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Show J by Mary evereux 1 WITH ILLUSTRATIONS fff DON C. WILSON COfyrifAt, 1903, ty iittk, frvnrt dntfC&mpany) IM. CHAPTER III. V Tho gray was flushing with roso "tints fiom tho coming sun whon a loud knocking upon the entrance door iroused tho soldier on guard in tho B "Open the door!" a volco shouted I peremptorily. "Tatro! Tlcrrol A I thousand devils! You fools Inside I there, open tho door, I say!" E The disturbance brought Qrclolro I from his Improvised couch at tho rear I of tho hall; and climbing tho ladder, I he pushed his head through tho bro- ken window for a sight of who might bo outside. I "Who aro you?" demanded tho young man standing before tho door, his voice indicating surprise as he looked at tho face of the soldier above "That Is what I should llko to havo you tell mo of yourself, m'slcur," an-i an-i 8wered Qrclolro, In his usual dry man- ner, his not over friendly eyes noting the details of tho attlro worn by tho : aristocratically clad visitor. "Damo!" now exclaimed tho latter, I evidently more angry than before. I "What business can It bo of yours? (.. "Who are you, that daro cavil over V opening to mo tho door of my father's I house?" "He is but one; and thcro aro two I of us to handle such a cocksparrow i as I could easily overcomo alone, with .' one hand," said Grelolro scornfully, ns the bars fell, and. Etlenno entered, nomcwhat paler than usual, and his I hair and raiment disheveled from an I all-night's concealment In one of tho outbuildings of the chateau. Wishing to see the baron, In ordor to press his demand for more funds, the young man had, unannounced, omo down from Paris, and chanced to arrive tho evening before, during the wildest part of the melee. Ho was by thlstlmo accustomed to Imu outbreaks; and auapoctlng quickly quick-ly the position of affairs, had lost no time In finding; a hiding place In a grove, not far from the house. . At the tidings of his father's death, a new expression came to Etlenno's face, softening its coldness; but this quickly changed whon, In reply to his iquery as to who was In command of ;tho escort, Qrclolro answerod, "Lieutenant "Lieu-tenant Bonaparte." t An oath that made both soldiers stare burst from tho young man's Hps. "I will go to my apartments," he jr ioddod, with a return of all his haughtl-ness; haughtl-ness; "and do both of you soo to It that I am not disturbed by your officer." offi-cer." With this ho stalked through the hall, and up tho stairway, shuddorlng us he passed tho blood-stains upon tho floor. Ktlonno's steps on tho uppor stairs and along tho oakon-lloorod hall brought Tatro to tho door of tho room where lay tho two woundod soldlors, ono of whom was ovldcntly dying, while tho other was slocplng quietly. "Ah, Monsieur Ktlonno, Is It you, ' sir?" Thon, correcting hlmsolf with "Pardon Monslour lo Baron," ho burst forth In n quavorlng voice, "It Is surely a sad roturn for you." Somowhat softened by tho old man's i words, and now roallzlng moro fully i the horrors of tho night beforo, Kti- I enno ropllod In an unusually kind I fashion. But whon ho ended by or- I derlng that a ropast bo brought to m his rooms, Tatro's faco showed a sur- I prlso ho dared not volco; for ho won- H dered that his now master could think B " of sustenanco for hlmsolf, so soon af- I tor coming upon tho scono of his ro- I cent loss.. f Margot had slopt llttlo during tho ) i night, but loy thinking of what ' A, changes wero llkoly to como, now that the baron was dead. An Intuition warned her to securo tho monoy and valuables which tho baron had in-trustod in-trustod to her care; to tnko thorn from their present hiding place, and havo ' thorn at hand, In cuhq so mo additional dlsastor should como. And, too, bear- Ilng In mind her mastor'a command that sho romovo Jean from Ktlonno's rulo In caso of that befalling which now had como to pass, her porploxod i brain had at longth evolved a plan ' which soomed both wlso and feasible, i But beforo attempting to put It Into elocution, a curious Impulso urged her to tako tho young officer Into her confidence. Looking up Into tho cold, clean-cut faco before her, sho asked, "You will not leavo hero to-day, Monsieur?" Mon-sieur?" "Perhaps; I cannot decldo until later." "Beforo you go, monsieur, I would tako It as a great favor should you let mo ask of you Rome advlco as to a matter concerning him you seem to love." And sho glanced at Jean, who was standing In tho doorway, with his back to them. The officer, If ho felt any surprise, showed none, for ho nnswered her with kindly assurnncc. Ho then joined Jean, and tho two went below, where breakfast awaited them. Tho two dead soldiers were burled early In the afternoon; but the stars were coming out when tho door of the great vault was closed, and tho lato baron left to sleep with his ancestors. an-cestors. Ettcnne, silent and repelling, stood by, vouchsafing llttlo notice of anyone about him. Jean had taken caro to keep away from his half-brother; and tho latter replied with scant courtesy cour-tesy to tho lieutenant's salutation, when they met for tho first time, as the baron's body was borne from tho house. Margot was not of thoso who had stood about tho tomb. Etlenno's temporary tem-porary absence from the houso being assured, sho had Improved tho opportunity oppor-tunity to open tho secret panel and remove re-move tho metal box and bags of coin, which sho hid away amongst her own belouglugs. She proposed, with Jean and Pierre, to seek a now home In Toulon, whero a largo number of Roy-alists, Roy-alists, together with others who had suffered persecution from tho Revolutionists, Revolu-tionists, had found refuge. Presently aim saw Etlenno enter the drawing room, where Jean had remained, having refused to leave the "And springing upon E lieutenant, who was now seated at a table, examining some papers found upon tho dead Fauchel; and considering consider-ing this an opportune timo to make known her plans, she had turned toward the door, when Etlenne's volco, full of Its old-time arrogance, came to her. "Jean, leavo tho room Instantly, and go to your bed!" Margot paused In tho doorway and saw Jean's head raised with a belligerent bel-ligerent polso. "I will not go for you, Etlenno, when you order mo in Buch a rudo fashion." ho said, his volco shaking with rago. Uttering a vllo oath, Etlonno strodo forward, and seizing him by tho collar, col-lar, dragged tho boy from tho chair and begnn striking him. "Monsieur Etlonno, do not you do that!" cried Margot, rushing toward him. "Ah, mon Dion! How can you havo tho heart, and at such a tlmo as this?" Jean was struggling In a wild fury, using feet and hands to defend himself, him-self, which ho did In a way that brought to tho lleutonant's mind tho scono of twj years before, In tho Tull-cries Tull-cries gardon. "Hold, Monsieur lo Baron," ho said, distinctly and calmly "I havo tho right to toll you that you cannot thus assert your authority In my presence." Etlonno, as onco before, released Jean, and turned to faco the speaker, to whom tho boy now rushed, clinging cling-ing to him with u Btorm of passlonato sobs, coming partly from angor, and partly from a bruised heart. Margot had drawn nearer to his sldo; and, as Jean's sobs conned, tho threo confronted Etlonne, who now burst Into a loud, dorlslvo laugh, "What can a bastard, and tho friends and champions of a bastard, oxpect bettor?" ho domandod, now spoaklng dollboratoly, his palo faco distorted by mallco. Margot started Indignantly, an angry flamo springing Itto hor eyes; and tho lloutonunt said In a low tono, whoso vory calmness woo a inonaco, "It Is ecarcoly tho act of a gentleman to Insult tho dofenseless and the dead." "Insult!" cried Etlonne, now letting looso nil tho vialB of his hatred and malignity. "Postot How can ho bo other than I call him, when his mother wb no wlfo?" I "Tis false!" dcclarod Margot, for-getting for-getting everything llko habitual respect. re-spect. "It Is not," Etlonne retorted; "and you aro a liar when you say otherwise" other-wise" , Jean, with paling face, his burning oyos fastened upon his brother, seemed stunned. "It la not," Etlenno repeated less vehemently, "as Pero Huot could toll you, If you asked him. My mother, tho late baronne, died but three years ago, In, I regret to say, a madhouse, at Paris. But mad, or sane, sho was tho baronne; nnd that other woman, tho mother of your young whelp thoro, was no wlfo of my father's, oa you muet now admit. Tho church would never- rccognl.o her a3 his wlfo, ha being a true Catholic, and no priest performing tho marriage ceremony between him nnd that cursed Huguo-not Huguo-not " Etlenno uttered nn epithet too vllo for repetition nn oplthot that stung to madness tho listening boy, who, with a cry of rago, such ns might como from a now Cain wakened to life, snatched a dagger from a brlc-a-brnc strown upon a near-by tablo, and, springing upon Etlonne, drovo the rusted blade Into his side. The slight form reeled nnd fell, a crumpled heap, upon tho floor, while Margot, with a shriek that brought the soldier flying from his post In tho hall, fell upon her knees, and tried, with hor apron, to stanch tho flowing blood. Jean had turned to flee; but an Iron grip on his shoulder hold him, and, looking up, ho fell to trembling and shivering, as ho met tho stern eyes of his friend, lqoklng ns he had never beforo seen them. "Whero would you go?" Inquired a low volco, whoso measured calm matched tho look of tho oyes. Tho boy stood silent. The lieutenant, still holding him fast, moved to whero Margot and tho soldier wero kncollng beside Etlenno, and Jean mot the wlld-oycd regard of tho wounded man, from whoso white lips now poured a flood of profanity, mingled with threats of vongeanco against tho boy, whom ho ordered to leave the apartment Tho lieutenant turned away with a scornful laugh, half-suppressed, but which Jean heard; and, taking heart, the lad looked beseechingly upward, as If asking pardon for his mad act. "Como awny como away, my De Soto," whispered tho ofllcer; and bending ho kissed t,he tear-wet cheek. "Ho has a venomous nature, truly, and ono cannot bo greatly blamed for treating a dog as ho deserves." Then, gathering up tho papers at which ho had been looking, ho thrust them Into his pocket, and motioned Jean to follow him from the room. Hero Margot joined them, on her way to summon Tatro, that ho might acslst tho soldier In getting Etlonno to his own apartments. Early noxt morning tho household was astir all save Etlennc, who, although al-though his wound proved to bo but slight, kept to his bed, with Tatro In attondanco; 'and before noon all but these two had left tho chateau and sot out upon their various routes Margot with Jean and Porry, for Toulon, Tou-lon, In company with the soldier Gro-lolro, Gro-lolro, sent by tho lieutenant to escort them. At a fork In tho highway, where their roads parted, Jean turned In his saddle to look after the slender fig-uro fig-uro riding away at the head of hla men. Turning his head, as It he felt the boy's longing eyes, tho lieutenant Bmilod and waved his hand. Then, putting spurs-to hts horse, he rode swiftly from sight, followed by his soldiers.' sol-diers.' After a last backward look toward the vacant spaco that had held tho one be loved best on earth, Jean started his horso onward, to overtake the lumbering vehicle, driven by Pierre, and containing Margot and all the travelers' belongings. (To be contlnuod.) |