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Show INK BY LINK. A THHLLLING ST0EY OF THE PEANOO-PIIBSSIAN WAB. JIV MAUItlOK I.KCIKAM). CHAPTER II. A WKD1I1NH HFT. jCgHK mill wan very old. i? Th 'orally f Loroux had occu- pled it for gonqratlons past. It had como down from father to eon successively, suc-cessively, each now ownor nccoptlng It as Ms blrtli-rlght, nnd bringing to it itho toll and cure, nnd thrift which slowly and surely brought rfchos nnd comforts in their train. l'iorro Leroux.tho prosont possessor, had succeeded to its ownership whllo still young. Unllko most of his vaco .who hod boon It eon, sharp-witted, unlearned, un-learned, hard-working mon, he was fondor of book-loro than of tho market pluco nnd tho corn-Holds, less sharp in bargaining than gonorous in giving, shy and resorvod, butof strictest virtue and truest chnrlty, it man whom many mlsjudgod and but fow loved. 'A good son nnd n kind mnstor," so tho pooplo said, but too much of u dreamer, nnd cnaily outwitted; with no oyo for a girl's morry smile, nnd no caro for tho passago of tho wlno-uup at tho vitiligo tavern." Up to 80 years of ngo ho had novor seemed to glvo thought or glancos to woman, but then suddonly and unexpectedly ho hud tnkon tho fever of lovo In its worst and most dangorous form. Nlnottii Dax was tho loveliest girl, tho urchest co-quotto co-quotto and tho worst match In tho village. vil-lage. Sho certainly wns also tho vory last woman In tho world any ono could oxpoct to aubjugnto tho quiet rosovvod l'iorro iAjrnux. Nevertheless sho had dono so with scarco an offort. Ho loved, her nt first sight, and with no .thought of question as to who sho might be. Tho glory of hor boauty dazzed und Intoxicated him, till his sight grow blind and his brain reolod, and from !that hour ho had but ono thought, one rosolvo loft to win hor. A llfo onco lnunchcd on tho tomptu-ous tomptu-ous sea of passion, 1h not ono to bo on-vlod. on-vlod. No moro was l'iorro Loroux's. Ho passed through fovors of jealousy, through tiros of Intoxication, through thorns of delirious Joy, and restless pain and swoot Idolatry. His vory coldnoss and indlfforonco hitherto only mado him an easier und suror captive his wholo llfo was filled with but ono momory and doad to all olso. Nlnotto at flritt coquetted with then feared then loved this devoted mid ,yot timid wooor. Ills eyes spoke, oven though his lips woro dumb ho scarcely know himself how much thoy betrayed, how plainly their pathetic entroatlos told of tho lovo consuming him of tho madnoss and tumult that woro at onco so mingled nnd so namo-loss namo-loss to his own bowlldorud brain. In his strong young manhood, with tho loyal faith, tho dauntlosi courage, tho honesty and truth that mado hlh tui-,turo tui-,turo ut onco so noblo and so great, ho lay at this girl's mercy as uttorly as If ho woro a reed to bo broken a straw on a river's current. Sho first gloried In hor power, than grow afraid of It ufrald, bocaUBo tho gamo begun In caitilosaness had turned to such terrible earnestness ufrald, because sho had hitherto won (ovo without scruple, and played with It as heedlessly as iv child, yot now something of its pain and joy and wonder had touched hor too; nil that wnspureat.tondorett, most genorous In hor untutored nnturo had been .culled forth, nnd for tho llrst tlmo tho worth of a great passion shamed hor own un-worthiness. un-worthiness. Had sho but known It this vory fooling proved hor lovo to bo ut last true at last womanly for It Is tho greatest and mot exalted typo of a woman's passion whon sho feels its vory depth and dovotlon nro yet far short of what sho would havo them, whoa sho lays thorn at tho foot of tho man who has won her hoart, nnd deems tho gift nothing. In every grndo of life in every typo nnd pbaso of, character how tho old story repeats ltsolfl Tho lovo of thoso two a village girl nnd a Norman miller might not eccm to possess any striking chtifaotqrlstlcs, and yot tho elomcnls of tragedy lny bonoath It the materials of a romance torrlblo in Its pathos, grand In Its truth. Tho quivering sunbeams danced on tho river as It ran silver in the light. On tho solitary level of tho corn fields, tho hot rays poured tholr morning brilliance Tho birds hidden In dcll-cIoub dcll-cIoub shadow, poured out their songs of welcome. Tho tnll llndons nnd tho straight solemn rows of poplars swayed gently In tho cool early broozo; overywhoro blazed tho scarlet popples, tho gold of tho corn, tho flamo of tulips, tho hues of roses. l'iorro Horoux stood and looked at It all In tho glow of tho summer dawn, whllo tho song of a lark thrlllod tho Bllonco with melody, nnd echoed his honrt's own music. Ills lips smiled, his oyes brightened, ns ho lookod nt tho beautiful plcturesquo old house tho houso where to-day his wlfo would bo brought to rolgn henceforth In hor gay girlish beauty ns tho idol of his llfo. Whllo ho slood thoro thinking thoso thoughts, dreaming thoso dreams, tho Btlllness around wns broken by tho beat of drums, tho sound of marching feet, Ho started nnd looked awny across tho lovol golden Holds to tho whlto winding road boyond. Ho saw tho gleam of color, nt flash of muskets, a cloud of dust botwoon tho flowering hedges nnd tho slender poplar stems. Noaror and nearer thoy camo, marching march-ing stoadlly up to tho mill entrance. Ho movod forward and stood boforo them. "Whom do you sock?" ho asked. "A desorlcr," tho oflicer In com-mnnd com-mnnd answered htm. "Ho escaped last night. Havo you scon aught of hlmP" "No," was tho firm surprlsod an-awor. an-awor. "Well, seo you harbor him not. Thcro Is a prlco on bis head, and who-ovor who-ovor conceals, or abets his oscapo, bo-comes bo-comes nmondablo to tho law. Hero Is a description of him. Ho tossed a paper to tho young man his oyes meanwhile searching tho orchard or-chard grounds nnd tho old mill Itself as if for tho fugitive "Do you wish tomako search?" asked ask-ed Leroux. "You nro qulto at liberty liber-ty to do so, as, to toll tho truth, I am tho last man in tho world to show pity to a dosortor. I Bympathlzo too strongly with Franco now to pnrdon any son who Is baBo enough to forsnko hor In tho struggle." "You spoak well," said tho oflicer, glancing approvingly at tho strong, woll-knlt framo and haiidsomo flguro of tho young miller. "Why do you not loud you aid In her Bcrvlco?" Tho young man lookod round at his possessions regretfully. "I am not nt liberty to do so. My race havo been sons of toll for many generations past. This mill Is my heritage; besides " "What bosides?" A soft Bweot smllo crossed I'lorro's grave face; his oyo brightened with oxultlng joy. "I am about to bo married," ho said. "Oh, a good enough reason for stopping at homo. Hut tako caro you aro not called out. Things look vory black now. Thoso devilish Prussians nro hitting us hard. They say that every man fit for Borvlco will bo summoned sum-moned oro long." Tho bronzed faco of tho young miller mil-ler paled porcoptlbly. Tho goldon iiiotos of tho dancing air quivered boforo bo-foro his oyo.s, tho song of tho rising lurk lost Its ringing musle. Into his heart a fear crept, not for hlmsolf, but for her. tho fair glrl-wlfo, whom ho might bo called upon to leave, oven In tho first Hwcot days of wedded bliss. "It Is as Franco wills," ho said; and then turned und led tho way through tho shadowy orchard grounds, und into tho quaint old dusky chambers of the mill. Tho search was In vain, of course. No likelihood was thoro . of l'iorro Loroux harboring a doiortor a creature crea-ture whom his bold courageous naturo hold lu nbliorroiico, whom his tongue would havo lashod with II cry scorn and Mtung with fiorco rejniko. 'lho soldiers accopto.l his odor of refreshments. refresh-ments. Tlio officer lingered a short while longer, chnttlng and laughing good humorcdly with his frank honest oyed host; and then tho wholo party loft, went away through tho groon memlows, and ulong tho winding IjoUl paths, mul ho Ints tho high road onco moro. l'iorro Leroux watched them, shading his eyos from tho sunlight. -Will thoy find him. I aondor?" ho said to himself. "Ho deserves his fate If they do." "CJood morrow, l'iorro Loroux,"sald a volco hosldo him. "I havo brought a prosont for thy wlfo that Is to bo. I am hero bcsldoi, am I not?" Ho turned round. "What, is It you. Ho?o Michel?" 'Ay, I havo brought somo flowors for thy bridal chamber. It is a poor gift, but I havo nono other to offer." "Tho gift Is wolcomo," ho sntd kindly. kind-ly. "Will you go within?" "Presently. Woro thoso soldiers who loft you just now?" "Yes, they uro searching for a dosortor. do-sortor. Havo you socn -aught of a boldier loitering In tho neighborhood?" neighbor-hood?" "Not I. Did thoy glvo you news of tho war?" "Very bad news. 'Jlioy seem to think moro volunteers will bo needed." "Ay, I heard so. Every nblo-bodi-od llkoly youth Is to he called out. A sad day for us truly. You might havo to go, PIcrro. Whut would your brldo say, think you?" He-was silent. "Not but I daro say she would soon consolo horsolf," rosumed Hose spitefully. spite-fully. "A born coquotto Is Nlnotto, and ono thnt will noed to bo well looked look-ed nfter by tho man who trusts his honor to hor keeping." Tho young mnn turned Bwlftly on hor, his eyes blnzlng flro. "How daro you say such words of my wlfo?" Sho Is all that Is puro, fair and virtuous. Her only fault hnvo been tho faults of youth nnd lightheadedness." light-headedness." "Lovo 1b blind," inuttorod tho woman. wom-an. "It will bo. woll for you, Piorro Leroux, If you novor ruo to-day." "Know you aught to Nlnotto's discredit?" dis-credit?" ho demanded Horcelv. "If I did I would" hardly toll yon," laughod tho woman sncoringly. "It Is 111 work opening open-ing folk's eyes thut lovo to bo blind. You will find her out Boon enough soon enough." And chuckling and Inughing sho wont aw ay into tho bright, old, tiled kitchen, nnd up from thonco to tho quaint old chamber, which tho brldo wiib so soon to call hor own. From pla:o to pluco sho movod, arranging tho fronds of forn nnd clusters of roses nnd snowy wonllh of IHIcb which filled hor basket. Tho lovoly delicate blossoms llllod the room with frn-gr.inco frn-gr.inco and color, and enhanced its snowy purity and dnlnty cleanliness, lioso glanced round it nil with malicious mali-cious oyes nnd onvlous heart. "For a worthless chit llko that to havo such a homo," she muttered. Then on the table, boforo tho owl glass which would so soon refloct tho young brldo's faco, sho placed a bunch ol deadly herbs ruo, nightshade, hon-bane. hon-bane. "For luok," sho chuckled malicious-ly, malicious-ly, nnd then closed tho door, nnd left tho room to Bllonco and sunshine TO BE CONTINUED. |
