TITE OMAHA DA I Lit BEE: SUNDAY, APKTL 12. 1003.
I.
FLOWER O' THE CORN,
By 3. It CROCKETT.
(Cepyrlgb, 1903. by B. B. Crockett)
CHAPTER XX.
The Mystery the Crystal.
Maurice stood for a tons minute, dated
and drunken with a great astonishment.
By hit own folly be had lost the only girl
he ever loved.
So at last he told himself, while Billy
Marahall continued to remind him that he
had told him 0, and the Camlsard sentinel
by the gate solemnly resumed hla beat, ai
If wsshlng hla handa of the whole matter.
tt wu a freilng night, and a light drift
of enow blowing, and the surface of the
Causses hard aa the nether millstone.
No tracks would II for a minute upon
auch a night, and they muat do the beat
they could with the senses Ood had given
them, which, aa Maurice thought, with
some reaaon, were. In hla caae at least, no
great -matter for boaeting.
And It waa on auch a night In a thin
black dress of aome aoft atult that Flower-o'-the-Corn
had fled out Into the darkneaa
of the bleakest though not the highest
Cauaae In France.
If It would have done Frances Wellwood
the least good Maurice Ralth would gladly
hare put a pistol to hla head there and
then and shot himself. But he knew that
the girl waa gone on hla account, and tt
waa hla duty to bring her back if possible.
A thought occurred to hire. At the time
It seemed like an Inspiration. Of course It
waa an Impossibility, a thing to be laughed
at, yet neverthelera somehow he could not
get It out of hla head.
Catlnat! Yea, Catlnat! Btranger things
had happened. There might be aomethlng
In hla aecond sight after all. He had heard
of It In Bcotland. At least It waa worth the
trying!'.'
"Let ua go and knock up Catlnat!" he
aid hoarsely.
To Hla aurprlse Billy caught eagerly at
hla suggestion.
"Ye hae matr aenae than I looklt for,"
he cried, "If ony body can Jalloae where
a craft lassie wull hae hidden hersel', lt'a
him! I hae heard tell that when waa a
youngster amang the laddie boya he waa
a gye yln! That waa afore he took up wl'
the phophetln' an' alo like! But Catlnat'a
the verra man for ye; that la If ye can
get haud o him. But he la roalr like to
ta ye through a word-for-word exposeMln'
' the Bulk o' 8olomon hla Sang, than to
help ye to get back you aln aweetheart!
Aye, a dlel alcht malr like!"
Nevertheless since the tblng waa worth
trying, to Catlnat they went. It waa, as
Billy had prognosticated, somewhat dif
ficult to get the prophet down to matter of
fact. '
The minister's daughter had run away
In a lit of fear, and that hysterical ner
vousness which comes so easily to woman.
Well, he had heard of auch like, but there
was no exact parallel for It In the scrip
tures that he knew of, 'unless It were in
the Song of Songs, which la Solomo-'s
"Dldna I tell ye?" whispered Billy, t.l
vmphantly over hla chief's shoulder.
,"But " he turned sharply upon the mil
itary chief of La Cavalerle, "answer mo
thla before I touch the matter with finger,
Heat anything of ataln upon your con
alienee aught that you would be more
loath to tell to the girls father than ro
"
"No, I swear it!' aald Maurice, lifting
VP hla hand aolemnly.
rSwear not at all!" aald Catlnat. catch
ing him by the wrist and putting hla hand
down again. "What Is a man but his naked
word. If I had not believed In your word
would I have permitted theae poor aheep
to obey you for ao much aa an Instant?"
And. havinc come to a standstill. Maurice
Ralth, who was all on Ore within, demanded
of the prophet it he could tell where at
the moment the girl waa.
Catlnat looked at Maarlce and shook hla
head. Then he glanced at Billy Marahall
and asked, "la he Innocent simple like
his look and speech? Or la he even as
other men, come up from beneath the
grinding wheels?"
"He la even aa other men!" aald Maurice,
wondertngly.
"Then he will not do for me any mora
than you," he answered. "I have not the
aecond tight myself (ha went on to ex
plain), aa It ta aald that your Scots moun
talnarda have. But only the power of mak
ing others see though, I own not aa Cav
K.lfc .... ... -i,- . ,.
hhwu aiv uiBsts est kuuusauu luvu
and women aee and believe the thing he
Will. But abide you, I will bring one who
will see all your desire!"
Catlnat dwelt In a plain-faced little houae
with one gable to the main road, mean and
poor, with pig-runs below, and ao betaking
himself to the door, ha went across the
court and returned shortly with a half
grown lad, his eyea starting from hla head,
his hair a mere hayatack, his lower lip
dropped Into the shape of a V, alack and
penduloua, yet always mora or less on the
quiver like jelly turned from a shape. He
appeared to be about 17 or 18, knock-kneed
and needing weekly additlona to his small
clothes. Of hla simplicity there could be
no question. Indeed, Catlnat explained the
matter of hla want In his own presence In
plain phraaes.
, "This Is one Antotne Oliver a mere
Idiot, an Innocent, almost a cretin, but
left here of the Spanish gypsies, therefore
not to be trusted along with sliver or gold!
Otherwise he hath not the sense to con
duct himself reasonably Antolne turn
round!"
The oaf turnsd himself unwillingly about
like one who is about to be whipped In
the presence of his school-fellows. A patch
of viscous orange appeared vividly im
pressed on the boardeat part of his small
clothea.
"There!" cried Catlnat. "what did I tell
you? Oo fetch the rod, Antolne tba rod
vi many Dircnea wnicn eiands Denina the
henhouse door. You have been at It again.
Oeallenten. thla boy at certain hours of the
- day or night by a certain acceaa of folly
; takes himself for a breeding fowl, and will
alt en aa many as two doxen egg at once
yes. now when they are at their dearest,
and a hennery Is next to a gold mine. For
this he hath oft been punished by me and
hall be again."
The great oaf bursts out Into a loud
boo-boo of lament.
"Indeed, air." he pleaded, "they were
not your eggs this time; yours are much
richer In yolk! Look you they are those
of old Kllas at the gatehouse, whom I
desired to punish for her drunkenness!"
"The point Is well taken," aald Catlnat.
"hut I will only eonaent to overtook the
fault If ao be that you will look in the
crystal for me!"
The youth gavs a yet louder cry and
promptly began to untruaa.
"I would rather have the birch," he
aid, "the Mi-cH amarta and Is done with,
but after tha crystal halt Antoloe la not
Lis own man for aa many as three days)
"He probably hath bit on the truth
there! whispered the prophet.
"But, Antolne," aald Catlnat aloud, in
' a soothing voice, aee this man. He la the
commander of the aoldlsrs here, and can
keep them from taking you away to serve
In tha trenches. Also, I will let you off
tram e whole week of attendance at early
service la the church! Also"
He displayed a silver coin auggestlvely
la tha lamplight.
"I will do It I wUl do tt!" cried the
lad; "give me the crystal, and I will apeak
the thing I see. But first tell men what It
Is I am to look for, and where."
"Look along the face of the Csussea to
the north," said Catlnat, calmly, laying hla
hand on the boy's rough hair. He passed
his long, sensitive fingers this way and
that over tt, and lo! an erect and bristling
crest followed the direction of his hand,
even when the fingers did not touch the
actual hair.
"I aee them," aald the boy, his eyes on
the globe of solid cryatal long burled In
the deeps of the gouffre of Fadlrac, water
worn and rounded, and now polished with
rouge and the friction of the palm of the
hand, the two polishers in the world.
"They are white and gray, and O, so
cold!" he ssld, shuddering.
"Look closer still, good Antolne," com
manded Catlnat, "you see no person no
living creature?"
"I see two men no, a woman and man,"
said the boy dropping Into an even pained
voice as a pair might take .the time of a
dance that is nearly over, "they're talking
together eagerly. She has much to tell
him. He holds her under his croak holds
her closely thus!"
Again Maurice waa making for the door,
but Catlnat checked htm with a look and
a shske of the bead.
"He ts a cretin," he said, "do not expect
too much. Ye shall get at the truth pres
ently if we do not hurry him!"
"There I have loet them the man waa
In a soldier's uniform. I tell you," crted
the boy, "like the men who came, last year
and tried to kill us all when poor Antonle
hid so long In the cow-shed! But they
have gone out of sight. I can see them no
more. Let me go!"
At this moment the touch of Catlnat
must have tightened either In actual grip
or in electric tension on the back of the
boy's neck, for he squeaked like a mouse.
"I will look I will speak true. I will
look all the way from the Millau road even
to the resevotr on Nant!"
"Look, then, boy and carefully!"
said Catlnat, and his voice even to .the
eager Maurice sounded wrapt and far
away. The boy continued to gaze, hla eyes
growing fixed and luminous as they con
centrated themselves on the crystal globe,
"Ah, now at last I see her," he aald,
wearily, as Indeed he did everything. "She
ts atone In a black dress, running sometimes
and sometimes standing and holding her
hand to her breast ."
Maurice grasped, but Catlnat remained
calm with his hand on the boy's neck.
"Yes good boy, Antolne, you speak truth
this time. It will not last long. You see
one girl alone, you say her hand on her
breaat no French officer with her."
"But I saw these others, too yes, I saw
them, even If you birch me for it I saw
them!"
"Go on!" said Satlnat, sternly, "we have
no time to watt all night on you!" The
boy continued between suppressed sobs of
dismay and pain.
"I see only the white waist I cannot
see the girl either the one with the hand
to her breast, who watted and looked
aronnd or tha other!"
I 'There waa .no other" said Catlnat,
firmly.
"Very well, then," Mid the boy, wincing
away, "she was not there, but I thought
It Tell me what I am to think, and I will
think It. Are you not my master?"
"No," said Catlnat, severely, "tell me
what you see and that exactly. Look
further afield. You have seen her once.
You have seen In what direction she was
moving. Look again or"
"Oh. I will I will (again with the mouse
like squeak). I see her now plainly I see
her. She Is within the Rochers above the
Dourbte, near where the St. Veran cradle
is set up. She Is sitting on a rock and
looking at a star. She is rubbing her hands.
I think she Is very cold."
"Has ahe a cloak about her?" said
Maurice, anxiously.
The natural turned his head uncertainly,
as If Inquiring from hla master whether
he waa required to answer extraneous and
possibly discomposing questions, but be
fore he had time to reply, Billy Marshall
came In with Maurice' cloak about hts
arm.
"Where did yon get that?" cried his
master.
"She" said Billy, with a strong and
contemtuous accent on the pronoun, "left
tt lying on the ground that ahe might run
frae ye the taster! Did I no tell ye that I
was rlcht? A wee bit knap wl' tha block
thorn. But ye wadna tak pulr Billy's
advice. Na, he kenned nocht a boot weemen,
an' sae It's come to this!"
"Well," said hla master, sternly, "take
the cloak' and what arms are needful and
follow wtth me to the place where tha
wagons were captured"
"Alrms," saya ha, "alrms an' a cloak,
quo' Billy Marshall! What do ye tak' Billy
Marshall for? D'ye think that he would
gang twenty years ower the door In slccan
an unhamely place without bringing a' tha
atrma that are committed to him keeplt as
they ahould be keeplt and wl' the pootber
an' ball for Ilka yln a' In pooches by their
a'.nsels?"
And at the word the rpsy undid his belt
and showed a perfect armament of pistols
and short swords, or hangers, as they were
then called.
"Bet's oot there wl' the muckle guns and
the braidswords," he added.
How do you know that?" demanded
Maurice quickly.
Billy looked at him shrewdly, yet a trifle
sadly, as one who had failed to profit by
the opportunities of acquiring good Infor
mation when theae were tendered to htm.
"Ueo do I ken? Well. I Just ken, that's
a'! And ye shall prove my words for your
eel', Malater Maurice (I canna aye be mind
mindln' your Ither name), knapplt her U
Urns, the wad has been lying prood and
snag ayont ye at this meenlt. Instead e
treestn' to dath oot on the wild hills!'
"Hold your accursed tongue, will you?"
crted Maurice, Infuriated. "Come and help
ua to look."
"Dreaa yourself properly then," answered
Btlty, "an' do your cloak span you. The
habit you wear ts frosen stiff and Is only
tumman thick at ony rate!"
A dtsh of cold water was standing on a
little drlpptng board, at which some former
married tenant of Catlnat'a houae had
washed dlahee, Catlnat seised this and
dashed the eontenta fair In the face of the
seer. The wooly-headed boy came to him
self wtth a start and would have dropped
the crystal had not the prophet snatched It
oat of his lax and feeble hands and re
stored It to a bag of faded black velvet,
through the nncloeed seams et which U
peeped with Jewellike brilliancy of sugges
tion. CHAPTER XXL
When Flo wrr-o' -Corn Bed eat apon tie
waste ahe had no Idea ears te pot as much
distance as poaslbls between hereetf and
those who had (ta her opinion) wronged
her.
Maurice she held tfocblr guilty. Tor
though ha was try no means hex lorer, ahe
hsd expected other things from him. And
now she had found him well, she eould
not picture to herself how she had found
hlra for the pain In lier heart. Besldoa,
had he not crowned his Iniquity by carry
ing her off literally. 8he had been held In
hla arms at the very moment when she 1
came to herself. And as for Yvette Foy
how could any girl be so false, so wicked?
O, were there no true folk at all In the
world, women or men? Except her father,
that la? She did not doubt him ever.
She elapsed her handa upon each other
aa Antotne had seen her In the crystal
stone, and they were as cold as Ice. Then
there came upon Flower-o'-the-Corn a wild,
unreasoning fear the terror of pursuit.
She seemed to be followed by a pack of
hounds as In the gray fearful dream-
sleeps of the Changeater. She could hear
their yelping chorus, now the higher and
now the lower as they one or the other
took up the leadership.
She turned abruptly and ran on. Per
haps It waa well she did ao. At least, the
action kept her from freezing to death.
8he continued till the breath waa almost
out of her body. Before her, under the
pulsing green glow of the Aurora the
toothed edges of the volcanic crater stood
up. She paused, less because she waa out
of breath than because she seemed to have
some dim sort of previous knowledge of the
place, to which, all unwittingly, her feet,
had carried her.
Once again she heard a crying as of
wolves across the waste, the long-drawn
howling aa of many dogs In pain, which
(once heard) is never forgotten. Anything
less like the "giving tongue" of a pack
cannot well be imagined.
But to Frances Wellwood, who had that
night supped so full of terrors, this brought
no new anxiety, though the sound would
have sent every Caussenard for shelter to
the nearest house, even it It had been that
of hla worat enemy.
But Flower-o'-the-Corn stood there, only
conscious of the deadly Insult and shame
that had been put upon her. The bitter
upland night, the frost-tingling stars, the
howl of the wolf pack these were as
nothing.
Thus she was standing growing slowly
chill and chiller, when all at once she was
startled by the sound of uproarious mirth
about her.
A sudden flashing of lanterns, a sudden
explosion of laughter, neither very wise
nor very kindly, brought the girl to herself.
Rough handa seised her. She cried out,
and the first words she spoke were a con
fession of weakness.
"Maurice Murlco!" she said. Involun
tarily. And then at the mere Bound of her
voice fche started to recall the gay bright
ness of the Brabnnt corn and herself stand
ing elbow deep In It, wtth the young soldlet
blushing beneath her, his hands parting
the yellow broom.
"A pretty maid, eh, Joseph? By my
faith, yes," cried one rough-looking soldier
with a great bandoliers across his breast.
"Tell mo that you do not believe in the
grotto of the fairies after this. Why, we
could not be better off If we were farmers
general. The Marechal himself, with his
Madame la Marchale, will sleep no more
comfortable than we! Besides which, we
will not give the wench marching leave
quite so often."
"Nay, old scrubby goat!" cried another.
"See, the little tblng is a-cold! Do you
not understand, you are a brute to stand
there, cloaked to the gray mustache and
never offer her an inch of shelter. She
shall come, not an Inch to you, but to tha
kindest of the company. Here my pretty
one. Is a good hlaf of a soldier's cloak to
be comfortable In, . Aye. maney a pretty
laaa, many a dainty,' hath snuggled down
there, and liked very well that same old
Bradenburg redlngote! Come, my pretty!
So!"'; - ".
"I tell you, no," cried another, holding
up hia lantern - to Flower'-o'-the-Corn's
pretty frightened face (for now she had
fallen among the wolves. Indeed). ' Neither
one of you has the least claim. E'en let
the maid choose for herself. I outrank
you both, for the matter of that, for I carry
the colors! You have nothing but great
old gray mustaches, an odor of rum and
much talk of what you have done in your,
youth.
. "As If that had any weight with a young
thing fit to be the granddaughter of any of
you! For shame to fright a child ao with
your rough talk! Come hither to me, my
dear, and you and I will talk apart. I
promise you none of them shall harm you.
And you shall have no troublesome ques
tions to answer, either such as 'How came
you at night out upon the wild Causses
near a Camlsard haunt of rebels and trait
ors? I can save you from all that. Why
else should I be trusted with the banner
by my officer but that it should cover a
bosom as Innocent as thine."
"Stand out of the way. Victor Cayet,"
cried still another abruptly, shouldering
the speaker, bis lantern and bis folded
banner out of the way. "I tell you here
cornea la Marechalo herself! And it is aa
much as our heads are worth to have any
rough Jesting In her presence."
"Tut! Aa to that she Is but the Mare-
ehale of the campaign, I warrant you a
Camlsard marechale think you our noble
de Montrevel would saddle himself?"
"Hush, lads, here she comes!"
t a e ,
"Wretches, assaaslns, I will have all of
you hanged by the provost marshal," cried
Si
a richly-dressed lady, riding upon a white
horse with a liberal use of whip and spur.
"Ah, dear lady," crted one. In a humble,
whining tone, 'that Is by no means how you
would treat poor sons of the church. Do
we not know your ladyship, every 'one?"
"Aye, verily," cried the lsdy, "and ao
well does the lady know you that she could
wager the test Loula-d'or In her pouch
that you talked very differently five min
uses ago to the poor girl there whom you
hold your prisoner. Stand away I would
speak to her!"
"Your ladyahlp will allow that she Is
our prisoner-of-war, and stands at her
peril amongst us till a sum Is paid In ran
som to us poor men!"
"I will see that the money la paid! I
know you. Joseph, and also that the
Marechal hath never gotten any good of
you or the like of you!"
"Indeed, my lady I speak not for myself,"
said the man, 'but as Comely here, the
standard carrier well remarks, "what Is
the wench doing so near to a noted rebel
alone and on foot?"
"If tt comes to that what am I doing?"
said the other boldly Have you anything
to reflect upon me?"
The men pushed each other with the el
bowand at last Cornely spoke up. His
first act was to disavow Joseph.
"This man Joseph hath done nothing but
speak to our hurt," he began. "Inquire of
the girl herself, I pray you. Have we done
her any harm? Or have I, who hath chiefly
spoken with her, offered anything but
ktndneea? She will remember me, because
I held my lantern close to my face so that
she might know me again."
"Oh have done with the eternity of your
clack!" cried the lady, who had dis
mounted by this time, "while you talk the
girl will freeze to death. It Is a cold night
to die In, even with your chances of the
everlasting benflre! Here, Cornely, since
you are so prodigal with your favors, lend
me your cloak. I know you have another
at Millau. I know, for I have seen you
swaggering with It a Sundays!"
Your ladyship haa been pleased to re
mark me In it a blue cloth made very
long, lined with crimson silk?"
"Remarked you yes who would not?"
cried the lady ,"aye, and apoken of It to
the marshal, too"
"Your ladyship Is too kind," said Cornely.
"I would had It here that I might spread
tt at your most honored feet "
"The other will do If it be (as tt looks)
but a horse blanket turned Inside out. Any
thing to wrsp the shivering girl In out of
the. chill airs of these Causses! And now
leave us. I would speak to her awhile.
There Is no fear!"
"Have we your lady's word for the ran
som?" put In Joseph, who was still spite
ful at his discomfiture.
"Word, what need you of words?" flashed
Madam la Marchale, fully as brusquely.
' Oo, take your arms and retire behind the
rocks for a quarter of an hour. We are
not birds of the air that we can fly. Take
your poats all about us, tt you will. I will
give no word. Who am I that I should give
words at this time o' the day to such cattle
as' you?"
The men, especially those of Joseph's
faction, withdrew, grumbling, but not dar
lng to disobey the marechal's lady.
"At all events I shall make sure of her
beast, and the other bath none," said Jo
sep, shrewdly, leading it away and leaving
the Lady Marechale in her riding habit
and furs to speak with the shivering girl,
who was by this time wrapped in Cornely's
cloak. That ornament of the king's Irregu
lar forces waa now eagerly watching from
behind a Jagged tooth of limestone what
should be the fate of his second best cloak.
For, aa he put it to all honest and fair-
minded men, it was manifestly impossible
to take such a thing of beauty as the blue
clothed,, scarlet-llnad promenade cloak on
such mad midnight rides as thetr leaders
had been taking them of late Into the midst
of the wild Camlsard hills.
"Father stand farther back, else I will
post you for a aet of eavesdroppers and
thieves and"
But whatever else tha spirited lady had
to say was drowned In the noise of the sim
ultaneous withdrawal caused by her words.
Madame la Marechale quickly threw aside
the great fur-lined hood which had hidden
her face. She undid a cloak (of which, hav
ing been on horseback, ahe appeared to
wear an infinite number) and threw it about
Frances. Then she caught her impulsively
and affectionately about the neck and burst
Into tenrs.
"O, what muat you think of me,"' ahe
cried; "you, who are ever distant and
cold, do not know what poor women have
to bear for the men they love aye, how
they must even, for policy, appear to be
kind to others whom they loathe and dis
cs teem. Forgive me, dcareat Frances. I
have come out hither to save you from
these bad men!"
And lo! Before her stood, mysteriously
clear ss the green aurora could maks hor
Yvette Foy!
And Flower-o'-the-Corn, standing In a
mist of amatement, prersed both her hands
to her head saying, "O, Qod, Ood I am
going out of my mind. Let me die quickly!"
"Tut nonsense! Nothing of the sort,"
said Yvette, who was always practical
minded in all circumstances. ''Now listen
to me! Forget wbat you have seen, or
believe that I did tt wholly for your good!"
"That I can never do,", said Frances,
Adulterated
I. hAitlthv.
the hands
its original purity. Dos Rios Coffee is grown uy
the Mexican Gulf Agricultural Co. on their own
plantations, roasted by them and put up in her
metically sealed air-tight canisters before it
leaves their hands, and as they are the sole
distributors to the retail trade, it actually goes from
TW tr wntir Tbl. euaranteeing it from adulter.
ation. The delightful aroma, delicious flavor, healthful
and uniform strength of Dos Rios Coffee has won for it a
the homes of discriminating coffee drinhers. At leading
speaking more frigidly than the cold that
was stiffening her even through her wrap
pings of fur and horse blankets.
Yvette kept her arms tightly about the
girl In spite of the fact that her friend
remained as unresponsive as a doll carved
out of wood.
"But I think I can show you cause why
you should think less 111 of me," she said
gently, like one who suffers long wrongs
he cannot help. "But I trust you with
the secret my life Is In it, and the lives
of far more and far worthier than I! Yet
I trust you, I, poor Yvette, have also a
right to be called Madam la Marechale de
Montrevel, even aa you heard them call me
Just now!"
"It Is only one more of your deceits
there Is no end of them. I hsve good
reason to know that!" retorted Frances, not
yielding the least from her stiffened atti
tude of disdain.
"Nay, but not this time," pleaded
Yvette. "It haa been necessary, I allow.
I know you have good reason to distrust
me. But that has been the fault of cir
cumstances rather than any lack of keep
ing faith. I am do not forget It! the
wife of the marshal commanding the French
troops In these mountains. You, who have
such high Meals of duty and affection,
tell me what is better or else higher than
that a wife should strive In all ways to
serve the interests of her husband. And
Have I not done so? Was I not ordered
to And out the secrets of the foolish young
officer of Marlborough? And It you had not
Interrupted us would I not have turned him
Inside out like an empty sack aye, this
very night, and the dispatch would have
gone to my husband In the morning? It
was for this that these cadets of the cross
who are now watching us (for they guard
you as a valuable prisoner of war) are out
of the face of the Causses to support the
regular soldiers that I might carry to de
Montrevel what I know In person that I
am here. Do yon not see? Wherefore else
should i girl like me remain alone In a
peliy village, listening to psalms chanted
bight and morn like the howling of dogs
with their noses pointed at the moon, and
prophets pbophesylng like old space-wives
afraid of the last Judgment. What but
my wifely duty would have kept me there?"
Flower-o'-the-Corn was looking at her
with great wide open eyes. Blue eyes open
wider and show more surprise than any
others.
"But he was kissing you," she objected,
"and and you were letting him!"
"You dear little simpleton!" laughed
Yvette, "why that Is nothing! I will tell
De Montrevel tonight and he will laugh
heartily himself. It Is only part of the
rules of the game"
"Then I do not think it at all a nice
game," aald Flower-o'-the Corn. "If you
did not really love htm, of course, that
might make a difference!"
"Of course you think so, dear innocent,"
said Yvette, gaily, "but women of the
world have other standards. And now
well, we have wasted time enough on this
matter. It ta folly anyway. All kissing is
unless you get something by It! The main
thing Is that you are a prisoner of war, and
that your father will have to pay 3,000 or
4.000 for his daughter's liberation or "
"Or wbat?" cried Frances wtth her blue
eyes yet wider open. "My poor old father
never had 1.000 pence to bless himself with
what Is the other alternative? "
"Well," said Yvette slowly, "you are
a young girl and I am a married woman,
but to be honest with you I cannot put the
alternative into words. Unless you have
heard In the village of La Cavalerle wbat
(PKONOIJPSED
Coffee is harmful. Pure and unadulterated
Moat Coffee is adulterated because it passes
of many dealers, seldom reaching the consumer in
A ww nooaxn or cmoicjk
mumi
That backache
I 1UI UIV.1 11 O UUIIlJV.IUUj
a Kidneys are out of order-Backache
is their cry for help
Serious trouble is sure to follow if you don't heed
the warning Diabstes, Urinwry Trouble, Bright's
Disease they're all the natural outcome of neg
lected backache
But there's a way to stop it
Doan's Kidney Pills
make the sick kidneys well cure the backache by removing the
cause there's proof of it right here in Omaha plenty of proof
the word of Omaha people proof that you can't possibly doubt
Read this testimony
Mr. Wm. Sage, bricklayer, of 4211 Burdette street, says: "Always after a hard day's
work or when I caught a cold, which settled In my loins, backache became very se
vere. Doan'a Kidney Pills, procured at Kuhn A Co's drug store, corner 15th and
Douglas streets, gave me such prompt relief and up to date have prevented attacks,
that I have no hesitation in recommending them to anyone suffering from elthar
over-excited or weakened kidneys."
Doan's Kidney Pills are for "-ale at nil Drug Stores.
00 cents a box. Foster-flilburn Co., Buffalo.
these cadets of the Cross are In the habit
of doing to Protestant maidens who fall In
their way, I cannot bring myself to tell
you!"
"I have heard!" ssld Frances, slowly,
the blood rushing to her cheeks and then
slowly fading away.
"Well," 'said Yvette, taking her ad
vantage, "these men will do all you have
heard and worse things Inconceivable
not to be once spoken of. Cadets fof the
Cross tonight on a foray and tomorrow In
the slums of a town or In some beggar's
den. Otherwise they should not have dared
to speak to me as they did otherwise they
would not now be waiting about us like
greedy wolves sround the Innocent Iambi"
"And what shall I do? Tell me what
I must do!" moaned Frances, her head
still on her hands. "I have pistols. Shall
I kill myself? Or ortf we watt long
enough ?"
She did not finish her sentence.
"If we wait long enough, what the?"
said Yvette suddenly grown Icy In her
turn.
"Well, he he might come to seek me."
Yvette Foy moved further from her vic
tim. "I thought better of you than that!"
she said severely. "My excuse that I did
that which I did at the bidding or my
husband does not apply to him. That
which he did he did to deceive you be
hind your back out of the prompting of his
own evil heart. That is, It he ever had any
love for you, which he denied. Beside It
does not matter. It will not do for us to
be found here together. If your friend
were to arrive now there would be a tight.
Do you think that those wolves out yonder
would give up their prey without a try for
It? No, surely! Well, they might win, or
he might win. But neither would aerve my
purpose. I mean when my work is done
down below to go back to La Cavalerle. I
mean to be nothing more than Yvette Foy,
the tnkeeper's daughter, till this neat of
rebels against the king's authority Is
rooted out. Why need I conceal tt? I wish
to bs hack again when Jran Cavalier Is
there. And what Is more, I want the
ground clear. You have been In my way.
Yes, in ray way! And yet I love you, as
I shall presently prove. I might have got
ten all I wish from both from this young
aide of my Lord Marlborough's and their
precious General Cavalier long ago had It
not been for you."
She paused to let her words sink in.
"Welt, here is a way to be rid of me
once and for all!" cried Flower-o'-the-Corn
fiercely and suddenly. She pulled a pistol
from her pocket and cocked It. Yvette
snatched it away.
"It would serve me little to have the
guilt of Innocent blood on my conscience,"
she said. "You forget I am a Catholic
and must go to confession! No, no I have
thought of a way. We will cheat them all
yet!"
(To be Continued.)
New Stamps Are imperfect.
The new two-cent postage stamp re
cently Issued bas been called In, aa an Im
perfection bas been discovered in It. Ton
are also making a mistake in experiment
ing with different remedies to cure you of
Sick headache, sour stomach, heartburn.
Indigestion, dyspspsla, la grippe or malaria.
Hostetter's Stomach Blttera la the only
sure cure tor these ailments, having been
used successfully for half a century. We
urge you to try it. It will cure even aftor
other remedies have failed.
DOS DEE -OS)
uscircs i kach cam.
- isuBsawKJsuLS x ret iue
mustn't go any
The) Only Double
Track Railway
between the
Missouri River
and Chicago.
5 DAILY TRAINS .
OMAHA TO
8.10 pm THE OVERLAND LIMITED
Macattlcwnt Mild dallr rala to OHIaaeo. Oomwrt
to.nt mnA Armmi i.rrMitn iImuIbi Hit ItbrSTT. buflw-
barbar, bath, tlphoa-. dlnln out and obaarrallor
oar. Elaotria ItahMd thraaahoat. J
8.00 am THE ATLANTIC EXPRESS
Pullman druwinff-rooTO and tmtrut alaeplnf oar tod
dintnc oara, and tr raollulna chair car.
5.50 PM THE EASTERN EXPRESS
Pullman drawiag room and ton He aiaapttic earn,
fraa raollnlnc ohair oara, buff el library aau eateuu
cars, lllainc oara.
2 OTHER DAILY TRAINS
3i.fi in prawinft-rooin alaapla oara. troffat amok
ult 111 ina and library oara and fraa roiiuiiia
cbatr oara to Chloaco. Dlalo eara.
A rr m Through aarrtoo Omaha to Ohtcavo,
IU.tj3 AM Korth-Wtiitrn ataadard day ooaoLaa
ana iraa aaaxr otvra. mmn
O DAILY TRAINS
ST. PAUL-MINNEAPOLIS
7 35 am oMbT't'oa Uif cu' fiot cu nd
7C C PU Pnllnaa alaaplns eara. hnffot llbrarr
jJ IIS) ean and fraa iwiUntBsehairoata.
BLACK HILLS
3 flfl PU TePramnnt,arlhBar.Oakda1a. Korfnlk,
,UU M Long PIdo, OaniMr, Hot Hurtom, lad.
wood and ImA. Through raoliolns ehalr earn Pull
man aivapiug oar aamoa.
7.30
ly To Framont, Bortbnar, Norfolk, Vordl
Km a-ra, Bonaalaal and tba Boaabad Indian
Baaarratloa ouatrr
CITY TICKET OFFICE,
1401 and 1403 Farnam Street.
QUAKER
AID
RYE
A BEVERAGE FIT
FOR THE 60DS ;
Its absoluta purity, i
K delicious flavor and
delightful boqutt. Its
mellowness and age,
make It the most per. (
feet Whiskey known. J
For sale at the leading 1
'i bars, caftt and drug
stores.
Wholesala Liquor Dealers,
KANSAS CITY, MO,
TWENTIETH CENTURY FARMER
Best Agricultural Weekly.-
Coffee
through
.ar-;-.taeaaai
effects
place in
grocers.
osccsoc
Si
D j