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Show JLV LOUISIANA. I BV glARY gEVEREUX if 1 MTU ILLUSTRATIONS BY DOM C. WILSON (Ctyyr&At, &ca, ty ttffk,Broni-xtCoTtsynr) CHAPTER XXV. Lafltto, after tho departure of Qon. Lo Iloche, permitted himself the sol-aco sol-aco of tarrying an hour or so longer, although ho exchanged scarcely halt a dozen words with Madcmolscllo do Cazencau, as thoy, with Lnzallo and Harold Stewart, sat on tho broad veranda. ver-anda. Ho was unaccountably anxious and depressed; thoro semed to bo something some-thing In tho air about him that sot his nerves aqutver, and tilled him with strange feelings. It was after threo o'clock whon, with n reluctance of which his manner gavo no hint, I.nfltto rose and signified signi-fied thnt ho must ho going. "Will you not como ngaln soon." asked Lazalle, a now wlstfulncss showing In her face nnd voice, ns ho extended his hand to her. Lnfltto's only reply wna a smile; nnd turning to Bay adieu to Mademoiselle Mademoi-selle do Cazencau, ho saw that sho had left tho veranda, and was standing stand-ing on tho lawn, somo llttlo dlstanco from tho Iiompo, Sho was looking off toward tho woods, and said, as Lafltto paused bo-sldo bo-sldo her, "Thoro Is tho man from whom grandpero rented Knnauhann, sitting under a trco with his gun." "Ho expects to sco mo before I go, and Is wnltlng for tho opportunity," Lafltto oxplnlncd, his volco softening as It always did when addressing hor. Tho violet eyes and tho dark ones looked Into each other; then a shapely shape-ly brown hnnd possessed Itself gently gent-ly of n small whlto ono. "Oh, Captain Joan, I am so sorry so very sorry! Will you not say that you forglvo meT" Sho spoko Impulsively, In a hnlf-whlBper, hnlf-whlBper, and tho other smnll hand was now laid over tho back of tho brown one. Her look and words, tho fnlnt prcs-suro prcs-suro of her fingers, sent a wild Joy through his veins. "God In heaven bless you for those 1 fleet of vessels apparently going down the gulf. Whllo tho boat sailed down tho Island's shore tho smoko against tho southwest sky showed moro donso, and llaptlstlnc. pointing to It, said, "That smoko looks to bo not Innocent camp-flro nor chimney smoke, my captain." cap-tain." Lafltto was about, to reply, when tho boat camo abreast of an opening In tho trees, through which somo of the buildings wcro seen to hu on lire. A chorus ot exclamations nnd execrations exe-crations broko from llaptlstlnc and tho crow, nnd ono of the Intter cried out, "This Is tho work of those cursed English!" Lafltto raised his hnnd to command silence. "Yonder vessels did It, rather than tho English," ho said, In n volco husky with rage, ns ho pointed to tho disappearing dis-appearing fleet. "And they nro flying tho United States flag!" shouted another of tho crow, who had taken tho spyglnss lying near him nnd was looking through It "Shall wo venture to land, ray captain?" cap-tain?" ventured llaptlstlnc. "Draw closer," said Infltte, turning to tho crow, who were staring with fury-flllod eyes at tho seemingly do-sorted do-sorted Island. "Draw closer, and I will signal. Hut bo In readiness to turn about, In case I wish to head for Shell Island." Ho watted until tho boat was nenrer tho shore, and then, arching a hand ovor his Hps, sent a water-bird's shrill call ringing out twico over tho water. Not ten second passed when a similar simi-lar call camo from tho Island, followed follow-ed by tho appenranco of a figure upon tho edge of tho timber. It was Nato, who waved his nrms wildly nnd camo scrambling down to tho bench. In a most disjointed fnshlon nnd accompanied by hysterical sobbing, Nato told all that ho know of a story which, tor had faith and harsh pro- "Adieu, and God's annelt keen you." words. Only thoro can never bo any forgiveness between us, snvo ns you may glvo me Heaven, by forgiving mo. Try and trust me, child. Try nnd believe that I am not the monster you havo thought me. Do this, nnd yeu enn savo mo from what has been an earthly hell." Sho looked startled, but tho glad light showing In her eyes was nBSiir-nnco nBSiir-nnco that sho was not offended by his passlonnto plcndlng. "Adieu, now," ho whispered, bending bend-ing ro closo that his breath stirred tho bright hair rippling ovor her forehead. fore-head. "Adieu, nnd Ood's nngols keep you. I hopo to seo you soon ngaln." Ho wns gono, bu' her hands still tingled from his closo touch nnd his low, tenso volco still thrilled hor cars. With a Joyously beating heart that mado her Inclined to wcop ns Veil as sing, tho girl ascended with fleet steps to tho vcrnndn and tied to her room, locked tho door nnd throw herself her-self upon tho bed, Sho was laughing, but with tears crowding to hor Ihroat, nnd trying to got Into hor eyes, where, for appear-ut.co's appear-ut.co's sako, sho did not caro to havo thorn show. Sho did not nsk hurself why It was, what It mennt, or what It might mean, to hor llfo. Sho know only n half-delirious half-delirious joy. such ns never heforo had como to her. Ah, how (oi sho now admitted to tiersolf) sho hnd missed him out of her llfo hor hrnvo, handsomo Cap-lain Cap-lain Joan! How sho hnd missed his chivalrous, protecting friendship tho latent strength nnd decision showing In nil ho did and said! How sho hnd missed tho gentleness and roverenco with which ho always nddresscd her tho kindly deeds ho was always striving to do for hor. Tho sun was nenrly two hours high jn tho following day when tho boat hearing Utfltto hack to Orando Torre jtolo out from tho wooded mouth of tho nnyou. Looking townrd tho Island, I.nfltto notlcod nn unusual volumo of smoko lingering above tho trco tops, nnd Aondored why tho men had bo much lro nt this hour of tho day. Then, urnlng his eyes to tho enst, ho saw a ceduro, has fow equals In history. Early that morning soldiers from several vessels had descended upon G rondo Terro. Thoro had been desperate des-perate fighting, and all tho Daratari-nns Daratari-nns who wero not now lying dead on tho bluff nhovo had been carried off as prisoners. Nato, Juniper nnd Sclplo had fled from tho stockndo to tho thlckor woods and moro Impenetrable part of tho Island; but thoy beenmo separated and tho boy hnd seen nothing moro of his companions. "Doy was dose Ilrltlshors, Marso Cap'n," ho declared between his sobs, and digging his fists Into his eyes. "What wns tho color of their coats?" Lafltto asked of tho boy. "Doy woro bluo coats, Marso Cap'n." "As I thought." said Lafltto calmly, turning to his men. "No Ilrltlsh one-my one-my hns denlt us this blow; It wns tho governor of Loulslnnn." Ho then started up tho bluff, tho othes following, with Nato bringing up tho renr. Insldo tho stockndo wero mnny signs of a fcnrful hand-to-hand fight Tho houso of tho Lnflttcs wns ttnhnrm-cd, ttnhnrm-cd, although thoro woro Indications of Its having been set on flro; hut tho llnmes appenred to hnvo died out of thomsolvcs, Thoro wns nothing moro to bo dono nt Unratarla. All tho mon, savo Rap-tlstino Rap-tlstino nnd his crew, appeared to havo boon killed or captured; tho buildings woro burned or despoiled; tho vcbsoIs taken. Lafltto, therefore putting nsldo ns best ho could nil omotlon nnd anxiety, gathered what was left of his portable proporty, and, with Ilnptlstlno nnd his crow, together with Nato, Juniper, Sclplo (tho latter two having, lato In tho day, como from tholr hiding plnco in tho woods), took his way to Sholl Island. Tho older negroes could toll him llttlo moro than Nato hud already ro-lnted. ro-lnted. Nolthor could thoy givo him any Information bearing upon Plorre's fate. Thoro was loft only tho hopo that ho had escaped to Sholl Island, whero ho might bo found, allvo nt least, If not unhurt. Hut In this Uifltto was disappointed. Domlnlquo-You and somo of his men had escaped; but tho former had 1 ecnj l'lerro, who appeared to bo wounded, carried to a boat, and taken out to the shins. ll was not until somo time after thli that Lafltto gathered a reliable account ac-count of the affair, and knew tnu reason rea-son lor this murdoi-jus descent upon lanitarla. Tho tacts weru these: llelucho had been received uml-cnbly uml-cnbly by Governor Cliy wne, who, ntter reading l-nlltto's .tor, setting forth In detail tho recent otter from the English, listened to nil the Uatn tarlan messenger hnd to say, and informed in-formed him that hu timet, before de elulug upon u reply, consult with ccr tain other olllclals. Ho then, however whllo treating llelucho and Lope) with pertect courtesy, held them n prisoners). The lonleretice, In pursuance of In vltutlotts similar to tutu received by (.it'll. I. a Itocne, was held promptl) , and n lingo majority or its memum having rctuscd to tiellovo the truth 01 Latinos sUiouicnts, Governor U.t. borne, although himself In lavur 01 accepting tno Hnrntarhtn proposition, allow oil the others to ocr-tulu him. The decision was, however, kept from the knowledge of l.atlttu's messengers, mes-sengers, as wns also (he fact thnt a large armed torce wns quickly organs ed to descend upon Orando Torre. More bitter tint 11 ever before were Lnfltto's thoughts that night and tho following day. All seemed hopeless so hopeless that, as he reviewed tho situation, ho became stunned beyond all ability to feel tho rage which nt nnother time would havo been likely to control him. Dut, trtto to his nature, ho did not permit himself to ho overwhelmed by the groat disaster and sorrow thnt had como upon him, A trusty messenger messen-ger had been dispatched at once to a point not far from Now Orleans, whero wero those to be relied upon for tho Intest news from the city; and, upon tho third day nftcr tho attack ti!on Grnndo Torre, the messenger rot 11 'ted with Information thnt do-tern. do-tern. mod Lnllttc to proceed there at onco. l'lerro wns at Now Orleans, In gaol, wounded; somo snld mor.tally, otnors declared he was dying. Wrapped In a long, dark cloak, with the broad brim of his hat making mak-ing n deeper shadow over his face, Lnllttc, as ho stepped aboard tho craft that was to convey him from Shell Island, looked a commanding figure ol stern sorrow. Tho men wcro reluctant to seo tholr lender going into New Orleans, but none of them dnrcd express this feci Ing In words, except as thoy talked among themselves, "If any harm comes to him wo'd better Join the English, and help burn New Orleans," said one, ns they watched Iafltto's boat pulled up the stream. "Caramba!" growled a Spaniard "It Is to the cutting of tho Illustrious Scnor Governor's throat I would prefer pre-fer to glvb my attention. "So would I." declnred a Yankee, lounging next to tho Inst speaker. "It Is tho governor's fault that Grattdo Terro was attacked. Captain Lafltto said so." 0 "Aye, wo nil know that," affirmed several voices, and Nato, unablo to en-diiro en-diiro tho hint of harm coming to his mnstor, roso from his plnco 011 tho edgo of tho group nnd stolo away tc Join Sclplo and Juniper, who wcro sitting by themselves boforo tho door of lnfltto's cabin. nut hero he found tho samo toplo under discussion, for Sclplo was saying say-ing to tho younger negro, ns if In reply re-ply to an assertion tho tatter had made, "Zoy all bo dam! Zoy Anglalso an) zey 'Morlcan, hoso bo dam I Yo Juniper, of zat lo capltalno ho coma back novvalr, don yo' bottalr run vnmoso avay, lok do dlablo. Zey git yo' to choko wlz ropo roun' yo neck, ot zat yo loso doy protection ot la capltalno." t (To bo continued.) |