Show 1 AFITTE U LUISJANA BY ISARY I BEVEREUX WTH ILLUSTPATIONS BT DON C WU5ON Cgyrir f f5a L Wk LFp GU R a d Co Rvy PYi Prtr > < yJ CHAPTER IX less It was late In a sultry > almost breeze I evening In September 13U the that I ship Condor and belonging to Laro his associates l dropped anchor In the harbor of Fort Royal Martinique She hal I but a single passenger If such he could bo if termed for It was I Jean Lalltte returned recently from i a mission which will be referred to more particularly later on and who had come from New Orleans for tho purpose of meeting Iaro whom ho ex peeled to find waiting at Fort Royal His search proved unavailing al though he ascertained that Taro haa been seen in the town and after vis Itlng several of the places where he was liable to be found Lantto went to an Inn not far from tho wharves and ordered supper Hero he sat enjoying tho coolness while he sipped and smoked when there came to his ears the sound of 11 voice whose mellow resonance thrilled him strangely sending his thoughts whirling Into the past The air was yet vibrating with the hearty tones as the speaker came through tho door and a lamp hanging from the ceiling of the balcony flashed Its rays into tho face of Ore lolre The recognition was not mutual for Grelolre after a careless glance at tho younger man crossed tho balcony bal-cony and seated himself near tho rail Lafitto was for the moment undo tided as to what to do whether to reveal his Identity and risk hearing whatever comments Grelolro might make upon a name and career which already had become known In two continents or to remain silent and thus forego this unlookedfor opportunity oppor-tunity for knowing something definite In regard to the man who was still dear to himhe who was now Emperor Emper-or of France hy the enemies of Franco who thus rendered mo unfit for hard service against them and 1 am now Monsieur Felix Grelolro attache of the emperors emper-ors household As such I go upon various missions and my business here relates to the settlement of some matters connected with certain prop erty belonging to her Majesty tho empress who as you know Is a native of this fair Island A fine place It Is both as to climate and people but Louisiana Is far more to my taste Lafitto appeared to observe tho Irrelevancy Ir-relevancy of this last remark for with a keen look at Grelolre he said Louisiana What do you know of Louisiana Much that Is of Now Orleans for I was there several months In the autumn of 1803 I was then absent from Louisiana Louis-iana said the young man So I learned when I mado Inquiries Inqui-ries for you But I heard something of you and still more In regard to that Spanish rascal who took you away from Toulon not long before 1 went there to get you myself What mean you by that Lantto demanded almost as If resenting an affront This mon ami was the slowly and distinctly uttered reply That when Gen Bonaparte late In October of 1795 sent me to Toulon In order to bring you to him at Paris I found that you and Pierre had already gone I with Laro bound for Louisiana Who told you this Inquired La fitte A dozen people Thlel amongst them I went first to Pore Huots house and there ascertained that the good priest was dead I then vlsltec Lo Chien Heureux and learned what I have told you Lafltte turned again from Grelolre and settled down Into his chair and the latter saw the quick rising and i1P1WPi i i alp I u 1i Ill tf r y e ° 1 I i I I I I fi i j f i i You will deliver him a message from met But all his Indecision was soon routed rout-ed by the realization of what was represented rep-resented by the face and form so close to him and como to life as It were from the dead The living present pres-ent seemed to animate tho dead past tho reality of Grelolro gave actual life to tho Ideal Napoleon Pardon monsieur he said bowing but I slightly aa Grelolre looked up think I had tho pleasure of meeting monsieur many years ago In Prance Ah said Grelolre as he turned to tho speaker May I ask when Long ago In Languedoc and Tou lent replied Lafitte fixing his black eyes upon Greloiros face Wo met at Le Chien Heureux In Toulon and tho last time I saw you was at tho Convent Con-vent of St Sulplce where you were recovering from wounds In tho final assault upon tho city Mon Dleu exclaimed Grelolre What means all this monsieur Can Jean La that are It bo possible you ntto Lafltte the pi a fiash Tho word was cut short by sabo mans eyes as a from tho young stroke might lop off the hand raised for a blow by which i Tho first Is the name known In Toulon and my friends was still use It The second Is a title and which given to mo by my enemies I do not recognize as appropriate composure and Ho spoke with stern well becoming his tall U with a dignity refined face while straight figure and Grelolro stared at him In silent astonIshment aston-Ishment Which of the two monsieur do you prefer to use Lofltto added now tte but not removing taking a step backward moving his eyes from Grelolro Jean as I did years call To Grelolre you exclaimed Impetuously extending ago both hands which were wcl corned by the firm grip of tho younger fingers sinewy mans It he lien tho latter midLet shall I call 1 you And youwhat so marshal ot Fraace marquis duke or f ourselt and ofNallo Toll l me of yourself Icon short but a The first will take laughlngl replied Oreloro Um nor yet an for I am not a nobleman six the army I left Indeed officer years ago on Account hody ot and limbs tentlons paid 10 may falling of the young mans breast as ho folded his arms across it Presently Jean without lifting his eyes asked In a stubborn dogged tone as though expecting an answer ho did not wish to hear Do you mean to have mo understand that he Gen Bonaparte sent you to Toulon after me Most assuredly Heas I have already al-ready told you sent me In tho autumn of 95 Ho supposed you were still under the charge of Pero Huot being fitted for the career heour general had planned for you ono that would keep you close to him and Insure your future Lafltte had now recovered apparently appar-ently at leastfrom tho effectwrought upon him by Greloires surprising Intelligence In-telligence You will deliver him a message from me1 With pleasure Give him my homage for his own greatness and for tho splendor ho has brought upon France Convey to him all my hearts gratitude for his kindness and protection when I was a boy and for what ho would have tried to make mo as a man Tell him that I love him and will ever love him and that no sacrifice he may wish or accept will bo too treat form for-m to make In his behalf Can you remember this Every word and I will repeat It faithfully Adlou then old comrade said Jean grasping Greloires hand This may be our last meeting but It will not end Qur regard for each other Indeed no nor our thoughts ot one another was tho hearty response accompanied by n tighter clasp of Lafltteii slender fingers and I trust It may not bo the last by many of our meetings Adkni old comrade Adieu mon ami One final handclasp and Laflttt turned away But after taking a few steps ho faced about and went back to Grelolre who stood as ho had left him one thing more said Lafitto lies Itatinsly one more question which answer or not as you you may choose I will answer whatever question you nol jnfc declared Qrclolro stud I will nnuwcr It upon my honor Lfttc appeared Irresolute as II ho question wore cf inch grave Import Im-port that ho dreaded an unfavorable reply Then laying n hand on Ore lobes shoulder ho asked What saId 10 Bonaparte when you told list that I had departed from Teuton Nothing You have told mo all I wished to tonw and I thank you said Iafitte iguln holding out a hand which Ore loire clasped firmly Adieu and bon voyage Adieu and bonne fortune With this they parted and Lafltto returning directly to tho wharf ordered or-dered the boats crow to row him back to tho Condor 1 0 0 Jean had up to this moment considered con-sidered himself deeply aggrieved by Bonapartes apparent neglect and looking at tho matter from tho standpoint stand-point of youth his ardent Impulsive nature and his unstinted love for the young officer his feelings woro not without warrant But In tho light of Grololros explanation expla-nation tho man of thirty could well see how unreasonable nnd hasty had been the boy of fifteen how unthinking unthink-Ing and rash how utterly lacking Inn In-n proper appreciation of Bonapartes regard and of how tho manifestations of this was subject to conditions nnd i nllucncca beyond tho lattora power I to always control Ho thought of Margot and her words returned to him when upon that last evening of her life sho had said that BonApArte was his good angel an-gel and Taro his evil one Truly had her words been proven for now ho know the former as ho was and would have been while tho passing years had either Increased or made more apparent Laros coarseness and cruelty It was only to tho boy Jean that ho had ever been otherwise but latterly something of a change had taken place la this respect toward the man especially after he had refused to ao qulcsco In the adventurers cherished scheme that he Jean Lnfltte should take as his wife Lazallo the formers niece But tho young man had all through his wild life held within tho innermost Inner-most depths of his soul a sacred shrine kept closed and pure where never tho lovo for woman had entered en-tered Over Its altar faded and indistinct In-distinct yet his life lingered the teachings of his fostermother and the remembrance of a sunnyfaced blueeyed girl who had promised the boy to pray that ho might bo that which ho had so woefully failed to boor bo-or had oven sought to attain The past rolled In upon him like a smothering flood until In a wild tumult of despair he left his cabin and went on deck There ho heard ono of tho watch whistling to himself him-self and presently the man broko softly Into the words of the air Cest 1amour 1nmour Iamour Qul fait la mono a la roundel The song brought to mind again the blueeyed girls face and also that of her daughter the little Island Rose whom late tho previous May he had piloted through the woods and down tho rivers from her dead mothers home among the Choctaws Tho long rough Journey had given him rare opportunities for sounding the depths of the childish soul so close to nature that It seemed to worship wor-ship the mothers God through nature and nature through God He was known as Captain Jean a friend of her grandfatheras Captain Cap-tain Jean whom sho found such a charming companion and whom his escort of white men and Indians ro spected and loved She trusted him fully and their Intercourse was fro from restraint Recalling her now whllo ho pacec tho deck with the troubled water ol his soul casting ashoro such woeful wreckage for his contemplation the thought of her white purity her sll very voice her childish confidence brought to him a blessed peace To be continued |