Show p w t i m IV d LAHTTE v u LIESEANA 1114 BY IAny C VEREUX e6 N I11TH ILLUSTRATIONS 9Y DON C Wl50N tyry flr J a ay iYA ala C vrpiYA an AJo2Y ter Gin Pp i A a teroJ er p igol CHAPTER XXX while waiting for Baptlstlne t carKrt with Implements for making H r5 Shaplra to look after tho het K left and drew Barbo aside In or of U Kniestlon er here more closely r q hearing what she hnd Vis after cant 1111 convinced that she was not ntned her statement although im In the papers nothing In the acre no pal K further Identification found lite dead man be acquiesced readily in Laflttes that Hose de Cazeneau jItem be told the truth i i waS the dlsjusl of Shaplra the two men who returned with itiae when they found that It lUSltes wish to bury the Eng ID i as well as Zency Even Bap yblack browS went up In a sur i disapproval which he wisely l I from putting Into words dead were toon laid in the prepared graves the earth jrelcd over them and some lof fallen trees placed above to against I I any disturbance from ojsof the woods fie sunset hnthed clearing Uap jtnod near Laflttoi as the latter jiShsplra some parting orders jn to take tho English sailor to Ijjlgliliorhood of La Totes des Ijnd let him find his way from bilnt to his comrades comparatively early when Lau La-u party weary from the excite id the day and the fatigue off of-f bg march through the woods themselves gratefully to such spe ffitaodatlons as Baptistlnos small I forded for rest and sleep doge Lnight had closed in darkly as dog-e de float slipped away beneath the 1Qea jit I made dimmer by the wall liirest lining either bank of the loved ored Ins some time after this that to l I The girl Sat wllh bonded head her m n ojes fixed on the fan open she crild see but Indistinctly inu Can y1 read It 1 he whl r rod lowering his face to look Into hers and again possessing himself n her hand At the sound of his voice with his lips eo close that his hreath burred her hairat the thrill of his touch al the mere realization of their being i I alone together a strange exultation I possessed the girl lifting her spirit I from Its hodlly enthrallment and I half woonlng jet acutely sensible I she read as surely as though he had I uttered them No words may say how I I love you It was as If an angel voice spoke to her Inner senses and dropping the fan Into her lap she covered her face with her hands Can you rend It he whispered once more feeling that she was quivering quiv-ering as from a nervous chill No she murmured faintly but adding womanlike and In a stronger tone Tell me He laughed and rose to his feet The laugh came from his exulting heart and extending his hands to her he said with a new decision of manner man-ner Come little Rose this Is very I delightful but not at all good for you What would Madame Rlefet say tome to-me If she knew where you were at this moment I will take you below and then you must go to sleep like a good child He took her hand and she permitted permit-ted him to lead her down tho narrow stairway to the cabin below Some dnand soon he said as he left her at the door of her little stateroom I will tell you If Indeed you know not already what the fan saidThere There was a smile in his voice ando and-o something else as well that made gotpac pac i I site a i tolot 1 I r I Y It lected 10 ex east 1 AGE Can you read 111 he whispered re CI 3urg while picking his way along deck a lighted lantern swinging tad o hIs hand came upon a cloaked ftgure sitting well astern upon pot J1 of rope and his foot struck Ited l against a small object send ISlilftly toward her e be g his lantern lower to see lab this might bo the rays struck ty s the white hand and wrist of ad is it Cazeneau as sho reached for r mad picked up an exquisite on W Can whose jeweled sticks nM J tthe light Rlimmerlngly tine I it Is Madame Riofets pet fan Monsieur Laussat gave her In ol one he broke when she ly ci with him at the governors into iii ii aloe sank lower and a flutter king Uke that made by the wings of n tig wild blid sounded In It a ties hand had stolen over one tigb and now held It close yare you here little Rose and that 3 W ep like the others as you to bet You must bo very ir oust ras but I could not sleep and y Iii sup here for some air I stopped > abruptly and ho felt ad 1 Ie ° that shoult ihJrer that I fro ran through her shoul 1e Ihen It touched his e gIr own two suppression made his voice bus as ho asked forcing a m an and taking the fan from her 0 lee Do you understand the Ian cat of fthe fan 1 La mewbal l she answered wonder cone t his apparent change of moods laD 1 le mood-s told me of it he fl said afltt0 with a touch of mst D1lcht have been either play ahoD I or sarcasm then you have a aD cellent teacher Yet I doubt isp eVer evolved for you a sen 1 lIIel I should like you to read I Is itlet me try she fe fe her Ihollghtsas he Intended i bald todiverted Cro b render It there are enough Is In this small baublo ho can I tot seeming to have heard icag In bending his faced closer he had U1em a et t two three four yes hero ad elgllt and five to for tl spare I fi oul Isn F Is J such a tiny one entb having placed It In her hand cam ted speaking more softly S fb a ate tho eight sticks little less lvp Caa you read what ahoy say to lIltiet I < < t her lashes droop to touch tho flushed cheeks Madame Rlefet found little to cavil at In tho neat and comfortable If somewhat primitive arrangements at Shell Island which Lafitto and his party reached the afternoon following follow-ing their departure from La Tete des Eaux Madame and the two girls were quartered in his own cabin the prevailing pre-vailing atmosphere of which was owing to the Jumble of foreign furnishings fur-nishings that filled Itteakwood and lacquer Rose de Cazeneati was beside La zalle on one of the settees with the Spanish girls arm around her and the two were watching the flames before be-fore which sat Madame Rlefet After the excitement of the previous pre-vious day and not yet having tecov ered from their fatigue the ladles were disposed to be more silent than usual but presently Lazalle remarked re-marked glancing around her How cheerful and pleasant it seems here it Is almost as if Captain Jean had known we were to come and had prepared pre-pared for our reception If so then I wish ho might have brother known still more so that my would have prepared for our protection protec-tion at La Tote des Eau and thus saved us from this wild flight said Madame Rlefet as though determined to bo dissatisfied For my own part I am so thankful to have escaped them that I cannot i muster up the slightest regret over anything else declared Lazalle who had been thinking of that other lIght when she left the Barra de Hlcrro and escaped So New Orleans Mademoiselle dn Cazeneau had so went nothing to far as appearances which was now subject say upon the dropped LaflKe I cannot understand Capl said Madame Rlefet with the air of being somewhat annoyed at the fact to have such a cor came how you rect opinion in regard to the possl bile movements of the KnglUhso much clearer Ideas than those of any elseoven my brother ono table upon which They wore at the had placed Scipio and his coadjutors bourses of a most appetizing the preliminary was meal and the old negro petizing his attention to devoting much of her Mademoiselle de Cwcnean urging = Y to let him put the various dnUoa upon her plate Jes Va pleaso try dose kit ob teeth Ill Mls = y wid a hIt ob des hominy an utter cv a nice slice oh enon ho said coixlnply evident ly I I M0 air hh l KHRlirt or else supposing that she UIJ not understand french Ia Call1taine V > ne Lafltte le say ole 1 o Sclplo done know bos In dey worl how cook eem She smiled up Into his taco but of toned no objeellll to his ° helping her and Lafitte who was watching tho two dId not IIl1n > nr l0 hMn hnftD d Madame Rlefpls remark ou which n m WaR now repeated rather sharply 11 If that lady were bent upon ncqutring the Information she sought I beg jour pardon madame ho said starting slightly and turning to her I wish you to tell us how you hap pened to entertain the opinion which has resulted In such benefit to usI mean In regard to what the English were going to do Her tone was quite caustic and her sharp dark eyes regarded him specu latlvely over the rim of her sherry I glass I I had for some time felt a misGiving mis-Giving that t something of the sort was likely to occur and I therefore prepared pre-pared for It that was all madame I He spoke hurriedly and as If the matter held little Interest while his eyes went back to the violet ones now looking at him But If you thought this wltf was It that othersmy brother for Instance In-stance did not 1 Madame persisted putting down her glass and taking up her fork with a vigor suggestive of an inclination to enforce an answer by sticking the silver prongs Into La fitte rather than Into the Juicy venl Eon steak upon her plate That madame Is a matter I can no more explain than can you yourself your-self he replied smilingly but scarcely scarce-ly glancing at her But you warned Gen La Roche by telling him what you thought declared de-clared Lazalie for he told us so himself Yes senorita I Informed him of It several weeks since And what did he say asked Ia zalle and Madame Rlefet answered withYou You remember Lazalle that he like others declared such a thing to be impossible Gen La Roche smiled at the Idea answered Lafltte with a careless shrug of his shoulders Well I for one am thankful for your forethought which has saved us from a meeting with those hateful Englishmen said Lazalle with a flash of her eyes that bespoke the Inheritance In-heritance of her uncles hatred of that nation Indeed yes Capt Lafitte all of us have cause to feel most grateful to you Madame now admitted In amore a-more amiable tone But to think she added of that cave being on the plantation nnd none of us knowing anything about It Its secret was given to me some years since by an Indian chief said Lafltte and then as If wishing to drop the matter asked Madame Rlefet If she wished any message taken to her brother as that night must find him returning to New Orleans In order to report to Gen Jackson If you can go why may not we she Inquired with alacrity Surely Capt Lafitte you do not Intend to go off and leave us alone in this desolate deso-late place Here Is surely the safest place for you at present madame He smiled encouragingly at Rose de Cazeneau who was looking perturbed while La zallo shot a scornful glance at Madame Mad-ame as if Impatient at her show of fear Madame with a sigh sought relict In a silence that was acquiescing and sho could not but admit to herself that in the present annoying predicament predica-ment the mysterious life of Bara tarts had proved to possess certain advantages To be continued |