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About Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922 | View Entire Issue (May 24, 1903)
Flower o the Corn A Romance of the Seventeenth Century Religious War (Copyright. MM. by 8. R. Crocket) CHAPTER XLJII. Klaa Me, Mr Hnsbaadr ITDlliPa It -mrmm (hat Ik Bnl.la PI had had enough of watching- the I mm ,1.l-h aha luiulf r.lmmA mstchlessly well. Bo without more thought than the mere resolution Yvette drew her hood over her head, assumed (as easily aa aha had donned the hood) an air of anxiety and haste, and descended Into the chamber of Maurice Ralth's imprisonment. She entered to find Maurice and Flower-o'-the (Torn with their positions unchanged. I'lower-o -the-Corn waa still In Maurice's anna, and he was mourning over her, kiss ing her passionately the while, a method of rerovery from temporary syncope, which, though Imlubltubly ancient. Is not in ac cordance wllh rr.otlorn medical treatment nur recommended by the faculty. At the entrance of Yvette, Maurice Raith turned upon her, hot with wrath and fury, holding Frances still closer In his arms, and looking as If he woilil have rent tha Intruder limb from limb. Yvette stood smiling In the doorway. "What Is the matter with my friend." aha aid. "with the dear Mademoiselle Well Wood?" "What is the matter with her?" he cried. Indignantly. "That Is not for you to ask. No stand off do not touch her! She is too pure for such hands as yours. Do not even look at her! Do not breathe upon her. I would rather see her dead than saved by your lie fairly hissed the words In his wrath, Yvette affected a kind of humorous ter ror. "Dense, Monsieur the Hngllshman, do not kill mo with your glance! jih, I remember the time, not so long ago either, when I knew young English soldier who thought quite otherwise of me. But at any rate. If I am not worthy to touch her, would It not be better if you yourself laid her down on a bench or on I he couch yonder, and poured a little cold water over her face and neck! She paused a moment to let her words ink In and then she added. "Or perhaps you would prefer (and In deed It would be much more proper) that the nance of Mademoiselle Wellwood, Colonel Jean Cavalier of the king's army, should be sent for to recover her." Eh laughed Impishly, and at that very moment Maurice felt Flower-o'-the-Corn move la his arms. Was It the name which stirred herT Had It reached through the glamour of falntneaa which still left her heart deathly sick within herT Btie stared about her wildly and when she saw Yvette she trembled from head to foot with something of the same approach to rigor without which John Cavalier never approached the wife of Nicholas de Baume. Yrette smiled at this evidence of her power. Maurice laid Kiower-o'-the-Corn down on Ala courh, hut she rose up, pat Maurice Itaith to the side with a movement at the hand snd confronted Yvette. "I have told him!" she said. "Well, and what does he sayf smiled Madame la Marechale; "glad to escape on . such easy terms, I should say! A soldier is a soldier all the world over!" It was hai-dly playing the game. Yvette knew that very well, but the sight of Frances Wellwood In the arms of Maurice had aroused In her all the baser angers of her nature. "You think," aha said, contemptuously, to Maurice Raith "that It Is for the aake of your beaux yeux. my friend, that I hare brought this to pass. Not at. all! I am married to a man who Is worth a dosen of yos any day. But because I would save this girl from death and worse because I would save her father a goot man according to his lights and his thoughts (which are not mine), and because I desire to save all this people of the Cevennea from a bloody and desolat ing war to the death. Then she turned toward FJower-o'-tb-Com. "Francos Wollwood, will you come with me( who alone have gone out of my way to save from death and dtHhonor both yon and those I thought dear to you? Or do you desire to bear a certain crackling de tonation tomorrow morning, and a few miautea afterward to see the agreeable cancans of this young man carried past to the Protestant cemetery of MlllauT" Maurice gripped his finger nails Into his palms, and only tha knowledge that a call froea Yvette would bring up the soldiers of the marshal prevented his springing upon the girl snd clasping that fair whita throat once and for all In a grip of steel. Then Ftower-o'-the-Cora turned her about to Maurice, and all tha anger died sharply out of his eyes. "Dearest, she said, smiling at him throw gh a mist of tears, "do your part yours Is soon done. Mine will be longer In the doing, but I will do It! She (France pointed with open contempt to where Yvette stood, smiling her Ironic smile) she speaks part of the troth. I do this for your sake, beceus) I love you. How mack only a true woman can know not a woman like keC Iler Yrette Caught herself m from hasty speech with a rapid in Lake oc breath. She went on without giving him time to answer. "Good-bye. beloved! I shall not see you again. You shall go far away, but you will not forget me. No, not ever. Though I am wedded to another, till the day, the marvelously glad day when I am taksn. And God, who orders all things will know better than any. He will not be angry that I think of you. thst I continue to love you. For in the soul and spirit I shall be your wife, and keep all that Is eternal of me, all that la Immortal, all that does not go back to the worm and the sod, virgin for you yes, for you alone, my love and my life!" As she spoke she had clasped him about the neck with both hands, oblivious even way, hot-foot from Algues Morten, whither he had come by ship from Bar celona, with a letter from Maurice Raith, dated on board Her Majesty's ship the Royal Dane, announcing his safe arrival and reception by the officers. So at least the news went. It was the hour for the sacrifice, and Yvette who had schemed and worked so keenly to bring this about had for one moment a spasm of remorse, when she looked upon the pale, resigned countenance of Flower-o'-the-Corn. And because there was still a barrier to be removed. Yvette watched more and more nervously for the coming of Billy Marshall as the hour of the wedding drew near. No bride ever was more eager. nothing could be done without Mm. So, TM explained In Tillanious French. Ilk ths man whom the crowd bad com to sea hanged, he could afford to take his time. "Hanged you will be without a doubt!" cried the exasperated sergeant of the Red House, who had been sent as an escort to bring him In. "When you get there the marshal will be In a temper to skin you alive and eat you without salt!" "Bet a marshal to catch a Marshall! said Billy oracularly. "I Jaloose that a sypy is likely to come out well ahead of the beat Frenchman that ever drew the breath of life!" The upper part of the great military pa Tlllon bad been cleared, a table covered Aw r I J-', nti iHV- ?l fw-s kv f ia, BVv a. .jnaa h. W W i JT -W SI 'V Skl - 1 aj".t-T NJ-' THEN I. MARTIN FOT. HAVK S1IKD INNOCKNT BLOOD, IT IS HERE UPON THIS BLADE!" to the presence of Yvette and of her smile, which, indeed, had become less pronounced and Ironical. Klower-o'-l he-Corn looked up at Maurice and her eyes were deep wells of love and faith. "Kiss me my husband!" ah said. CHAPTER XIJV. Gas Cathollea, Down on the broad awards by the Tara side waa the stir and bustle of preparation. To the left were the royal regiments, foot grenadiers of the Red House of the King. To the right, on the wider straths was the local levies. Botween these encampments apart from both were the recently recruited and still far from dependable regiments of Jeaa Cavalier. It was among tlieae last that the stir was most pronounced. And when a haughty stalking sergeant t the Royal House met a private of the new corps with th gloss yet on his buttons, he Inquired what was the mighty pother In th en campments of th Psalm-singers. "Our commander Is to be married today, and by th king's awn orders!" said th man interrogated, as soon aa he was as sured that no Insult waa Intended adding Immediately, "to the best, the most beau tiful and most accomplished girl la th world." In the . great tent la th hoIHw th ceremony was to be begun. Afterward, to please the king, they were to repair to th church along with th cure-do)- a on Milau and th civil authorities of the High Cevennea, and first (to the won der of alt) they were to be united accord ing to th true Calvinlst ritual, and by the father of th bride. Maurice Raith waa sp and over th frontier six good days ago, and every aaoatent till that morning his messenger had been expected. But apparently BUly the Gypsy, waa now really oa his Yvette It was who had ordered and reen to the arrangement of the marriage banquet. She it was who had provide! the plciitl tude of flowera, an unusual feature at that time, with which the tables were decorated. 8ho had even obtained rare fruits from a distance, and the idea that all these com binations of genius should be spoilel by the no nar rival of a mere gypsy with a letter sufficed to make her fretful and dif ficult to please. CHAPTER XL). The Hlght Lwh ! the Pavilion. They had waited long, Billy Marshall, though often reported on the way, ka1 not arrived. Hope deferred was making hearts sick not. Indeed, as might have been ex pected, those of the personages principally concerned, th bride and bridegroom, but rather those of th guests of the m irriaga feast, who, with hourly Improved appe tites, eyed the preparations In the kitchens and the cooks, who, whlte-aproned and whit bonneted, rushed this way and that, or with hands held horizontally above their brows, looked down the road Into the setting sua. Meantime th marshal had dlspHched courier after courier. They were in- structed to bring a letter. If they could not bring Billy. But th gypsy was more clever than them all. He would go himself and deliver th letter to the young lady, or ahe should not have It at all. In which case, there would 1 no marriage. They might please them selves. "Search him. gentlemen of the Red House!" and they searched btm, finding tobacco, snuff and other contraband of war, but not so much as a scrap of writing concealed about his rags. - Being released Billy Marshall, laughed In their faoea. Yes, he would accept a horse and set forward, but at his owa pace. He was coming, but he was well aware that with a rick pur pie velvet cloth, brought. strictly under the rose, from the sacristy of Our Lady of Milan by the complaisant cure-doyen. The thing would please th marquis, and, what would you, a littl holy water and a dash of Incense would fumigate any lurking Protestantism out of tlie tissues of velvet and gold. TIUs thrown over a plain deal table mad the altar before which Flower-o'-the-Corn and Jean Cavalier were to kneel. Patrick Wellwood had already taken up his po sition behind It, tall, spare, his white hair falling reverently over his black Geneva gown. Flower-o'-tbe-Corn, with a sad par ticularity, had spent the last days mend ing the rents and holes In It. Brilliant and distinguished the company, beyond the wont of even the headquarters of a marshal of France, drawn by curi osity, as well as by a desire to witness th marriage of so distinguished a camlsard (now rallied to the service of the king), according to th rites of the Protestant church. A part of the pavilion had been curtained off. making an entrance to a smaller mar quee, and there Flower-o'-the-Corn was waiting, with an actual impatience, that which, according to promise, waa to coma to her from the man whom for one brief moment she had clasped in her arms and called her husband. This Impatience, however, was not of th sort which may be supposed to distinguish brides. Yvette did not leave her even for a moment, and followed with no little curi osity the direction of Frances Wellwood's glances. Through th curtains which separated their marquee from the great pavilion titer came a yellowish haae of illumination. They are Ughting up," said Yvette. "I had not thought It was so dark. I wish the gypsy would come! It is Infinitely an noying!" I wish so, too!" said Flower-o'-the-Corn, very quietly. You have changed your mind. theaT
