Show I 1 alie bla AN la W ELI P got aish illy by copert copyright art by S 5 no tb bobba Bobbo sterrill merrall co C fri act Mc Laughie W N U service AA SYNOPSIS capt francois de vigny ing ans with Maxi army la in mexico tells the story A royster ing group 0 of officers Is discussing la anita who rumor says has lured french officers to death or desertion summoned by maximilian to make explanation do da vigny undertakes to deliver the message to la anita at la anitas home de vigny meets colonel lopez mexican blex ican officer and the girls bins cousin pablo ma his drella who bears a wonderful re nem mem blanco to de vig vlony ny except that he wears a beard angered that anita should be called before the emperor bl madorella adrella Ma drella forces a duel on do de vigny in wh which the mexican Is wounded As assisting asting madorella Ma drella to his bis carria carriage de vigny picks up a paper that falls from his bis pocket it proves to be a pass granting madorella Ma drella passage brough the mexican lines hoes laid before maximilian it Is of course macrellas Mad rellas death warrants warrant since it proves him a spy questioned by maximilian la anita denies luring french omeera to danger and Is given her freedom do de vigny secures leave of absence planning while madorella adrella Ma Al drella Is wounded and under guard to grow a beard and impersonate ate him with the idea of securing information of juarez movements dressed as madorella Ma drella he h enters la anitas home by stealth and overhears a conversation between madorella Ma drella and lopez which proves lie he latter a traitor to maximilian lopez has secured release and the latter Is leaving at once tor for juarez camp lie he reaches cuernavaca about the same time an the real mo drello drella an unsuccessful attempt Is made by madorella Ma drella to kill de vigny believing him to be ma drella de vigny Is welcomed by juarez de vigny eaves ave cuer by convincing juarez who had bad planned to seize the city that the french garrison lp if too strong jurez suspicions are roused and de vigny Is saved only by his possession of at ma dr ellaa ellas pass do de Vig itys gener allty enables pasqual to marry his bis sweetheart dolores and the frenchman realizes be has made two devoted friends CHAPTER vin VIII continued 9 1 I topped a tiny ridge which offered te ew of the narrow narro w road that pointed a ribbon like linger finger toward the valley along this road like a great lazy snake lay a long loud clond of dust dusl it could mean only one thing a body of marching men and marching men on this road could mean naught else but reinforcements tor for I 1 gave garc the one fine beast bis big head and he swept across the sagebrush cov ered bench As we raced along my heart sang for I 1 knew that before benito juarez could check up op his big capable pablos fables pessimism and move his army to the investment of cuerna cherna vaca this force would have reached the city and I 1 wondered too who b bad ad carried to maximilian tidings of the revolutionary lenders leaders intention for of the imperial army only neville and I 1 knew and neville was as dead at all events the emperor knew and that relieved me 0 of o my most urgent mIs mission slon my lly mind could build other and pleasanter plen plea santer pictures now another mile calif and the vast city lay before me ali ah the thrill thrift it ir pave gave met me I 1 ages had passed since I 1 had bid seen the city another world bad come into being a new and beautiful world I 1 was not francois tie de vigny the blade of Pl eardy a being who had at best merely skimmed the surface of things a man devold devoid of purpose no I 1 had changed eten eca my soul had changed now my eyes saw only the lovely face of the lady who had suddenly fired toy luj life to great endeavor my ears heard beard only the golden buble of her voice and inlo info my life a high resolve had come with tier her I 1 would be frank stra straightforward I 1 b forward with tier permission I 1 would tell tier fier that I 1 loved her I 1 would throw open the book of my life that she might read it if she so desired these things I 1 determined to do as we entered the gate of the city As we passed her honie home I 1 brought the horse home to a stately trot and then them to a alk my heart the while beat ing ine a tattoo against my ribs I 1 drank 11 in the beauty of the house and the well kept garden I 1 did not notice at first a figure that stood behind the huge iron gate the slim purple clad figure of a woman who looked nil fall and she waved tier her hand and I 1 pulled ruy ray mount to a snails pace reaching it 4 my cap and bowing as well us as SZ alrye in suet it posture might now watching lh slim waving tm liand nd and hoping against hope 1 imagined that it beckoned so I 1 turned the horses head bead and dropped to the curb she extended a hand band between ireen the bars and I 1 held it so long that she drew it gently back again it Is good to see you out said she after your illness my illness was nothing sen senorita Edior orItH lla less than a trifle this bejune a doubt was tle truth it ans very kind ot of you to lo ask alc about me but smalL oi 01 said slie she a sweet anxiety in the tha timber amber eyes can never be b considered a trifle glance took in the bruises on my face how strangely it has bag marked youl I 1 laughed my back against the wall of my own unprepared noss smallpox did not do that 11 senorita my MS face has been a target for every ost fist in the state of morelos are you jesting captain or do you speak in parables we are not in the state of morelos SIo perhaps it Is the barrier of the rate gate said 1 I 1 I red the house 1 I am forbidden entrance to that beautiful home senorita does your prohibition extend also to the grounds to the gardens now she drew the iron bolt and I 1 pushed the maishe gate open we wa walked I 1 ked along the narrow graveled path you were good to me that day before the emperor captain and I 1 would thank you she found a fancifully carved stone bench beside an arbor of red and white roses you will ill me now captain de vigny about the fists of morelos there is so much to tell bes besides ides senorita I 1 would tell jou aou of other things things of vaster portent porte nL my voice trembled if you would lead up to your story of the lists fists I 1 am listening As I 1 rode this afternoon from I 1 began slie she had raised a band as thou though b to stop me or to interrupt but changed tier her mind the news of in my y having been in cuernavaca must hav have e surprised surprise her 1 I came to certain momentous decisions cis ci ali ah so indeed I 1 continued 1 I decided first that I 1 would tell the senorita arrellanes Arre Arrel llanos lancis that I 1 love her on your way from cuernavaca she mused slim fin fingers gers twisted in her lap yes and that I 1 love her she laughed softly ilow many french officers think you senor have told me of their loie A dee deep p passion came into her voice do you not realize my helplessness in this great city which writhes under the heel of 0 the emperor can you not see that because of the evil power of his majesty my father and my mother hate haie been taken troia from me that when a french officer tells tue me that be loves me I 1 ojust must 1 I 1 am sorry senorita I 1 did not U understand to in my heart you will reign for ever tor for I 1 have put you 11 mong among the angels but no word of love from me tears came into her eyes she raised a 0 hand band blindly and I 1 took it and kissed very slowly and thorough ly each linger finger then I 1 loosed it IL you will trust me Is it not so the word of a de vigny senorita sen orila Is a thing ahn not easily broken she nodded and nodding smiled again it if my bitterness senor seems seeing an unnatural thing in a woman I 1 must justify it because of my great loss this cout country itry ts is ours it cannot belting belong to europe and if I 1 wage ray my light with a womans comans wea weapons lions am I 1 more worthy of maine blame than alian a man who lights willi the weapons that god cod has given him you offer serece sen ice to your france senor because you deem it your duty do I 1 owe any less service or ony any less duty to my own country must I 1 1 being a woman vo inan sit idly by while a foreign nation uses up the wealth ol of this my country bringing good patriots to moc mockeries mock eries kerles of trial and certain executions the wealth ot of my father amador Arre lanns was measured in millions will all that now belongs to we me gain in value un on der the reign of the emperor can a n you blame tile me it I 1 I 1 strive to hold bold my own 7 I 1 shook my head bead dazed at her out durst dural and amazed too because I 1 had bad begun to ee the motives behind some of the acts of colonel lopez the wily colonel had been responsible tor for the trial und and execution of la anitas fattier father and tie he had made no DO secret of bis big suit bull for her hand band A little light was beginning to show in the dark ness mess yet I 1 could not tell tier her until I 1 was certain she dashed the hie tears from her eyes because lie cause of 0 what your emperor has arne to roy my father he will some ato in stand before a squad ot of mexican sol titers ills insane striving tor for power cun con lead him film only to the grave boulto belillo juarez will soon sono be master of 0 mex ico and when that hat day comes senor Maxi dooen Is 1 I 1 cn can see it as clearly as though hough the he thine had bad already happened ah senor the men of france brunce have shown me lne doubtful chivalry 1 it if because of their stupid infatuation I 1 choose to use them Is it stupid senorita nurita sc my bly own infatuation lils his filled my life with a new and spiritual glory 1 I 1 have nut not tried to use yon cap tain and your thoughts of 0 me are things filings eliat I 1 cherish in my heart hearl I 1 1 would nut not try to use you for fraince slid and your emperor you stood up before the pistol of my cousin knowing tain into deith Ri ii walled you there Is no price that hat con can tie he put upon a milli ho tie vause of a sense of duty can reach such sublime heights of cour age its all in the days work I 1 said though her praise was sweet to maintain the de vlony standard will take all the courage I 1 possess for some of my ancestors have written their names dames large on the scroll of fits tory that make me wonder how it hap pens that you look so much like to lo does not so striking a lesem blanco indicate certain relationship hither that said 1 or uncertain relationship my great grandfather after whom I 1 was named and whose linage hy by some gome grotesque groC esque physiology leal ical turn lias has been banded down to me was ot of course a royalist as de have ever been when the revolution broke be fled france and caroe came to mexico where in a very few years he put together quite a fortune dealing in precious stones you think then senor that your grea great t gro grandfather n d father I 1 laughed lau glied defensively 1 I cannot find it in my heart to apologize for so 60 brave and fascinating a gentleman kven even now in old Il Pl cardy eardy interesting tales sire are told interesting tales senor sold she with a smile are told about man only when women exactly ly senorita it may have been because he handled jewels valiant service senor she said ts softly Is a great jewel I 1 think I 1 rather like your grent great grandfather put cut it was my very earnest desire to get back to lopez whose dual post lion alon as virtual chief of stair staff under maximilian and persona grata in the house of Arrel larios boiled boded ill 11 II for we or the other bow ilow long senorita have you known niguel lopez now her startled eyes sought mi face since I 1 was a child senor be worked many years fur for my fattier father managing several of his ventures does it not seem strange to you senorita that miguel lopez standing high in the estimation of ills his majesty could not save your fattier ue lle tried senor and tailed UP was heartbroken explaining the perfidy of colonel lopez could only have added to her unhappiness with her father re ir 4 my cousin attacked you senor moved lopez doubtless imagined that thai the petty persecutions secretly fos by himself might throw bet bei into his fits arms to me the plan was waa very simple yet I 1 knew that to explain it to la anita adita would because of tier incredulity be a tiling thing of vast difficulty dini culty you are silent senor and you yoo promised to tell me about those bruises on your fuce face and the ot of morelos do you remember now I 1 looked deep into the clear amber eyes and I 1 found a track frank friendliness I 1 longed to take her to in my arms to hold the dear form in close passionate embrace to crush the dainty mouth with kisses to breathe the fragrance of her hair again you trust me Is it not so senorita in very truth senor for though you serve ills fits majesty I 1 find to in you a very iza llant gentleman and it I 1 tell you things which repented dented night might endanger me cne no banu shall come to you through me senor she thought a moment then urged gently As you rode this afternoon from cuerna cherna 1 voca 1 I 1 must go farther back than that sold said 1 for I 1 have ridden three home borses over seventy milts lulles today I 1 started when the day was young and I 1 began my journey under most propitious circumstances for general le benito juarez saw roe me olt off and wished we me godspeed on my trip slie she laughed one cannot help tun bill lle ille you monsieur tie de dign for drollness Is s a pin gift of the lie godet 1 yet tie BC stood under a brilliant moon iny dinv lady rod and tie look my div band and offered up a fervent wish lalit the star of my lurk might shine upon me hie always I 1 fler sweet eyes searched sear thed my face earnestly por dios dies she whispered he did for I 1 can read your face senor secor and no gulle guile Is there there will never be for you senorita she spoke breathlessly cut but he be could not have known naturally general juarez and your most able and justly famous uncle general escobedo escobado cdo listened to me die while I 1 advised them that an nt at tack upon cuernavaca at t this b 13 time ti M e would put the revolutionary cause in grave crave danger clanger acting upon my advice juarez decided to postpone the atmark she thought a long moment I 1 had to give tier her credit tor for mure than average intelligence then thad captain you did not have small smallpox pom no senorita said 1 I a vast regiel in my very soul 1 I wish I 1 had died of it and I 1 called she murmured a hint of tears in her eyes called at your quarters to know how you were called because you had shown your sell self to be a min man of high courage und and of understanding called to show you that I 1 was sorry for the trick my by cousin had played upon you she drew in a deep sigh life Is dlou cult Is 13 it not so cannot you see how such a thing would hurt me we are proud we 1 I arm am sorry I 1 wish I 1 could think of something to say do you imaging I 1 find life simple my lady my life and my service belong to the eni em geror for myself I 1 have only dreams dreams in which I 1 have placed place upon a pedestal for my worship a sweet slim goddess with a hato halo ot of hair the color of desert smoke with an ex face of 0 matchless purity and limpid amber eyes in the able depths of 0 which I 1 lose now she stopped my vehement flow of words with the touch of a tender finger but her voice was bantering you yon might have saved your soar espres of regret at having nothing to say senor for you have hare said it a deal to in very truth ah ab senorita I 1 if I 1 forgive you then you will go on with your story if you went to the camp of general juarez you son must have gone to see the two young men aye I 1 saw them among those who used my face for plain and fancy |