Eyes, but I don't know that my ca
noe Will hold four. We may get
ducling."
He pulled alongside and steadied the
canoe while they got in. Now he pad
died carefully. The man who had
talked, and whom the other two ad-
dressed as Toner, requested to be set
on a bushy ahore where the water Was
so shallow that the canoe was almost
stuck in the ooze. With his paddle
Drace prop1ed his craft steady, for
them to get out. Toner got out-and
With the qickness of cat snatche7
rope from beneath his coat and
threw nose about Braces arms.
Then the t'so men in the boat threw
themselves upon him. There was Z
hard struggle In the canoe and then
out into the water, but they brought
him ashore. wound about with the rops.
E9w the made haste to tie him Sc
es{' y. ne canoe was dragged
4 's3e d. re stretched out in it, and
now they lok 1t on their shoulders
4lld hasten a through the tangled UNI
detbrllsh lie had fought hard, but
had not &, I'd out. But as he was
c4rried aIs lg, he swore bitterly at
himself 10 not looking at first with
suspicion the brutes who now had
him u the power.
- Al ~ would steal about and
ceId 9pnez sBut you steal about
% mort a : carpetbaggers, they say,
Ton brave and you say, Yes, am
|E4re. " n they say, You find old
4<eph0s ID you 70 to find him. He