The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1929-06-28
The BLADE of PICARDY

IWenty-elghf-
AND lines of spain in your face
and the thoughts of deep soil
tudes. and mental anguish. and hard
ship. and bitter disappointment All
dear heart. you have sufferedw
In eight months | have lived a
thousand years; | have been an old
mau-and now | have come hack TO
second childhood again" | laughed
''Yon have. al least. LOST those aw-
ful bruises on your face DO YOU re-
member, Francois. that you tore up
the pass of Juarez and gave me Pab
los life aGain?"
nodded. and she continued: The
sun was just goinG down: and !
kissed you because I loved you be
cause you knew how 70 sacrifice be
cause you were great in forgiveness
| never forgot those bruises. dear be
cause your face is good TO look al
| saw the love in your eyes thai da,.
and the thought of il has made me
very happy. Those bruises Francois
were-were Why, Francois
your facet"
what, my swaet-my darling
is aught-?"
Mother of Cd. Francois Your
face-T
touched il with questioning I'm
gers. rs anything wrong with it.
Anita? II so | am desolated. for it
is all | have"
THE man who killed Lestrange.
and stabbed Colonel Lopez. had no
bruises on his face"
Now nv eyes sought the floor, for
| could not look upon her unhappi-
ness.
"You d-did not tell me-Francois. I"
pablo was dead" said |. land we
may not"
She came into my arms again; Sob
bling, with laughter on her lips. and
laughing. with tears in her eyes
-Brugiere of the golden heart has
said you are mani"
-Brugiere is generous"
and you did not scoff ar nv love.
Francois. nor thrust me away from
you. nor-nor question:"
'-Of course not"
kiss me-kiss me. and hold me !;
hold me close TO you. for we have so
short a timeI"
So | held her while the sobs that
had shaken her frail body subsidized
Finally she raised her face. smiling
again. DO you love me. Francois"
An my sweet-there are not
words-!'
-Then-may 1 drink with thee?"
-AssuredIy."
| filed two glasses and gave her
one: and, holding it, she turned to-
ward the window. "Can you see La
Cruz from here. Francois-the great
convent where Macmillan has his
headquartersf"
approached the barred window
and pointed toward the graceful bulk
of the beautiful convent that stos.d
its tiny points of light There il is.
dear heart: had | FIVE minutes WITH
his majesfy | should be saved He
loved me. and | think he would IN
derstand"
But she had stayed beside the table
and left the window and came back
10 her. She held her glass of wine
with fingers that trembIed a little
and she looked ar il with a strange
mixture of fear and hope and indie
ciSiOn in her eyes
''You will remember. Francois. my
own. that ! have loved you?"
My angeli'
Then" Her eyes were smiling
and her Iip-unconsciousiy, ] believe
formed one word: -Adios 7"
Now, even as her dainty mouth
touched the glass, stretched forth q
hand swiftly and caught her wrist
Why, I do not know. unless il be
that our love was so deep thing
that could read her thought A
hurt, frightened look came into her
eyes please. Francois" she cried
''let me drink"
NO. dear heart"
"A Spaniard's love. Francois, is all
there is in life. cannot live without
you LET me drink-let me drink aud
hold me; LEI me feel your arms
around me while | die. iet me look
into your face"
No. my sweet"
She chung To me- -Ycu must, Fran
co.'s; the world will die with you
may | not die aIso?''
This beautiful world holds much
for thee. Anita mia; time"
Time will stop, Francois. tomor-
row. LET us both drink; there is
more than sufficient to kill two OF US
Ii is swift and painless We will
drink. Francois, then you viii take
me in your arms and we viii put our
lips together. and So"
81 cannon he so great a coward"
covered her sweet mouth with
kisses.
My sweet cried, we canno'
commit this act of madness. You are
young and beautiful beyond com
pare Time will heal the scars"
hC SSdIS oIc III LILY SoUl. IRAN
co.'s. and time will only add to nv
unhappineSs."
Holding the sweetIy pointed chin .
raised the exquisite face until she
must perforce. look straight into my
eyes. Look al me. Anita mia !;
you viii find in my eyes, only
love for you only a worship that
my soul viii hold for you That
love for you has given me cour-
age. has caused me TO do things that
made you love me; ii will NOT permit
me TO do the thing that might lead
the world to call me coward We
must faee-bravely smiling-whaf be
falls: il is our heritage"
Francois, ] shall come each day