Show vi v- v i 1 y r i J L SIA BY NARY y ILLUSTRATIONS BY DON C. C WILSON 11 C 03 Iy one y l I R s R f n l' l CHAPTER VI Vt I I It H was the night of December 19 1793 with a cold storm of wind and andi i I t Tain Vain making still sun cosier the living living- 1 room of ot the cottage where not far a f. f from the flames of the wood fire that r made more ruddy the neatly kept ept red of the brick hearth Marg t sat spinning spinning spinning spin spin- ning while Jean c curled up In a big chair opposite watched idly idly idly-as as many c times times' before her before r her deft deft fingers smooth fingers smooth t i y and twist the flax i Hast thou heard aught of Languedoc Langue- Langue us doc doe since we ve left he inquired i 1 t Wondering what new mood had ta taken taken tak tak- en hold hod of the boy that he should should Y J bring up matters of which she h had d c. c never ventured to speak but relieved d S t as well to feel that she might now impart impart impart im im- part to him information she had received received re re- e some time before Margot ref replied replied re re- f I plied Yes The chateau has been i- i closed since the month after we we left leU with only there as keeper r for Monsieur Etienne has returned to Paris where he is In high favor with the Great Committee Peste The word vord half sigh and andro ro half hiss was full of vindictiveness s. s Then the dagger did but slight Injury j after all for all an the rust rust on Its blade bade that would surely have poisoned better better better bet bet- ter blood even if the thrust had not let out life Ufe Jean Jean do not speak so cried Margot looking aghast Surely Surey thou never really wish to kill thy t. t brother I 1 always claimed that the act was only ony because of thy maddened maddened maddened mad mad- brain braini and with good cause as asI I any any anyone one with h heart att and feeling must a admit mit He is no brother of mine de de- declared declared t Glared the boy his face kindling into a fury of rage Never Neve you say such sucha a thing again Margot I My name Is 44 not his h's nor noi nor is he be any kin of Jean La- La fitte She She made no atte attempt pt to calm him but her face was troubled as she the r resumed resumed re re- her work worl Hark to the wind how wind how it pipes Sacre What a a storm exclaimed Pierre rousing again from his book as as there came a dash of rain upon the windows while a blast roared over the cottage and sent a brisk puff down t the e chimney indeed a dreadful storm Margot Mar Mar- Margot got agreed as she now drew her wheel farther away from the fireplace But there is one good thing to it What good can there be in such sucha a a. a storm as this queried Jean who was hoping it had not reached far faren farenough farenough enough en westward to affect the comfort of her whose beautiful face was sois so often in his thoughts is It n will put a stop to the bloodshed for for a time Ume at least The best and bravest soldiers would woul scarce think to toI fight I in such weather as this replied showing rare lare ignorance of z x Margot facts F Little would they heed so that it ti did not wet their powder asserted Jean assuming an air of superior wis wis- dom She looked at him thoughtfully for fora a moment before she said in a voice whose yearning seemed tinged with hope If I g grow up to be a good goodman make male a day man Jean some bravo brave soldier One can be brave without being being- his natural r good answered the boy r waywardness asserting Itself although although he met her earnest eyes smilingly Your little colonel whom we all jove he love he has the bravery I 1 mean well to be besuch besuch Surely thou must own such a man she Insisted Aye the boy said with a defiant smile but I will be more like Laro Laro Margot repeated her pat patience pa pa- f t tience now giving place to anger Thet The saints lInts keen us from living to see Ree thee t l i. i I grow to be such a villain as Laro 1 Dost know mow Jean these days it seems to me like a soul between Heaven and Hell Bell The man we all love is thy good angel Laro angel Laro is thy bad one and betwixt the two art thou this night I 1 feel Us for thee to say which of them shall lead thee to thy future Never mind Laro night to-night he replied re re- pit plied d. d stroking her ber cheek chee lovingly He is now far off far off over the s seas as and may never again see France nor I 1 Isee Isee see him I a would woud be happier if I were certain of that she said taking up the candle cande which was to light them to their chambers cham hers bers above They parted as usual for the night I little tue thinking ing that that this was to be the thelast thelast thelast last of earths earth's nights for one of them t ls s s s s s sIt It was the next morning the morning the morning morning morning morn morn- ing after the awful night that witnessed the capture of Toulon bythe bythe by bythe the Revolutionists There is no need to repeat the story which history has told tod of its horrors of ol the bombardment and assault of the unspeakable woe that was visited upon those shut up within the doomed city The night was past and now had come the grief and sorrow of the living to fill the day with tears for forthe forthe forthe I the dead now had come the moans and cries of the mangled and dying In one of the lower rooms of a partially burned house not far from the blackened ruins of her own cottage lay Jay Margot argot I who had been killed while s she she and he and the boys were making preparations for flight to a apace place pace of greater safety The three were in the living living room room where her whirring wheel had filled the peaceful silence cf the evening before before be be- fore She had made up the bundle each one was to carry taking pains that Jean should conceal upon his person person person per per- son the money to her by the baron when a large piece of shell sheH tore its way into the room and entered her breast killing her her instantly Scarcely had baa the boys realized this wh when n they found the cottage to b bd 3 on fire over their heads But they had time to half half carry carry half drag Margot's body to the street and thence to the house where it now lay stretched upon a rough bench and covered by a blanket in this tills bare room filled with men women and children whom fire had rendered homeless during the night Outside before the house stood a file of soldiers In the u uniform of or the 0 n T t s Revolutionary troops at whom whom the Homeless ones within stared apprehensively Apprehensively ly as the sergeant in command I stood tood listening to a woman tho who ho had guided him and his men to their present present present pres pres- J ent halting In there you will find them she said in a dull apathetic way pointing to the the door door and with them is the dead body of or their mother whoever sh was The sergeant thanked her and gaffer after bidding his soldiers to stand wh where hey were he w went nt alone aone into ato the house the wretched occupants s of which shrank away from him The bench upon which lay Jay Margot Margot stood in a far corner of the room and near it on the floor Jean was was stretched asleep with Pierre seated beside him his arms across his drawn drawn- up knees and his head sunk upon upon them He too appe appeared red to be sleeping leeping D But t at the sound of the soldiers soldier's voice he raised his head to look at him while a sullen n light of ot grief showed showed- for an instant In his heavy beay eyes This however softened into recognition ashe as ashe ashe he heard the Kindly tone and words Ah Ali Ah Pierre I J am glad to have found you I It was Murier Murler who said this and andI I his dark dart face was full of pity as as after glancing glancing at the bench he added I have been sent here to find you I and and and- l I He stopped for Jean now awake sat up and stared at him Good morning young And AndI I regret so truly oth other r than a good morning said Murier Murler- nodding and smiling grimly grimy as ashe he looked 1 down into hito the white face and dark dark circled circled eyes Jean making no reply repy rose to his feet staggering as he lie did so Are you hurt young in- in AN XZ 7 1 NV i l Pizarro my Pizarro my Pizarro he cried sp ringing forward the soldier anxiously Or Or oi either cither of you injured in any way I And he turned he-turned turned to Pierre who also had risen and stood nearest him Hurt repeated the peasant lad Aye most sorely sorely sorely-in in our hearts With this he drew the cover from frou what lay upon the bench Poor dame muttered Muter Murier Murier his eyes resting upon the calm wh white te face The devil himself was unchained last night and he spared neither the strong nor the weak Poor dame the dame the saints rest her kind soul Jean appearing to disregard what was was happening about him had been staring dully cluny through the open door and Murier l noticed that he shivered touched him upon the arm to attract his attention Young and and the soldier now spoke more briskly you briskly you are to come with me My colonel has ordered ordered ordered or or- dered that you be br brought to him Jean glanced at Murier Murler then his eyes again sought the open door as he said slowly Pierre and I are going to Pere Huot We are going to take Margot to his house Aye that is where I am ordered to take you was the sergeants sergeant's quick reply And OlAnd Pierre also is to come He was moving toward the doorway when the same woman who had bad guid- guid U t jP t l tit ed him hm to the the came came m f fo for rJ with It a cup of high hJ sh shy pP off t M silently t to to Jean w while an an 7 of deep commiseration showed shored in he 1 tt If haggard face II K 4 t But the boy motioned motion hgr away as M he exclaimed turning to to Murier l J J j will not go without Margot I Surely not yo young young- hr it h the i soldier t 1 t soldier assented Some of my myr men shall make a stretcher her and bring and nd b bring ing the good dame after us He had while speaking drawn Jean Jett Jeanto to the door and and out of it leaving f rr Pierre to follow with the soldiers soldiers' who l' l were were to cons construct a litter and bear t tt Margot's body to the convent of St. St Sulpice which was now Pere Huot's t 1 a j home It Is not necessary to describe what Jean and 21 Murier urier saw as they picked their vv way ay through the streets some some some-of of ithem them half half filled filled with debris and I. I c them bearing witness to the horrors of f the night before Jean was silent with white face and stony eyes ejes that stared vacantly ahead while the soldier held his arm armin in a a close dose grasp and occasionally Uttered uttered Ut ut- ut a few cheering words to which the boy seemed to pay no heed And so the they went slowly along until until un un- til tn in a narrow street which was comparatively comparatively com com- free from evidences of ot the assault the two paused before the heavy studded iron-studded door door- of a gloomy gloomy- looking stone building whose ivy hung i windows were not much wider than the loop holes of a fortress lifted the ponderous brass knocker knoder to let it fall with a peremptory 71 f and few moments moment afterward afterward afterward after after- tory tor- clang dang a ward the door was opened cautiously while through its crack a single eye under a shaggy s aggy brow scrutinized him J with manifest suspicion Open up Martin MarUn I I. I with the f young joung for whom our coonel sent me said l Iu Murier ier push pushing ng through the doorway and drawing Jean after him They were e in a stone paved walled t tand and celled passage along which l J Murier led the boy until the they reached 5 f r i the the entrance to a a- largo large a nt v t and re without a a V vc the m left lett him fit f F FAs I As Jean Jean stood upon upon the threshold threshold L i ithe T 1 l the dimly lit room room room-as as he be stood leanIng lean lean- lean e n- n t t Ing against the side of the he doorway I t his eyes downcast and the sound as J of roaring waters In hiS hiS' Year he be 1 I. I Jf heard even through this Per Pere Pei-e Pei familiar voice saying Thank our It Holy Mother my son that I see thee J safe and unharmed after this this' awful I r l-r night might Th Then n a tremulous haired ha hand d was J laid aid tenderly upon his bowed head A murmuring of oth other voices came q Ii to him and one of them stirred Jeans Jean's benumbed senses strangely half halt 1 Iou Ions as he e was from all aU he had suffered suffer suffer- ed and seen seen Lifting his eyes he saw before him hima a face which seemed to have shaped itself from out the drifting haz haze It Itt was thin and careworn with tumbled locks Jocks falling over oyer the pa pale e forehead and the and the gray blue eyes were bent upon him with a sympathy which aroused aroused J. J all aU his swooning faculties I Pizarro Pizarro my Pizarro he cried springing forward and the cry was lost in a gasping sob as he fell senseless senseless sense sense- less upon the breast of f Bonaparte whose arms went around the limp form as though to shield it from fur further fur ther harm l I To be continued |