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AHTTO
Captain Stanley who had returned
4o the ballroom wended his way
amongU the dancers his progress im
peded by some fair lady who greeted
him graciously often eagerly and
forced him to pause for an interchange
t of vapid nothings He then visited
all the apartments open to guests
until he was convinced that the count
had kept his daughter at home for
better protection against further inter
course with the handsome suitor he
had rejected so sornfully that same
afternoon
But English love like other love
laughs at the barriers a stubborn par
ent may seek to interpose and Count
de Cazeneaus decision was not calcu
lated to discourage so strong willed a
man as Captain Edward Stanley
He had acceded to his sweethearts
wishes by going in proper form to
her father and the matter having
culminated as the lovers had feared
nothing was left hut an elopement for
which in view of the counts probable
refusal all the plans had been ar
ranged
It was shortly after midnight wlum
a tall man enveloped in a long cloak
and followed closely by a stalwart
negro who bore a sizable bundle upon
his shoulders looked toward the bril
liantly lighted windows of- Count de
Cazeneaus house whose inmates were
evidently celebrating after the cus
tomary fashion the New Years ad
vent He paused a moment in front
of the rambling low built dwelling
and then passed on muttering words
which were scarcely a benediction
upon Its owner
After a walk of some twenty min
ute the man and his silent follower
climbed the low wall that bounded the
counts domain and with the night
wind rustling the denuded cotton
stalks about them struck off across
the broad fields until they reached
W
by ImIary Bevereux
WITH ILLUSTRATIONS 3V DOM C WILSON
tfTy Pea by ltfe grotm ortGyrpaoy
CHAPTER VIII
officers service and this was of great
er importance than the presence of
Zeney herself
A rustling made Captain Stanley
turn quickly and a new light came to
his face as his eyes fell upon a shroud
ed girlish figure standing in the door
way with a taller womans form be
hind her
Down upon the river hidden away
under the overhanging bank amid the
sedges and other water growth was a
commodious boat that had been
stored with all things needful for the
flight The elopers and their servants
were soon aboard and only the stars
saw the craft pulled cautiously up
stream by the strong arms of Tate
the faithful slave with the maid
Barbe on the seat behind -him while
in its farthest end were the two who
for loves sake had cast aside all for
mer life and broken all tics
For Roselle these were the ties of
Stanley those of honor for he had
filial love and duty and for Captain
deserted his command and was flying
to the wilderness farther north to
for the time at least hide with his
new found dream amongst the friend
ly Choctaw Indians where he could
count upon reasonable security trom
pursuit
And the woman trusting him im
plicitly faced an unknown world
faced it fearlessly and undoubtingly
seeing naught but the dawn of a per
fect and fulfilled love that yielded to
this man its uttermost depths of pas
sion
As for him the loved one this was
by no means his first experience or
the sort but he was honest at least
in believing himself to be in earnest
And so he held her close as they
sat side by side his cloak about them
both and her head pillowed over his
heart while the slaves oars pulled
the boat swiftly their rhythmic dip
or the occasional cry of a loon being
He held her close as they sat side by side
the edge of some woods that rose a
dark boundary line at one side of the
lonely plantation
Here they paused and looked to
where quite a distance away the
flames of two huge bonfires showed
many fantastic figures those of the
slae3 who were like irresponsible
children celebrating after the manner
of their race the brief respite from
labor accorded tnem by their exact
ing master
The baying of a hound from the
slave quarters was heard faint but
clear and the suggestive notes appear
ed to bring disquiet to the mans dus
ky follower for he began to niove rest
lessly and glance about with manifest
apprehension while he drew closer to
his master who now wheeling about
pushed on into the wood
He went forward with a confidence
showing that he was on not unfamiliar
ground and a few steps brought the
two to a small clearing where the
semi darkness was made a little more
cheerful by a flickering of red light
coming through the chinks of the
closed door as well as from the un
curtained window of a small cabin
A fire lit the interior which was
deserted save for a small raggedly
clad urchin of ten whose black arms
and legs seemed to have outgrown
their scanty clothing
Where is Zeney inquired the of
ficer after glancing about the cabin
The boy stared with fright at his
questioner looming so far above him
in the firelight which struck gleam
Ings from the breast of the uniform
where a slight parting of the cloak
folds revealed scarlet rnd gold
Are you deaf you black monkey
Where is Zeney I say Captain Stan
ley repeated impatiently
Granny Shes done gone t keep
New Yars stammered the little
negro rising cautiously to his naked
feet and backing away from the of
ficers stern eyes
The later now understood how Ze
ney having although reluctantly
given through the late afternoon such
aid as was in her power to the carry
ing out of her young mistress plans
for an elopement had then betaken
herself to the bonfires where appear
ing to join in the festivities of her
fellow slaves she would bo less likely
to fall under her masters suspicions
when his daughters flight should be
discoverpd Brt her chin was at the j
the only sounds besides the rippling
water to break the silence
On New Years day Laro left New
Orleans for France and when seven
months later he sailed away from
Toulon bound for the coast of Bar
bary with him were Jean and Pierre
Lafille
The purposes of this story require
but a general reference to Jean La
fittes life during the fifteen years
which ensued after he left the country
of his birth and linked his fortunes
into those of Laro
He was then a lad of fifteen And
until he arose above the consequences
his heedless youth had imposed upon
his better self his life was passed
ashore and afloat as best served the
immediate interests at stake at
times taken up by the cares and re
sponsibilities of ligitimate business at
times passed amid scenes of wildest
adventure and deadly peril He
while growing to manhood alternated
between the counting room and the
quarter deck associating now with
men of probity and position and
again with desperadoes and cut
throats
During this period Laro known in
New Orleans as Don Morales de Cas
tro was in connection with Count de
Cazeneau and other more or less
prominent men engaged in various
speculative schemes some of them be
ing within the law and others outside
of it The former included ventures
in trading mining and timber cutting
whlist among the latter were smug
gling and slave trading These opera
tions involved the ownership of many
vessels together with the employment
of many men and taken as a whole
they were very successful
Smuggling and slave trading had
always been within the line of Laros
occupations and they were matters
to which he gave his personal atten
tion making many voyages to and
from the French and African coasts
Then latterly in addition to his
other nefarious pursuits and under
cover of letters of marque issued by
ons or another of the newly formed
South American republics he preyed
lawlessly upon whatever commerce
came within lis reach
His own brigaiitiue the Black
Petrol was of remarkable
heavily armed ostensibly for Its own
protection and carried a cro7 con
taining outcasts from all nationp but
skilful sailors and bravo fighters If
they captured a ship flyjng th3 flag of
a hostile country the prize was ac
cording to circumstances taken Into
port for condemnation or desiroyedat
once But whatever might be the
nationality of a richly laden vessel en
countered by the Black Petrel the
colors It flew had but little effect In
deciding its fate or that of its crew
In all these various schemes Laflttc
was an interested party and In ear
lier years he had been an actual par
ticipant in prosecuting some of them
his ability and skill being such that
while still under twenty he became
Laros trusted lieutenant upon whom
devolved all duties to which the for
mer was unable or inadequate to glvo
his personal attention
The tall handsome lad of Langue
doc Paris and Toulon had developed
into a man possesing rare gifts of per
son and mind together with a store
of energy and resource which would
have won success in any avenue of
life Himself a stranger to personal
fear he was quick to recognize brav
ery in another and his chivalrous na
ture was never unresponsive to ap
peals from his less fortunate fellows
Such was Jean Lafitte at thirty and
such in brief had been his life during
this period one so filled with events
and adventures as to make his earlier
years and the actors in them more
or less dim according as they had
fixed themselves upon the receptive
element of his nature
Even Laro the bluff and picturesque
sailor who had exerted so strong an
influence upon the lad when they met
at Le Chien Heureux was hardly rec
ognizable in the crafty and unscrupu
lous adventurer with whom later
years had made him so familiar and
with whom he was now forced to be
in such close contact
As for Bonaparte he had become
Napoleon the monarch to whom
crowns were baubles and thrones
were playthings who had recast the
continent of Europe and opened a
new chapter in the history of France
Jean had received no word from him
after the letter delivered by the
hands of Pere Huot and grievous
had been the boys disappointment as
the months passed without bringing
any sign of remembrance from the
man who was the one greatest love
of his life
But his was a strong and healthful
nature buoyant and vibrant and as
the time went by the acute edge of
his grief had been worn away to be
succeeded by a feeling akin to apathy
Ho had been forsaken by him whom
he loved and accepting this as a
fact he had relinquuished every hope
of a future reunion
All this had its natural effect and
coupled as it was with a vague but
unchanging determination to follow
the career of adventure which had
been his boyish purpose in life the
personality of Bonaparte became less
and les real until all that remained
was a love which was in itself large
ly an abstraction
Margot was still a reality to him be
cause of her representing so much of
motherly care and by reason of her
ever manifested love of which he had
found much to remind him in the un
obtrusive loyalty and devotion of
Pierre
The latter was now the only tangi
ble tie connecting Jean Lafitte with
his boyhood big hearted brave Pierre
sluggish in thought but sound of
judgment and clear of purpose strong
of arm and mighty in action who now
as ever stood at the sid of his foster
brother He had some two years be
fore abandoned his sea faring life
and in partnership with Jean estab
lished a large smithy at New Orleans
where the firm of Lafitte Brothers had
become well and favorably known
through the work turned out by their
skilled slaves
To be continued
FAULT OF THE DIALECT
Colored Man Good Oarsman Though
He Couldnt RoV
While on a trip through the sparsely
settled districts of Georgia a North
erner hired a colored native to guide
him across country to his destination
Reaching the banks of a swift flowing
unbridged stream the Northern man
spotted a boat moored at the edge
and asked the negro if he could row
Ro boss No suh Ah kaint ro
nohow
Well how can I get across then
There isnt any bridge
Wy boss Ahll take yo acrost in
no time in that ere punt answered
the negro
But I thought you said vou couldnt
row
No suh Ah kaint ro answered
Sambo rolling his eyes in ludicrous
astonishment but Ah kin git yo
acrost de ribber all right suh
The Northerner with some trepida
tion and considerable curiosity
stepped into the boat and the negro
rowed him swiftly and surely over the
turbulent stream to the other side
proving himself an experienced oars
man
Why Sambo what did you mean
by lying to me asked the perplexed
traveler I thought you said you
couldnt row a boat
Sambo opened his mouth In a grin
so wide that he appeared to whisper
in his own ear as he replied Wy
bons Ah suah thought you meant ro
ro like a lion N T Tribune
Tame Hen Good Layer
One of the sights at the University
of Maine these days is Prof Gowells
pet hen The bird Is not admired be
cause of her looks but because of her
laying proclivities she being credited
with the authorship of exactly 251
otjgs during the past twelve months
The bird is of the Plymouth Rock
family and Prof Gowell Is now busy
tracing the Ins and outs of her blue
ilooded ancestry
Tiirr
LFrrra
w
JQOXJISaAlVA
BY MARY gEVEREUX
WITH LUSTRATIONS BY DOM C WILSON
C4M JPV fexnrxO
CHAPTER IX
It was late in a sultry almost breeze
less evening In September 1811 that
the ship Condor belonging to Laro
and his associates dropped anchor In
the harbor of Fort Royal Martinique
She had but a single passenger if
such he could bo termed for it was
Jean Lafitte returned recently from
a mission which will be referred to
mora particularly later on and who
had come from New Orleans for the
purpose of meeting Laro whom he ex
pected to find waiting at Fort Royal
His search proved unavailing al
though he ascertained that Laro had
been seen in the town and after vis
iting several of the places where he
was liable to be found Lafitte went
to an inn not far from the wharves
and ordered supper
Here he sat enjoying the coolness
while he sipped and smoked when
there came to his ears the sound of
a voice whose mellow resonance
thrilled him strangely sending his
thoughts whirling into the past
The air was yet vibrating with the
hearty tones as the speaker came
through the door and a lamp hanging
from the ceiling of the balcony
flashed its rays into the face of Gre
lolre
The recognition was not mutual
for Greloire after a careless glance
at the younger man crossed the bal
cony and seated himself near the rail
Lafitte was for the moment unde
cided as to what to do whether to
reveal his identity and risk hearing
whatever comments Greloire might
make upon a name and career which
already had become known in two
continents or to remain silent and
thus forego this unlooked for oppor
tunity for knowing something definite
in regard to the man who was still
dear to him he who was now Emper
or of France
by the enemies of France who thus
rendered me unfit for hard service
against them and I am now Monsieur
Felix Greloire attache of the emper
ors household s such I go upon
various missions and my business
hero relates to the settlement of some
matters connected with certain prop
erty belonging to her Majesty the
empress who as you know Is a native
of this fair island A fine place it is
both as to climate and people but
Louisiana is far more to my taste
Lafitte appeared to observe the- ir
relevancy of this last remark for
with a keen look at Greloire he said
Louisiana What do you know of
Louisiana
Much that is of New Orleans
for I was there several months in the
autumn of 180C
I was then absent from Louis
iana said the young man
So I learned when I made inqui
ries for you But I heard something
of you and still more in regard to
that Spanish rascal who took you
away from Toulon not long before I
went there to get you myself
What mean you by that Lafitte
demanded almost as if resenting an
affront
This mon ami was the slowly and
distinctly uttered reply That when
Gen Bonaparte late in October of
1795 sent me to Toulon in order to
bring you to him at Paris I found
that you and Pierre had already gone
with Laro bound for Louisiana
Who told you this inquired La
fitte
A dozen people Thiel amongst
them I went first to Pere Huots
house and there ascertained that the
good priest was dead I then visited
Le Chien Heureux and learned what
I have told you
Lafitte turned again from Greloire
and settled down into his chair and
the latter saw the quick rising and
MmRmmmt
Yow will deliver him a message frwn me
But all his indecision was soon rout
ed by the realization of what was rep
resented by the face and form so
close to him and come to life as it
were from the dead The living pres
ent seemed to animate the dead past
the reality of Greloire gave actual life
to the ideal Napoleon
Pardon monsieur he said bowing
slightly as Greloire looked up but I
think I had the pleasure of meeting
monsieur many years ago in France
Ah said Greloire as he turned to
the speaker May I ask when
Long ago in Languedoc and Tou
len replied Lafitte fixing his black
eyes upon Greloires face We met at
Le Chien Heureux in Toulon and the
last time I saw you was at the Con
vent of St Sulpice where you were
recovering from wounds in the final
assault upon the city
Mon Dieu exclaimed Greloire
What means all this monsieur Can
it be possible that you are Jean La
fitte Lafitte the pi
The word was cut short by a flash
from the young mans eyes as a sabe
stroke might lop off the hand raised
for a blow
The first is the name by which I
was known in Toulon and my friends
still use it The second is a title
given to me by my enemies and which
I do not recognize as appropriate
He spoke with stern composure and
with a dignity well becoming his tall
straight figure and refined face while
Greloire stared at him in silent aston
ishment
Which of the two monsieur do you
prefer to use Lafitte added now
taking a step backward but not re
moving his eyes from Greloire
To call you Jean as I did years
ago Greloire exclaimed impetuously
extending both hands which were wel
comed by the firm grip of the younger
mans sinewy fingers
Bien the latter said Let it be
so And you what shall I call you
marquis duke or marshal of France
Tell me of yourself and ol Napo
leon
The first will takf but a hort
time Greloire replied laughingly
for I am not a nobleman nor yet an
officer Indeed I left the army six
years ago on account of sundry at
tentions paid to my body nul limbs
falling of the young mans breast as
he folded his arms across it
Presently Jean without lifting his
eyes asked in a stubborn dogged
tone as though expecting an answer
he did not wish to hear Do you
mean to have me understand that he
Gen Bonaparte sent you to Toulon
after me
Most assuredly He as I have al
ready told you sent me in the autumn
of 95 He supposed you were still
under the charge of Pere Huot being
fitted for the career he our general
had planned for you one that would
keep you close to him and insure
your future
Lafitte had now recovered appar
ently at least from the effect wrought
upon him by Greloires surprising in
telligence
You will deliver him a message
from me
With pleasure
Give him my homage for his own
greatness and for the splendor he
has brought upon France Convey to
him all my hearts gratitude for his
kindness and protection when I was
a boy and for what he would have
tried to make me as a man Tell him
that I love him and will ever
love him and that no sacrifice he may
wish or accept will be too great for
me to make in his behalf Can you
remember this
Every word and I will repeat It
faithfully
Adieu then old comrade said
Jean grasping Greloires hand This
may be our last meeting but It will
not end our regard for each other
Indeed no nor our thoughts of
one another was the hearty response
accompanied by a tighter clasp of
Lafittes slender fingers and I trust
it may not be the last by many of
our meetings
Adieu old comrade
Adieu mon ami
One final hand clasp and Lafitte
turned away But after taking a few
steps he faced about and went back
to Greloire who stood as he had left
him
One thing more said Lafitte hes
itatingly one more question winch
you may answer or net as you
choose
I will answer whatever question
you may ajk docfosefl Orfltolre anfi
I will answer it upon my honor
Lafitte appeared irresolute as If
the question were of such grave Im
port that he dreaded an unfavorable
roply Then laying a hand on Gre
loires shoulder ho asked What said
he Bonaparte when you told him
that I had departed from Toul it
Nothing
You have told me all I wished to
konw and I thank you said Lafitte
again holding out a hand which Gre
loire clasped firmly
Adieu and bon voyage
Adieu and bonne fortune
With this they parted and Lafitte
returning directly to the wharf or
dered the boat3 crew to row him
back to the Condor
k
Jean had up to this moment con
sidered himself deeply aggrieved by
Bonapartes apparent neglect and
looking at the matter from the stand
point of youth his ardent impulsive
nature and his unstinted love for the
young officer his feelings were not
without warrant
But in the light of Greloires expla
nation the man of thirty could well
see how unreasonable and hasty had
been the boy of fifteen how unthink
ing and rash how utterly lacking in
a proper appreciation of Bonapartes
regard and of how the manifestations
of this was subject to conditions and
influences beyond the latters power
to always control
He thought of Margot and her
words returned to him when upon
that last evening of her life she had
said that Bonaparte was his good an
gel and Laro his evil one
Truly had her words been proven
for now he knew the former as he
was and would have been while the
passing year3 had either Increased or
made more apparent Laros coarseness
and cruelty
It was only to the boy Jean that he
had ever been otherwise but latterly
something of a change had taken
place in this respect toward the man
especially after he had refused to ac
quiesce in the adventurers cherished
scheme that he Jean Lafitte should
take as his wife Lazalie the formea
niece
But the young man had all Uirough
his wild life held within tho inner
most depths of his soul a sacred
shrine kept closed and pure where
never tho love for woman had en
tered Over its altar faded and in
distinct yet his life lingered the
teachings of his foster mother and
the remembrance of a sunny faced
blue eyed girl who had promised the
boy to pray that he might be that
which he had so woefully failed to be
or had even sought to attain
The past rolled in upon him like
a smothering flood until in a wild
tumult of despair he left his cabin
and went on deck Thero he heard
one of the watch whistling to him
self and presently the man broko
softly into the words of the air
Cest lamour lamour ramojr
Qui fait la monde a la roundel
The song brought to mind again the
blue eyed girls face and also that of
her daughter the little Island Rose
vhom late the previous May he had
piloted through the woods and down
the rivers from her dead mothers
home among the Choctaws
The long rough journey had given
him rare opportunities for sounding
the depths of the childish soul so
close to nature that it seemed to wor
ship the mothers God through nature
and nature through God
He was known as Captain Jean
a friend of her grandfather as Cap
tain Jean whom she found such a
charming companion and whom his
escort of white men and Indians re
spected and loved She trusted him
fully and their Intercourse was free
from restraint
Recalling her now while he paced
the deck with the troubled water of
his soul casting ashore such woeful
wreckage for his contemplation the
thought of her white purity her sil
very voice her childish confidence
brought to him a blessed peace
To be continued
A DROP IN VALUES
Changed Conditions Affected Worth
of Love Letters
Henry Clews the banker was tarr
ing about a stock that had dropped in
value
Great was its fall he said It
was pathetic It made me think of
an incident that happened the other
day in an express office
To this oflice a burly kind looking
young man came with package un
der his arm
I want to express this package
he said
The clerk as usual asked him
What Is the nature of the con
tents of the package
It Is said the simple minded
youth in a sad tone a bundle of let
ters from a young lady I am return
ing them to her
Their value said the clerk
The young man swallowed
I dont know what their value is
now he said huskily but a week ago
I thought they were worth about half
a million dollars
Ex Governors Family Aided
Andrew Carnegie has sent a check
for 5000 to the committee controlling
the fund which is to be used for th
support of tho late cx Gov Robert K
Pattisons widow This brings tL
fund up to 13437 Ex Gov Pnttwn
was the only man who ever rarrfe I
Pennsylvania twice for the governor
snip As he was a democrat ti
fact is all the mop renirljv Wh i
William Singeriy was wped m r
finarcially Pattison whoce trlcnd bi
was was wiped out also When io
did he left his family nctLiig tiui
mortgage on lis home
