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Show fAFrrm' jjskobssana: J I BY ARY gEVEREUX s- 1 tvrrH ILLUSTRATIONS BY DON C. WILSON COyyriAf, &03, Qy lifk, Bronx C?ynaynO CHAPTER VIII. Captain Stanley, who had returned to tho bnllroom, wended his wny amongst tho dancers, his progress Impeded Im-peded by tomo fnlr lady who greeted him graciously often eagerly, and forced him to pause for an Interchange of vapid nothings. Ho then visited all the apartments open to guests, until ho was convinced that tho count had kept his daughter- at home, for better protection ngalnst further Intercourse Inter-course with tho hnndsomo suitor ho had rejected so sornfully thnt samo afternoon. But English love, liko other love, laughs at tho barriers a stubborn parent par-ent may seek to Interpose; and Count de Cazcncau's decision was not calculated calcu-lated to discourage so strong-willed a mnn ns Captain Edward Stanley. He had acceded to his sweetheart's wishes by going, In proper form, to her father; and tho matter having culminated ns tho lovers had feared, nothing was left but an olopomont, for which, In view of tho count's probnble refusal all tho plans had been arranged. ar-ranged. ' It was shortly after midnight whon a tall man, enveloped In a. long cloak, nnd followed closely by a stalwart negro, who bore a sizable bundle upon his shoulders, looked toward tho brilliantly bril-liantly lighted windows of Count dc Cazcncau's house, whoso Inmntcs wore evidently celebrating, after tho cus-'toraary cus-'toraary fashion, tho Now Yenr.'s advent. ad-vent. Ho paused a moment In front of the rambling, low-built dwelling, nnd then passed on, muttering words which were scarcely a benediction upon Its owner. After n walk of somo twenty minutes, min-utes, tho man and his silent follower climbed tho low wnll that bounded tho count's domain, and, with tho night wind rustling tho denuded cotton stalks about them, struck off across the broad fields until they reached the edgo of some woodB that rose, a dark boundary line, at ono sldo of the lonely plantation. Hero they paused, and looked' to whore, quite a dlstnnce away, tho flames of two huge bonfires showed many fantnstlc figures those of tho slaves, Avho wore, like Irresponsible children, celebrating after tho manner of their race, Iho brief resplto from labor accorded tnem by their exacting exact-ing master. The baying of n hound from the slave-quarters was heard, faint, but clear, and tho suggest Ivo notes appeared appear-ed to bring disquiet to tho man's dusky dus-ky follower, ror ho hegnn to move restlessly, rest-lessly, and glance nbout with manifest apprehension, while he drew closer to his mnstcr, who now, wheeling about pushed on Into Iho wood. He wont forward with a confidence showing thnt he was op not unfamiliar giounil: and a few steps brought the two to a smnll clearing, where the Hnml-durknoss wns ninde a llttlo inure cheerful by a flickering of red llgh coming' through tho chinks of tho closed door, ns well as from tho uncurtained un-curtained window, of a small cabin. A tiro lit tho Interior, which wn deserted, save for a smnll. raggedly clad urchin of ten, whoso blnck arms and logs seemed to bavo outgrown their scanty clothing. "Whoro Is Sienoy?' Inquired the of-fleer, of-fleer, after glunclng nbout tho' cabin. The boy stared with fright at his questioner, looming so fnr abovo him In the firelight, which struck gloamings gloam-ings from tho breast of tho uniform, wheru n slight parting ot tho clonk folds revealed scarlet and gold. "Are you deuf, yon black monkey' Where Is Honey, I say." Captnln Stan-Icy Stan-Icy repented Impatiently. 'Granny? She's done, gono t' keep New Y'nr's," stammered the llttlo negro, rising cautiously to his naked feet and backing nwny from the officer's of-ficer's stern eves. The later now understood how 7.e-noy, 7.e-noy, having although reluctantly given, through the lain afternoon, such sold as was In her power to tho carrying carry-ing out of her young mistress' plnns for an' elopement, nnd then botnken horself to tho bonfires, whore, appealing appeal-ing to Join In the festivities of her follow slaves, sho would bo less likely to fall under her master's suspicion! when his daughter's flight should be discovered. Hit lie ' 1 In was fct the officer's service; and this wns of greater great-er Importance than tho presence of Zcney herself. A rustling mado Captain Stanley turn quickly, and a now light enmo to his face as bis eyes fell upon a shrouded shroud-ed girlish figure standing In tho doorway, door-way, with a taller woman's form behind be-hind her. Down upon tho river, hidden nwny under tho overhanging bank, nmld the sedges nnd other water growth, wns n commodious bont that had been stored with all things needful for tho flight. Tho elopers and their scrvnnts were soon aboard, and only tho stars saw tho craft pulled cautiously upstream up-stream by tho strong arms of Tate, the faithful slave, with the maid, Darbe, on tho seat behind htm, while In Its farthest end were tho two who for love's sake, had cast aside all former for-mer life, and broken all tics. For Itosollo, theso were the ties of Stanley those of honor; for he had filial love and duty, and for Captain deserted his command nnd was flying to tho wilderness farther north, to for the tlmo at least hide, with his now-round dream, nmongst tho friendly friend-ly Choctaw Indians, whoro ho could count upon rcasonnblo security trom pursuit. And the womnn, trusting htm Implicitly, Im-plicitly, fneed an unknown world faced It fearlessly and undoubtlngly. seeing naught but the dawn of a perfect per-fect and fulfilled love, that yielded to this man Its uttermost depths of passion. pas-sion. As for him, tho loved one, this was by no means his first experience of tho sort; but he wns honest, at least, In believing himself to bo in earnest. And so he held her close, ns they sat side by Bide, his cloak about them both, and her head pillowed over his heart, while the slave's oars pulled tho boat swiftly,' their rhythmic dip, or tho occasional cry of a loon, being He held her close, as they sat side by .side. tho only sounds besides tho rippling wator to break tho silence. ; On New Year's day Iaro left New Orleans for Frnnce; nnd when, seven months later, he sailed nway from Toulon, bound for tho coast of Bar-bary, Bar-bary, with him were Jean and Pierre I.afltte. Tho purposes of this story require but a general rererence to ean Ln-flttc's Ln-flttc's lire during tho fifteen years which ensued after ho left tho country ot his birth, and linked his fortunes Into tlioso of I.nro. He was then a lad of fifteen. Anil, until lie nroso above Iho consequences his heedless youth hnd Imposed upon his better self, his llfo wns passed ashoro and nlloat, as best served the Immediate Interests at stnko; nt times taken up by the cures and responsibilities re-sponsibilities or llgltlmnto business, nt 'lues pnssed amid scenes or wildest adventure nnd deadly peril. He. while growing to manhood, alternated between tho counting-room nnd th q'tartor-deck, associating now with men of probity anil position, and agr.ln with desperadoes and cut- throats. ' During tills period, I.nro known In ' Now Orleans as Don Morales do Castro Cas-tro was In connection with Count de Cnzeneau and other more or less prominent men. engaged In vnrlour speculative schemes, some of them being be-ing within the law, and others outside of It. Tho former Included ventures In trading, mining nnd timber-cutting, whilst nmong the latter were smug gllng and slave-trading. These operations opera-tions Involved tho ownership of main vessels', togothcr with the employment of many men, and. taken ns a whole they were very successful. Smuggling nnd slave-trading ha'' always been within the line of Law's occupations, nnd they were mntter to which ho gave his per nnl atten Hon, limiting many voj .. to miiiI from tho French nnd Afr a, coasts, Then latterly, In iiddltior to lilt olher ucfnrlous pursuits, and .under cover of letters tiT innrquo Issued h; one or another or Iho newly rormed South American republics, he preyed lawlessly upon whatever commerce came within his roach. His own brlgnutlne, tho "Ulacl; Petrol," wns of remarkable spec; heavily armrd (ostensibly ror lis owr protection), nnd carried a crow eon tninlng outcasts from nil nations, be skilful sailors nnd bravo lighters. If they captured ft ship flying tho flag of a hostile country, tho prize was, according ac-cording to circumstances, taken Into port for condemnation or destroyed at onco. Out, whntover might bo the nationality of a richly laden vessel encountered en-countered by tho "Black Petrol," the1 colors It flew had but llttlo effect In deciding Its fnto, or that of Its crow. In all theso various schemes Lafltto was an Interested party; nnd, In or-Her or-Her years, he had been nn actual par ticipant In prosecuting somo of them, his ability and skill being such that, whllo still under twenty, ho became Ijxro's trusted lieutenant, upon whom devolved all duties to which tho former for-mer was unablo or Inndcquato to give his personal attention.- . Tho tall, handsorao Ind of Langito-doc, Langito-doc, Paris and Toulon had dovclopod Into a mnn posscslng rare gifts of person per-son nnd mind, together with a storo of energy nnd rcsourco which would have won success In nny ,avcnuo of life. Himself a stranger, to pcrsonnl fear, ho was quick to rccognlzo bravery brav-ery In another, and his chivalrous na-turo na-turo was nover unresponsive to appeals ap-peals from his less fortunato fellows. Such was Jean Lafltte nt thirty, nnd such, In brief, had been his llfo during this period ono so filled with events and adventures ns to make his earlier years, and the actors In them, more or less dim, according ns thoy had fixed themselves upon tho rcceptlvo element of his nature. ' Even Law, tho bluff and picturesque sailor who had exerted so strong an Influence upon tho lad when thoy met at Lo Chlcn Hcurcux, was hardly rcc-ognlzablo rcc-ognlzablo In tho crafty and unscrupulous unscrupu-lous adventurer with whom later yenrs had mado him so familiar, and with whom ho wns now forced to bo In such closo contnet. As for Bonnpartc, ho had becomo Napoleon, tho monnrch to whom crowns were baubles, and thrones were playthings; who hnd recast tho continent ot Europe, and opened a now chapter In tho history of Franco. Jean had received no word from him after tho letter delivered by tho hands of Pcro Huot; nnd grievous hnd been tho boy's disappointment as the months pnssed without bringing any sign of remcmbrnnco from tho mnn who wns tho one greatest lovo of his life. But his was a strong and healthful nature buoyant and vibrant; and, aa tho tlmo wont by, tho ncuto edge of his grief had been worn away, to bo succeeded by a feeling .akin to apathy. Ho had been forsaken by him whom he loved; nnd, nccoptlng this as a fact, ho had relinquished every hopo of a futuro reunion. All this had Its nntural effect; and, coupled ns It was with a vague but unchanging determination to follow tho career of adventure which had been his boyish purposo In life, the personality ot'Bonnparto became loss and less real, until nil that remained was a lovo which was In Itsoir lnrge-ly lnrge-ly an abstraction. Margot was still a reality to him because be-cause of her representing so much of motherly enro, nnd by reason of her over manifested love, of which ho had found much to remind him In tho unobtrusive un-obtrusive loynlly and devotion of Pierre. The latter was now tho only tangible tangi-ble tie connecting Jean Lafltto with his boyhood big-h'eartod, bravo Pierre, sluggish In thought, but, sound of Judgment nnd clear of purposo; strong of arm and mighty In notion, who now, as over, stood at the side of his foster-brother. foster-brother. Ho had, somo two years bo-fore, bo-fore, abandoned his sea-faring life, nnd. In partnership with Jean, established estab-lished a large smithy at Now" Orleans, whoro tho firm of Lafltto Brothers had becomo well and fnvorably known through tho work turned out by tholr skilled slaves. (To be continued.) |