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Show fAITFTO stf J I BY MjARY IgEVEREUX " ' tVlTH ILLUSTRATIONS BY DOM C. WILSON CHAPTER XXIV. Eenoy, who had llttlo liking for the Spanish beauty, now took horsolf off, and th two girls soon went down stairs together, to sco tho Count do Cazenonu, whom, fcoblo and omaclut-ed, omaclut-ed, thoy found lying back among tho pillows of his chair. On tho floor, near tho count's chair, were two sacks, which both girls saw wor tho counterparts of thoso brought to Gen. La Rocho's houso that samo morning, and an old negro ono who scemod trusted In his master's affairs was on his knees, having Just finished tying tho mouth of ono of ttiom. His master then, as Lazalto and Roso entered tho room, making in motion for him to desist, ho hml sub-sldod sub-sldod to tho floor, apparently waiting for tho call to bo ended, and Made-molscllo Made-molscllo do Cazcncau felt that hor grandfather was desirous that his visitors vis-itors should leave him. This thoy did, nnd wero half wny across the first field, when Lazallo put nn nrm about tho shoulder of tho slight flguro besldo hor. "Llttlo Iloso, when I found you I saw you had been crying, and I'vp been wondering about It over since. Will you not toll mo wbnt has been troubling you?" Itosc, lifting a pair of earnest yca to tho dark, brilliant fnco, asked, "Tell mo, Lazallo, havo you known Cant. Jenn long?'' Lazallo came to a halt and her lhls narrowed as they dropped over her Bparkllng eyes, from which all laughter laugh-ter was gone "Known him long? Yes, nnd no. I doubt If any soul, even thoso nearest htm, can claim truthfully to know that man. I lived for mnny years In my uncle's house, whoro. Capt. Jean also lived; that is, ho camo and went. But, for tho last threo years, I'vo not seen him until this morning." Something In hor tono something In hor face hor manner, caused a suspicion sus-picion to flash through Mademoiselle do Cazcncau's mind, impelling her to say, before realizing that sho had uttered ut-tered tho words, "Lazallo, do you lovo, or hato, Capt. Jcnn7' Lazallo turned so tlcrcoly that hor small companion was startled and, regretting hor quory, hastened to sny, "You speak kindly of him, yet your eyes seem to hold no kindness for him. I myself do you know, I really dread him. I cannot tell what to think about tho man; fqr Zenoy says It was not Capt. Joan who killed men nnd burned their ships, and was a wicked pirate, but that theso things wero dono by anothor man, whom Capt. Jean was with, and who is now dead." "Did Zonoy tell you tho namo of this other man this wlckod captain, who did such cruel things?" Inquired La-zalle, La-zalle, with assumed carolessnoss, and hor companion" could not sco tho sullen sul-len flro In tho dark oyee now staring straight ahead. "Oh, yes; ho was called Capt. , Laro." j Itoso was startled by a peculiar laugh from Lnzalle, whoso faco was still turned away. But tho hardening curvo of tho rod undor Hp, to bo seen In profllo, told hor that sho had said something to affect tho Spanish beauty unplonsantly. Sho could not help feeling uneasy, nnd after a short sllonco added, with tho wish to say something which might glvo no offonso, "Is It not rather rath-er odd thnt It wos this very Capt. Laro who brought my mother ovor from Franco?" Lazallo's faco had regained much of Its usual expression, nnd Mndcmol-Bollo Mndcmol-Bollo do Cazonoau, feeling somowhnt reassured, sllppod hor hand within tho rounded arm of hor friend. "And my mother told mo of such a handsomo boy who was In tho place with thorn that night ono this Capt. Laro said ho was as tond of as an own son." A curious look wns In tho black oyos thnt glanced sldowlso as Lazalto asked, "What was tho namo of this wonderful boy?" 'That I do not know; my mother novor thought to montlon it." Lazallo laughed. "Shall t toll you his naino?" "Tout How can you possibly kaow It?' "I happen to know, becauso I havo hoard tho samo talo from my uncle, who knew this hoy nt that time. Tho boy to now known to you as Capt. Jean Utflttc." "CapL Lafltto!" was th6 amazed, halt incredulous exclamation. Lazallo nodded. "Capt. Jean Lafltto I" repeated Iloso do Cazcncau, her volco faint with astonishment. as-tonishment. "And yet," sho added, ns if trying to grasp tho wonderful fact, "ho told mo, when ho brought mo to my grnndpere, that ho had known my mother, but I supposed he had met hor In Now Orleans." "Waa It Capt. Jean who brought you from tho Choctaws?" asked Iio-zalle, Iio-zalle, now surprised In turn. Mndomolsello do Cazcncau nodded, but scorned disinclined to enter !rto details nnd fortuno favored her In this, for Lnzallo said, "There Is Capt. Jean now." Ho wns coming across the Holds toward thorn, apparently on his way to'Kannuhana. But, Just as they noticed no-ticed him ho took a sharp turn to tho left, in tho direction of tho timber, tim-ber, whoro, at tho edge of tho woods, two men stood as If waiting his approach. ap-proach. One of them was Shnplra, who wns leaning on n long gun, and his companion was Baptlstlne. "Thnt man with tho gun Is the ono from whom grnndpero rented our now plantation." paid Hose, ns tho two girls, walking slowly, watched La-fltto's La-fltto's tall figure approaching tho waiting mon. "I wonder whoro he lives. He Is always about tho fields and woods, yet thero Is no Iioubo for many miles, except Qcn. La Rocho's and tho ono nt Kannuhann." Far In tho depths of tho wood upon whoso edge Shnplra nnd Baptlstlno stood, and upon tho domain of Kanau-liana, Kanau-liana, wns the cntranco to tho so-called so-called "Colonnch." It was apparently nothing moro than a ragged Assure, of earth, choked by vines and tangled forest growths, and suggesting only the lair of a wild boast or deadly serpent. But, somo "Then Baratarla will defend herself." years beforo, un Indian had imparted its, secret to Lafltto, nnd Shaplra's-de-ceascd uncle, tho former owner of Knnaiihnnn, had been ono of Bara-tnrln's Bara-tnrln's most faithful ngents. Gen. La Itocho and Lafltto had held a long consultation, during which tho Inttor had told his host of tho recent visit from tho EngllBh offlcors; of tholr proposition and of Bolucho's departure de-parture for Now Orleans for tho purpose, pur-pose, of laying tho Barntarlan offer beforo tho governor. 1 La Itocho, llko Lafltto, wondered at Bolucho's unexplained fnlluro to return. re-turn. Ho also expressed surprlso that, In the faco of such nn unusual and important im-portant event, ho had not boon sent for by tho governor; with whom his relations, both personal and official, woro very closo, and who, ho felt assured, as-sured, would not decldo tho matter upon his own responsibility. "I must go to tho city this afternoon after-noon or to-morrow morning, at tho lat est, uio gcnorai nan sain, wnen tho consultation was ondod, nnd tho clock on the mnntol of his study had, by chiming twelve, caused Lafltto to rise, saying that ho must go over to Knnau-liana, Knnau-liana, and sco Count do Cazcncau. Ho was back within an hour, hut ?aw nothing of Mademoiselle dc Cazn-ncau Cazn-ncau until all wero seated nt dinner, when young Stewart wns giving a lively account of something that had occurred that forenoon, whllo ho was hunting. Tho story created considerable laughter, and Lnfltto, noticing tho softened look nnd gracious manner of tho Island Iloso toward himself, ascribed as-cribed thorn, as well' as tho fearless glances with which she, mot his oyes, to nn entirely wrong cause. Thoy would have mndo him very happy,' being so llko thoso ho had formerly khown, had It not boon for tllo belief that lovo for anothor man was now tempering hor fooling and at-titudo at-titudo toward himself, just as the reality real-ity of his own hopolcss lovo was giving giv-ing his bearing toward Lnznllo a gentleness gen-tleness ho had never boforo accorded tho girl, and which, dcsplto her cool reception of his advances, brought a brlghtor color to hor cheeks, and awakened in her honrt a strange thrill of hopo, Tho effect of Zenoy's defonsa of Lafltto, and lazallo's surprising In formation tfcat lo waa th boy whom HSBj her mother know, had, taken In con- JawAV netlon with hor former admiration '-bbBbI for him, greatly shaken tloso's recent iHMBj prejudices, and, with womanly lncon- iHH ststency, sho felt hurt becauso h HbI was unable to reallzo this nlterattom sWaWJ In her feelings. HVH Prom pain, sho soon passed to HVJ anger, tho exact Bourco or nature of fLwflwi which sho could scarcely have ana' HH lyzcd. But Its Immediate offoct was 9mWi that sho entered Into a seeming fllrta- iHVI tlon with tho young Kcntucklaa, who was only too pleased to respond. WAV. All this furnished a now and slngu- 1 lar Illustration of loves blindness theso four "playing nt cross purposos" MVH and wilfully misunderstanding one another; whllo, beaming upon them from tho head of the table, was Gen. La Roche, his' eyes and hoart filled with unsuspected admiration and love for tho beautiful Spanish girl who so far as could bo Inforred from appear- nnces regarded htm simply as her friend and banker. H Just as dinner wns over, a mud- H bespattered negro and horso appeared IH beforo tho outor door, tho former jl bearing a letter from Gov. Claiborne jH to Gen. La Rocho, urging his Immodt- JH ate prcsenco In Now Orleans. jH "Why, you black scoundrel!" thun- jH dcrcd the general, his fnco nblazti with iH wrath, after he had read tho letter !H and glanced ngnln at Its dato, "this Is Ave days old nnd should havo reach- lH od me four days ago!" Tho frightened messenger looked' 'H woefully at his left arm, which was In fH a sling, and explained that, a short -H dlstanco from New Orlcnns, down by 'H tho llttlo Bayou d'Or, his horso had H fallen and broken a leg, whllo ho him-8 him-8 elf, pitching over tho animal's head, had been stunned and lay until found !H by somo negroes living In a cabin H near by, who had bandaged his arm 'H and shot his horso. 'H "Come Insldo with me, while I make ready to start," said La Roche to Lafltto, after ordering his horse to .H bo saddled; "I want a few words with H When In his own room, he handed jH the letter to Lafltte, and fuming about, lit a cigar, whllo giving Instructions to his valot In a most Impatient man-nor man-nor that bespoko mental disturb- Tho governor tind written him that, having received, from an unexpected quarter, a proposal promising valu-nblo valu-nblo support for tho defenBo of Now Orleans, ho had called a meeting of officials and promlnont men ot the city, at which ho tho gen oral waa urged to bo present. "I seo," said Lafltto, after perusing tho lettert "that the conference waa to havo taken place two evening!' "Yes damn It!" replied La Roche, rousing from bis abstraction. "But' I doubt It Claiborne takes any de-clslvo de-clslvo action boforo I can got to him." iM "You think, then, that there can bo no doubt of Baratarla's offer meet-lng meet-lng with favor?" "How can thero bo?" waa the dog-matlcally dog-matlcally put question. "Claiborne will not bo so foolish so lacking In foresight, at such a tlmo as this. But," now showing a little anxloty, "even should ho refuse, you will not go over to tho British?" Tho flash ot La fltto's eyes would havo boon sufficient answer to this. fl But ho said quietly. "In such caso I shall remain neutral." fl "And If tho British attack Bara-tarla?" Bara-tarla?" suggested La Rocho. "Then Baratarla will defend hor- fl (To bo continued.) |
