Show AFITTB D UISIANA BY MJARY VEREUX WITH ILLUSTRATIONS Of OOh C WILSON t IYQ2 tittbBr 61fI017 Ctjf Pis fftjmnfl CHAPTER XIX nfnre the week had ended tho lack 1etrcl filled her sells for Bar irla with Qrelolros parting words advice repeating themselves In La les cars Wind up our affairs In Louisiana ami and do as tho emperor do on rtsreturn to France and assume l own name and rank Jur to back to Louisiana ho sailed with S mind In a turmoil that gao un flted austerity to his manner and red his crew Into much speculation lbe fever of his first Impulse hav abated lio began to upbraid g noW left Pierre and oielf f ° r having ondcrcd If an > thing evil might have fallen his fosterbrother Day by the Black Petrel drew nearer a as Baratarla he kept himself busy by nerilng as to what If any changes odd lie found there and as to what rocress the war had made Louisiana and especially New Ors MTj Or-s oust In his Judgment bo des a ned to bear a share In tho conflict Irew t len though this might not bo until he eleventh hour for tho possession I 1pett the Mississippi and Its valley had manj cars been a dream of Great Mue or Irltalns ambition U nIlI Mght and day thinking matters ieratrltj < ner he resolved that his next step ratrltj rjjid be to gather what ho might of and shipping and wealth and In flnltt at 1v1d1 etope of wiping all stigma from his jne offer these to tho Governor of Itotc rclslana for use In warring against J enlti e English And tho possibility of nd ill his opportunity being afforded hlrr rith its reward a pardon for himself admen covering all past offenses rehabilitation of himself before his schod wrld made his blood tingle na Ibis accomplished ho would return natod tod i France assume his fathers name ad rank and stand ready to serve the Iraperor i And the Island Rose how had she of n faring all this time and what aid the changed conditions ho was u Missed thee Aje m ecry way as lover do when wo are apart But somehow It ns n taste worse this time perhaps because thou wort I i away In Trance where as thon hast said I am growing homesick to go And as 1 lao also said wo will go together and soon We will return to Liinguedoc thou and I Pierre and see the old gardens and roam In the park and try to be bojs once more Tho words ended with a Jojous laugh I And read of Do Solo and Piznrro and the tales of Louisiana added Pierre Interrogatively a curious sadness sad-ness touching his voice Nay Indeed not replied Jean so I berlug at once We have lled too many practical chapters of a like sort I my Pierre to over again enjoy the old bookAnd And the emperor said Pierre Ir relovantlj to think of his keeping tho little box of papers for theel Yet It was like him to do such a thing asserted Jean with vibrant I tone and glowing face Ah If but he were back In France and free from those cursed English A > e Pierre affirmed a growl sounding In his voice The English there on Elba their power behind the throne of Trance and their ships sneaking In here to snatch at Louisiana I Louisi-ana and the Mississippi Cursed English Eng-lish say I From what Pierre told him that night Jean Lafltto knew as clearly as though ho had remained at Bara tarla nil that had transpired since his departure This had been shortlj after Gen Andrew Jackson defeated the Creek Indians nt the battle called Tohope Imha disaster that broke their power pow-er and compelled the English to cease reckoning upon them as allies And after this signal victor Gen Jackson had been given command of the Seventh Sev-enth military district which included the State of Louisiana It was now very evident that New IIIntm ntm elr It oltl lamJ luropa f GOT airman meat be b slAte m wll thtti arts 10 and by Ail od tts 1 junk ts par i bay Bleu week ecoEJ i blue ilcap You know my secret Pierre for the present let It rest Jut 111 UppIng out for himself would bo her I paceT om w The i remembrance of the last time IsoneJ Ie had seen her with her girlish face know tnd I form manifesting such shrinking I haT error ot him had its sorrow now of tit Aliened by the hope so strong In his I fan that ho would bo able to redeem e d hlmeelt In her estimation Tie Black Petrol keeping a sharp with i lookout for English vessels stole Into vayt > J to Gulf of Mexico and sped across It is len TheD turning to tho east and north hte tte mado for tho western shore of tight ude Terre and tho harbor of Bura werl tria where in duo time tho brigan i llnei i 9 dropped anchor It was the evening of Laflttos ar ratici 1u He and Plerro were alone to Mrs tber and being unable to count up a res 1n unlimited privacy they seated taf fcosehcs for a full talk and compar I 01 JOD of notes Jean to give Plerro the tlonol fuculars of his recant trip and to pack ear from him an account of tho Imp I fngs nt Baratarla and Now Orleans recW wish I might have been with jou cop1 Toulon Pierre said with what oUr ted like a sigh I have a longing oiee Franco again before I die a1 b1 rI iajlBi0ro I 50U die repeated Jean IAI In rBirv ght tollch n testiness In his tone m V mW I do joit talk thus Ono would k iou were threescore at least In las rf i14of a stalwart giant of half those cowl Ii and ho laughoJ halfplayfully of tM 4erldlncly tI bt Jwe was no answering smllo on IIg de 1hes face which was again turned lvent e wo Hut nftcr a momentary o 1 ° o said abstractedlj as IfS If-S aloud I cannot glvo a good axCUI on f ° r it but tlioro hns of late elltral somelhlng like a conviction grow t tw uPon mo that I havo not much Ion to Hvo Perhaps and ho to wI his C > M to Jeans wondering ere In m orneslck utt l Is nothing moro than that I of f u le 1111 lnd up our affairs hero r ofwai A1 w Trance declared de wai telr vv ui u Jean v H rtelr r wcekHto Uouso thjsolf Plerro and I i lied III HW Do UJro ln such a foBhlon Defers Blujonscnse thou after all theo the-o prJ WUf ° have mot atl1 overcome to galoo11 n wimvo such a premonition I loUthtD1Y lirnthcr and tho tone taul ttcs a Kratnpl sparkle to tho other tl that thou hut missed L = Orleans was to bo attacked as soon as I tho English could concentrate a sufficient I suf-ficient force for that purpose and Gov Claiborno had called a session of tho legislature besides taking all other measures in his power toward raising means for defense But the legislators were slow to cooperate with him and the same malcontents whose scheming had already wrought such harm to Louisiana were using all possible means to neutralize the governors efforts ef-forts As Lafltto listened to all this he congratulated himself anew that the Dlack Petrel lay anchored safely before Grande Terro Ho felt also that no time could have been more auspicious aus-picious for making the offer ho proposed pro-posed to lay before tho governor an offer of service by himself and his followers In consideration of pardon for all past misdeeds whether actual or alleged When ho voiced those thoughts and plans to Pierre the latter agreed unreservedly un-reservedly and both men were confident con-fident of their ability to obtain the acquiescence ac-quiescence of their followers But think jou Jean inquired the more cautious Pierre there Is not reason to doubt If Gov Claiborno accept ac-cept our offer I do not wish to dampen damp-en thy ardor but we must remember the threats ho has mado against tho Uaratarlnns the mis Ho surely will not make such In take of refusing our services emergency at a time when everyman an bo sorely man able to bear n gun will Jeans Orleans was reeded in Now confident reply and Pierre raised no wore doubts that night tho other items of Information Among which although and I had given tion ho though of slight Interest to himself was his listener otherwise to wore had nt La Count de Cazcneau that in invitation closed his house Uochos granddaughter Now Orleans and gone with his gran for a lslt to tho formers daughter the near I Ln Teto des Enux plantation also that La head of Nnvou IHenvonu this occasion to per had tnlen Iloclio Inzallo Senorita tho sundo his ward his house party to Join general In tho state Ho Is now n andwlth n added Pieiro mllltlo talk In New Or lauch It U common leans that lie Is mad for love ol the Spanish girl And she Inquired Joan carnlcssly as ho pnttcd the head of a hound crouched b > his chnlr Pierre shrugged hla broad shoulders Sho Is a woman who therefore ma say what she thinks or will door do-or not 1101 Jean laughed as ho knockoJ the ashes from his cigar Thou hast a poor opinion of tin fair ones my Pierre Havo 11 I If so It was thyseli taught mo the lesson The laughing face sobered at once and a troubled look camo Into the eves rlxrd upon Pierres lialfmocklng ones Say jou Pierre that I taught jou any such lesson Aje that > ou have with > our scorn of women and their was Seeing through jour ejes I long ago learned to look upon women as but snares to lovo whom brings mischief and the mm ui it iiiuii 8 neari Plerro wondered nt the gentleness ol tho tone that answered If ever 1 taught jou such a thing I taught un knovvinglj something I never believed mjself for I think a true woman Is n thing to reverence as tho saints and that lovo In a mans life Is like Ho stopped short and his dark face took a dreaming look as he gazed Into the fireAfter After a short silence ho continued The lack of love In a mans lIfo Is like a world without sunshine or a lamp without oil without light And to live alwajs In darkness would make llfo little worth tho living Plerro had been staring at him and as he stared his slumbering wits awakened awak-ened In a groping but certain way ho began be-gan to rightly suspect the possible cause of a hitherto puzzling change ho had noticed In his foster brother and satisfied as to this ho now blurted out Jean my brother tell mewho Is she jou love Jean started and his brows contracted con-tracted Into n frown Thou art not angry with me that I asked Angry Tho word was repeated v 1th a soft laugh as If the supposition were too absurd to call for refutation And she loves theo in roturn pferro ventured encouraged by tho laugh Jean shook his head and a bitter sadness touched the still smiling lips Not love theo exclaimed Pierre Incredulously Then she must bo blind or a fool he added m sudden wrath Neither the one nor the other my Pierre Jean answered as ho rose from his chair I had never thought to ask her love nor knew that I loved her when by accident she discovered that I was the terrible pirate Lafitte and shrank from mo as If I I had been the plague or death Itself That was long ago and I have not since laid ejcs on her There was a world of suppressed passion sounding underneath the ring of mocker In his voice and Pierre saw his hand tremble as ho laid his arm against tho stone support of tho chimney and looked down into tho embers em-bers Pierre now rose and tossed his cigar Into the fireplace appearing to think there was nothing more to bo said nut he turned quickly to Jean as tho latter lajlng a hand upon his foster brothers shoulder added Yort know my secret Iierre for tho present let It rest where it is and give no heed as to who she Is I may jet win her and I may not If I do then ou snail know her and ou will love her of that I feel assured Well jou may my Jean If she Is dear to theo for that she must now bo to me Ajo and God bless thee for a true other self said Jean grasping the others hand That I could know without the tolling Still it is pleasant pleas-ant to hear thee say It I will cleat my name Pierre thlno and mine that must be first After thatwo shall see To be continued |