Adventure, August 3, 1919 — page 55: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

Bier ee after this sudden outburst on the part of the lad. Then the man with the pale face said quietly: es ! “Citizen Lebel, order the removal of | that boy. Let him be kept in custody till he has learned to hold his tongue.” ' But, before Lebel could speak to the two soldiers who were standing on guard : at the door, Lucile had uttered a loud cry of agonized protest. “No! No! Monsieur! That is—citizen!”’ _ she implored. ‘Do not take Etienne away. He will be silent. I promise you that he will be silent. Only do not take him away! Etienne, my little one!” she added, turning her tear-filled eyes to her brother. “I entreat thee to hold thy tongue!” The others, too, clung to Etienne, and the lad, awed and subdued, relapsed into silence. “Now then,” resumed Lebel roughly after a while. “Let us get on with this business. Iam sick to death of it. It has lasted far too long already.” He fixed his bloodshot, protruding eyes upon Lucile and continued gruffly: “Now listen to me, my wench, for this . is going to be my last word. Citizen ‘ Chauvelin here has already been very lenient with you by allowing this letter b business. If T had my way, I’d make you speak here and now. As it is, you either sit down and write the letter at Citizen Chauvelin’s dictation at once, or I send you with that impudent brother of yours . and your imbecile father to jail, on a charge of treason against the state, for aiding and abetting the enemies of the republic, And you know what the consequences of such a charge usually are. The other two brats . will go to a House of Correction, there to be detained during the pleasure of the Committee of Public Safety. That is my last word,’ he reiterated fiercely. “Now, __-which is it to be?” ,. He paused, and the girl’s wan cheeks ___ turned the color of lead. She moistened her ____ lips once or twice with her tongue; beads of perspiration appeared at the roots of } her hair. She gazed helplessly at her tor- _ ‘mentors, not daring to look on those three. huddled-up little figures there in the 4 corer. > | _ Afew seconds sped away in silence. The 1an with the pale eyes rose and pushed his chair away. _ and stood there with his back to the room, as y << aly He went to the window yw : ~~” *.* those slender white hands of his clasped behind him. Neither the commissary nor the girl appeared to interest him further. He was just gazing out of the window. The other was still sprawling beside the desk, his large, coarse hand—how different his hands were—was beating a devil’s tatoo upon the arm of his chair. wins AFTER a few minutes Lucile made ium 2 Violent effort to compose herself, , wiped the moisture from her pallid ; forehead and dried the tears which still ’ hung upon her lashes. Then she rose from her chair and walked resolutely up to the desk. “‘T will write the letter,” she said simply. Lebel gave a snort of satisfaction, but the other did not move from his position a near the window. The boy, Etienne, had uttered a cry of passionate protest. -“Do not give M. le Marguis away, Lucile!” he said hotly. “I am not afraid to die.” But Lucile had made up her mind. How could she do otherwise with these awful threats hanging over them all? She and Etienne and poor father gone, and the two pees young ones in one of those awful Houses of Correction, where children were taught to hate the Church, to shun the Sacraments and to blaspheme God! - . , “What am I to write?” she asked dully, 4 resolutely closing her ears against her brother’s protest. Lebel pushed pen, ink and paper toward her, and she sat down ready to begin. “Write!” now came in a curt command o from the man at the window... And Lucile wrote at his dictation: ae Monsirur LE Marguis: ” f We are in grave trouble. My brother Etienne and I have been arrested on a charge of treason. This means the guillotine for us and for poor father, who can no longer speak. The two little ones are to be sent to one of those dreadful Houses of Cor- rection, where children are taught to deny God and to blaspheme. You alone can save us, M. le Marquis! 1 beg you on my knees to do it. The cilizen commissary here says that you have in . your possession certain papers which are of great value to the state and that, if I can persuade you to give these up, Etienne, father and I and the “— little ones will be left unmolested. Af. le M arguis, ‘tea you once said that you could never adequately r Tepay my poor father for all his devotion in your service. You can do it now, M. le Marquis, by | Saving us all, IT will be at the chateau a week from _s today. I entreat you, M. le Marguis, to come to meanest to bring the papers with you. Or, ain A i