Newspapers / The News-Record (Marshall, N.C.) / Feb. 20, 1914, edition 1 / Page 7
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JjlYWmOW OTPJViAN ANDREWS g ILLUSTRATION ELLSVDRTft TOUN(Jm ereoZc SYNOPSIS. Trancols Beaupra. a peasant babe . ot three years, after an amusing Incident In which Marshal New figures, li made a Chevalier of France by the Emperor Na poleon, who prophesied that the boy jnlght one day be a marshal of France under another Bonaparte., At the age of ten Francois visits General Baron Oas pard Gourgaud. who with Allxe, Mt even-year-old daughter, lives at the Chateau. A soldier of the Empire under Napoleon he flres the boy's Imagination -with stories of his campaigns. The gen eral offer Francois a home at the Cna- . irho hnv rafnutu tn leave his pa rents, but In the end becomes a copyist for the general and learns of the friend ship between the general and Marquis Zappl, who campaigned with the general under Napoleon. Marquis Zappl and his awn. Pletro. arrive at the Chateau. The genera! agrees to care for the Marquis son while the former goes to America. The Marquis before leaving for America asked Francois to be a friend of his son. The boy solemnly promises. Fmncola goes to the Chateau to ' live. Marquis Zappl dies leaving Pletro as a ward of the general. Allxe. Pletro and Francois meet a, strange boy whoproves to be Prince Louis Napoleon. Francois saves hla life. The general discovers Francois loves Allxe. and extracts a promise from him that he will not Interfere between the irl and Pletro. Francois goes to Italy aa secretary to Pletro. Queen Hortense plans tha escape of her son Louis Na poleon by disguising hlmand V-JJL Zappl aa her lackeys. Francois takes TT f7onni. iiom who In ill. in the acape of Hortense and Louis. Dressed as Louis's brother Francois lures the ustrians from the hotel allowing the prince and his mother to escape. Fran cois is a prisoner of - the Austrian. i for ' i w iso.tu nwiiAii bv Pletro In Italy. He discovers in his guard one of Pietro's old family servants, and through him sends word to his friends LJ?1 .n.ht Tha irnneml. Allxe and Pletro hear from Francois and plan his rescue i. - nt thA Austrian gov ,. r,r thA mafia nrlson inspects tne interior of the wine cellar of the Zappis. CHAPTER XVII. Continued. "This is the way you are to get there. In the- wine-cellar of the cas tle, which opens from the governor's mom in old times always the room of the lord in that wine-cellar, on the mnrth wall, is a square block of stone projecting slightly beyond the wall. If vmi nreaa the lower corner on the left liand side, of the stone under this, the big stone above will swing out and show an opening large enough for a man to pass. Going through, you close the door by pressing the same stone, and you then will find yourself in an underground passage which leads straight halt a mile through the earth to Riders' Hollow. The passage is five nundred years old and only the family of the Zappls have ever known of It I went through it once in my boyhood with my father, and it was in perfect condition, so I believe it willbe now. ir wan built with solidity as one may oelleve, for If the old Zappis wanted It at all they wanted it in working oraer, "Your part will be difficult, Fran cois, but I believe you can do it , You will have to get the key of the wine cellar, or else force the lock. Can you 4n that? ' It le necessary to do It, Francois, for we cannot get on with out you," and we Bhal) from now live only to set you free. I send you some thing which may be useful." Francois dropped the letter and -niotraH ii n the lone loaf and tore it ainart. There was a file in the center, Aa it. a .powerful tonic had been in fused into him he felt strength and calmness pour through him. He read ' the letters over and over till he had them by heart; then he concealed them carefully, with the file, in his mattress. ''After-' that he sat down ana concen trated his mind with the new force working in it, on hie plan. The governor was almost certain to liave him down to dinner again In two or three days: It was a pity that while ; le was there, all but on the spot, he could not possess himself of tne key and escape.: He thought over one or two Diana on that basis, but they all shipwrecked on the fact that the guards were accustomed, to take him back to his room at eleven and that, . failing notice from the governor, they -would certainly come to find out why if they were not called.- That would w tart the pursuit; he must have the night clear. So he, unwillingly let go of the great advantage of his; own presence in the governor's room, so , near the scene of , action, and planned . otherwise.' f With infinite forethought, -with an "eye to every contingency pos sible to imagine, he planned, and when the notice came, two days later, that the Count von Gersdorf wished mm to - dine with him that night, Francois' ieart leaped madly but exultantly, for . lie was ready. Never had the young Frenchman -peon more entertaining, more winning to his tyrant than tonight, but the ex- dtement of what Was before him made it almost out of the question to eat the count's dinner. As before, the count prescribed old wine as a tonic,, and took Francois with him to get it " Tonight there were three , bottle! ' lirought up the count was preparing -to drink hard. And Francois had some trouble in not drinking with him; but ' Ae kept up his end with singing and acting, with a dance or two out of the ueasant repertoire Of the Jura, with mock drill of an awkward squad at Salnt-Cyr, with clever imitations of the few people whom he had seen about - 'the castle, BattisU'S gruff ness and man glad German words, and the snlf- " fling mixed with grandiloquence of one Of the guards; finally he grew dar ing and Imitated the governor's su pcrlor officer who had visited the nrlson six months ago and had seen Vrancols among the others. Francois. with his body bent out, and a fat wad dle, and an Improvised eye-glass and a pursy short-breathed manner, spoke of the governor severely, puffing at him between sentences, reproving '. him, among other things, for having pris oners dine with him. ; And the governor roared with de light, for this man was his rival and it did his soul good to see him made ridiculous. He roared, and drank to the imitation, and the imitation re buked his levity throattfy, till the gov ernor roared and drank again ana shouted for more. And Francois, ex-, cited, exhilarated, did more; and still the governor drank as he acted. And the vaudeville went on. So that when the guard came at eleven the count was lying across the sofa, too tipsy to get to bed alone, and Francois had to wait, pretending to be heavy with wine himself, while the two soldiers pui ine governor to bed. At last he was taken upstairs be tween them, leaning on them limply; at last his door clanged shut; he lis tened to the footsteps of the two dying away down the stone hall, down the staircase: then swiftly ne arew oui the file and the letters from his mat tress: he hid the papers, wrappea tight in their oilskin cover, in his coat lining; he set to work with the file to finish iron bars already three-quarters filed through. That was done and with fingers that seemed to work as fast, as intelligently as his brain, he tore the bedclothes into stout strips and tied them together with square knots which would not slip, and tied knots in the line at intervals of a few feet which might keep a man's fingers from slipping. He had to guess how long the rope must be, but the bed clothes were all used and the rope was many yards it must serve. -He put the file, with two candle ends which he had saved, in his pocket; he made one end of the strip fast to an un touched Iron bar of hie window; ne weighted the other end, then he looked about a moment, half to see if all of his small resources had been remem bered, half in a glance of farewell to a place where he had passed hours never to be forgotten. With that he vaulted to the window- ledge and took the first knot in a firm grip and let himself out into ine aam still night His feet hung in the air, hia hand alld fast fast down tnai poor ladder of torn stuff; the die was cast; he was going to things unknown; he had taken a desperate chance and mieht not go back. And , he slipped down. down, from knot to knot. Sud denly he came to the last knot; ne naa fastened a bit of wood there so that he might know when he got to the end. What was this? It certainly was the last knot: the bit of wood scrapea hla hand as he held it; but his feet did not touch ground. ThereXhe hung, swaying in DiacK- ness, not knowing how tar he might be above the earth, not knowing what to do. , Only a moment, for instantly he knew that in any case he could not go back, if he would, up that ought swinging rope; he must arop, wnai- ever happened. He bent his knees ready for the fall and let go. wnn a shock he landed and rolled, bruised i If ; He Must Drop, Whatever Happened and out of breath, but not Injured; he looked up and in the dimness saw the last knot with its bit. of , wood swing ing In air twelve feet or so irom me ground. But he had no time given mm w consider this point, for . at that sec ond, at the far end of the closed yard a door opened, a blase ofyight pourea out and a squad of six soldiers stepped from the castle, torches in the hands of the foremost Francois dropped, crouching Into the shadows against the wall, but his heart grew sick as he realized the futility of this. The sol dlers were coming straight . toward him. With that, a gleam on a brighter sur face than the ground met bis eight, be low the level of the ground. - His eyes, searching the darkness, made out a great butt ot water, .sunken by the castle wall. Instantly he slid Into It, ud to his neck. It was not quite full, and his head did not show In the shadows of the inside. The blase of the torches swept close, brighter. Francois, shivering in the cold water,1 glued himself to the dark side; the blaze of the torches waved, shadowy, gigantic, 'across the water and the cas tle wall; he heard the soldiers speak In short deep words; it was like an evil dream, and it slipped past, torch es and dark-swinging shadows and heavy tread ot men and stern voices, like a dream. The heavy door shut, the lights were gone, everything was still. More dead than alive, Francois dripped from the water-butt The hardest part of his night's Job, the part that needed all his strength 01 body and brain, was. immediately be fore him, and he stood nerveless, with clicking teeth, as limp as the tradition al drowned rat. A moment he stood eo, utterly discouraged, without confi dence, without .hope. Tnen wun nis trembling Hps he framed words, words familiar to him for years, and with that, in a shock, he felt strength and courage rising in him like a slow calm flood. It was not less a miracle do rnnsn there was no sign in the heavens, no earthquake or lightning; it was not less a miracle because many people living now might tell ot a like help in fearful need. As it was once a long time ago, the water qf his blood was changed into wine. So the nrisoner stood in the courtyard in the blackness of midnight and found him self readv. , He groped his way to the shed he had seen from the governor's winaow, with his old boyish agility he scram' bled up its sloping roof and felt for the coping he had noticed the coping wide enough for a man s loot; ne naa found it; he had found a water pipe above to help him stand on it; he was on the coping, face flat to the wall, working his way with infinite delicate care to the window or the governor, He never knew how long that part took: it seemed a great, while, though not many feet lay between the shed and the window. Then he felt the stone sill of the window; his hand crent un: it was open wide open, With a strong null he had swung him self over and stood In the dark, in the eovernor's bedroom. Stood and listened, hardly aanng lor the first instant to draw the long hrooth Via anrelv needed. Then ne amiiod. No necessity for that caution at least. The governor was snoring a heavy aggressive snore which would hm Hrnwnnri most noises. Francois stood quiet till his eyes had grown ac customed to the shadows, and then thav annrnhnd about ' Quickly. Ah! there they were, the governor's clothes On a chair by his bed. With wary steps he stole across. He lifted off one or two things and suddenly there was a iingle. "Ah!" growled the governor ana flung out his hand, and the snore came to a full stop. The hand searched the darkness sficond: all but touched that of Fran cols, then fell limply, the head turned away, with a deep sign. Liite a statue Francois Btood, frozen to the floor, and dared not look at the figure stirring in, the bed, for fear nis gaze might awake the sleeper. For he slept; the sound of the keys had only Jarred some chord In his uneasy dream. Long min utes after the Bnoring was in full prog ress again Francois waited, .and then with careful fingers he clasped the en tire bunch of keys softly and carried them into the next room. There was a low light there, on tne writing-table. Francois slipped tne thin, old, brass key which he knew off from the bunch; he glanced about oulcklv and found the flint and steel on its table and put them in his pock et; he ' took down that small saber. with its well-polished scaoDara, anu buckled it ! about himself; j then a thought came to him. A sheet of pa per lay on the governor's writing-table as if he had been about to write a let ter; pen and ink were ready, ine prisoner dropped Into the governor's chair and wrote: Mv dear count I cannot run away without leaving a good-by for you and a word ot thanks tor the kindness you have shown me. - Be sure I shall not forget our evenings together and shall be glad when I hear of your promo tion, as I am sure I snau near. heartily hope I am not going to make trouble for you. , But I have to go you will understand that With a-thousand thanks, again I am, count, your grate ful nrisoner Francois Beaupre. Still the count snorea. Tancoi, alert Btood and listened as he folded the note carefully and laid It under a wnleht on the table. Then he tempiea Providence no longer. He sua me Dai tered, bright, old, brass key softly In to the lock, let himself into the dark stairway, relocked the door on tie in side, .groped his way painfully down the steep stairs intome wiue-ceuar. and when he felt a level floor under his feet struck a light with the govt ernors flint and steel. He lighted one of his candle ends. The wine-cellar, which he had left only two hours be fore, '' seemed - almost homelike; It lacked the governor, that was all. He crossed to the projecting stone in the north wall, and pressed the corner of the stone below. Nothing happened. Hurriedly he pressed It again, harder, but the cold even surface of the wall stared him blankly in the face. Again he pushed with no result A sickness came over him. Was all his labor and peril to go for nothing? Was he to be caught again and thrust DacK, wis time into some far worse dungeon? How had he dared to hope! The en trance was closed, overgrown, the masonry had grown solid with years and dampness. CHAPTER XVIII. The Peasant Guide. He flashed out the saber and des perately he slid it this way and that about the great stone, trying to find crack, something to loosen, some thing that would give. And while he worked in a fever, in a chill, ne re membered Pietro's letter. Then he set down the candle end on shelf and with trembling fingers drew off his coat and drew out the hid den papers. The wet from his bath in the water-butt had stained them a lit tle, but only a little, for they were carefully wrapped In the bit of oilskin j In which they had come. unfoiaea the letter. - If you will press the lower corner on the left-hand side." Pietro said "the lower corner!" . And he had been concentrating an his efforts, all his despair, on the up per corner.' When it is a question or life and death a man is superhumanly strong and quick sometimes, but he is also sometimes forgetful. It is an ex citing and confusing thing, likely, to be working for life and liberty auer five years of Imprisonment Francois pushed the lower left-hand corner ana like magic the great block above swuug out. With his lighted candle end in his hand he slipped through and turned and swung back the door into place and turned again and faced blackness. Narrow, low, cold black ness. Quickly enough, however, with good courage, with his heart thump ing out a song of hope, which he had kept down sternly till now, he walked, at times stooping low as ne must. De cause of the descent, down the secret road of the old Zappis. His canaie held forward, he could see a few feet ahead, but all he could see was nuge hiMrn nf roiizh stone, green witn mold, water driDDing between them The air he breathed was heavy and thick; through his wet clothes he felt a flhlll as of the grave. But wnat mat tered the road, when the road led to freedom? Suddenly it came to him that the passage might be blocked. It was yeare since Pletro had been through it; some of the stones might have fallen it would take very little to close so narrow a way. With an anxiety which wtfB 'physical pain, with breathless eagerness now, he hurried on. He had to stop to light his second candle; again he hurried on. Would theend never come? Was any mistake pos aihle? With that he stumbled against Rnmethlng and fell, and the .candle flew from his hand and was put out; with a hoarse groan he threw out an arm to - steady himself, to rise; his hand went through a yielding, prickly mass; a glimmer came in past u Heht the end! Pushing. crashing, staggering through, he came into a strange place. It was as if a giant had taken a huge spoon and scooped out the top of the earth deen. very deep. All of this great hollow was filled with trees and tangled undergrowth. It was full of vacua shadows in the glimmer 01 tne Aarileat dawn. Francois, standing there sobbing, ghastly with paleness with matted hair and wild-staring eyes onH imanlnir mouth and , W6t tOm 0"'"-D . clothes, was a fit demon for the haunt ed spot He saw nothlng.no one; with that there was a soft snapping of twigs and a movement in the aarnness farthest from him; a movement toward him Tottering he crawled to meet it in another second , the shadowy had shaped into figures a peasant boy on a horse, leading another horse. Then he stood close to them, and the boy, leaning over without a word nut something into his hand, ana x ran nOis. swaying - with exhaustion, saw that it was a flask. He took a long Rwnllow of cognac and his chilled blood leaped, and with that he had caught the bridle from the lad and was in the saddle. . - . In the shadows of trees, in a lonely i.m ih iwunnt bov stopped his naavia; w-w - horse suddenly and made a short ges- turn toward the flask sticking out of Francois" coat pocket His strength was going again; it was exactly the right moment Another swallow of brandy and he rode on with fresh courage. . But something in ine ge' ture of the peasant boy; something about his seat in the saddle, about the toudh .of his hands On the rein, gave Francois a curious undefined shock. In the growing daylight he turned toward the silent rider. The coat collar was up and the broad-brimmed soft hat drtfwti 6own. The slim figure, outlined against the cool pink vastness of the morning sky was clad like an ordinary voung Beasant yet! There was poise, sure grace, which seemed unlike a neasant. which seemed like , "Have we far to go?" Francois de manded suddenly in French. I'The head turned swiftly; black ex aggerated lashes lifted and under them were the blue eyes he knew. "Allxe." He cried it out loud, reckless, for getting everything. But she did not forget. In an Instant her hand was on his mouth, and she was whispering in terror. "Francois, dear Francois, be careful. We are not safe yet. We have a vil lage to ride through see, there is a house. It is almost time for them to be awake. Ride fast. It is two miles yet." They were racing again over the soft ground, the horses' unshod feet making little noise, and Francois' heart was playing mad music. No need now of cognac. Then they were galloping down the sand of a lonely beach, and with that there was a little group of people and a boat drawn up; and they had puqed in the horses, and Francois felt himself lifted off like a child and lying like a very little, worn-out child' In the general's arms; and the general was crying, swearing, hugging him without shame. Pletro was there; Pietro was rubbing tne thin hands in a futile useless sort ot way, and holding them by turns to his face. Allxe, her peasant hat off now, bent over them, lovelier than ever be fore, not minding her boy's dress, and smiled at him, wordless. There was a huge man also who took the horses, and Francois wondered if he had heard aright that Alixe called him "little Bat tlsta." Wondering very much at ev erything, the voices grew far away and the faces uncertain, ana ne ae clded that It was without doubt a dream and that Battista would unlock the door shortly and bring In his break fast. And with that he knew nothing more till he awoke In a boat. And It was with a new feeling; wfth a desire and a hope to live. Pietro sat watching him and brought him warm milk and held his head up as he drank It, like a woman. Then, in quiet, slow tones, he explained all the puzzle which Francois had by now begun to wonder over. It seemed that Just be fore little Battista had brought Fran cols' letter to Vieques, Pletro had re ceived another unexpected letter, from a Colonel Hampton in Virginia, whose estate lay next the six thousand acres of land which the Marquis Zappl had bought fifteen years before. Colonel Hampton wrote with two requests. The first was that the Marquis zappi ehould come to Virginia, or send some one with authority to look after his property. The land was going to rack and ruin for want of management; the uncontrolled slaves on the place were demoralizing to the neighbor hood. Colonel Hampton ' had aone what he could, but he had not the power of a master, and moreover he he was busy with his own large estate. The marquis should come or send a qualified agent at once. The next object of the letter was to ask that the marquis phould receive and entertain the nephew of Colonel Hampton, Mr. Henry Hampton, who, sailing on Colonel Hampton's ship, the Lovely Lucy, would bring this letter to the marquis. The ship wouia go first to England and discharge there her cargo of tobacco, and after that it was to be at the service 01 young mi. Hampton, to visit such countries of He Cried It Out Loud, Reckless. Europe as he might choose, for six months. Mr. Hampton had many let ters to people in England, but none elsewhere, and Colonel Hampton would be obliged If the marquis would re ceive him at his estate of Castelforte and let him see something of Italy from that point of vantage. The mar quis might then, if he thought good, re turn to Virginia in tne Loveiy t-ucy, and either set matters on a firm enough footing to be left, or else which the colonel considered the bet ter plan stay with them and become a country gentleman of Virginia. The colonel had heard that there had been political trouble In Italy, but hoped that at this time the country was at peace and the marquis comfortably es tablished in his own castle. AH this the young marquis, an ex ile of five years from his native land, had read at the chateau of Vieques. He had considered deeply as to what he might do about Carnlfax, his estate in Virginia. He could not go himaelf, for he was in close connection with the work of Italian patriots. outBlde and inside of Italy; with Mazzlni In , London; with others in other places. And he did not know anyone whom he . could send. , i ' ., 1 .., So the matter Btood when the big little Battista had brought Francois' letter to Vieques. And when Alixe had . appealed to him to take Francois lib eration on; his shoulders, with the thought of the secret passage and the vaguely outlined plan of escape had come to him the recollection of Col onel Hampton's letter and the long Bea voyage to Virginia, - - - So when Mr. Henry Hampton landed at Calais, a tall and very handsome and very silent young man took quiet possession of him and told him that he was the Marquis Zappi and that Mr. Hampton was to go with him to the chateau of Vieques In the Jura. There was a certain gentle force about this young marquis which made opposi tion to his expressed wish something like banging one's head against a stone walL Mr. Henry Hampton had planned going direct to Paris, but bo went to Vieques. And on the Journey down the Marquis Zappl opened out a plan which richly rewarded him for his pliability. Mr. Hampton naa some what clearer Ideas on Italian politics than his uncle; he knew enough to de test the Austrlans and to have a keen sympathy for the long, horoic, losing fight so far losing of those devoted men who were counting their Uvea as nothing for a united Italy. The scheme of helping to rescue a prisoner out of an Austrian fortress was an adventure such as made his eyes dance. Mr. Hampton was twenty-one and full of romance, romance as yet ungratlfled. So, Pietro told Francois, this long ex planation over, the Lovely Lucy was anchored at an unimportant island out side the port for which they were bound, and Francois and the others were to go on board and set sail promptly for aome port of France. There the general, Alixe, Pietro and little Battista were to be put ashore. and Francois was to sail across to Vir ginia with Mr. Hampton and take pos session for Pietro of his American es tates. . Francois, lying in bed with his eyes glowing like lanterns, listened. But as his friend finished he broke out, with a sharp pain in his voice. "Pletro! I want to see my mother." And Pietro was silent, laying a quiet hand over the unsteady one. Without a word he sat so and let the sick man think. The line of red which came into the Dale cheeks told that he was thinking Intensely, and at last, with a shivering Sigh which went to the other's heart: "You are right, Pletro," he said. "It Is a wonderful plan for a broken man. It is like you to do everything right without a word said. The sea voyage, the healthy life in Virginia that ought , to make a man of me again soon, ought it not, Pletro?", Pletro could not speak as ne ioogea at the wrecked figure, but he nodded cheerfully. "As for your place, I'll have that In order in a month, and in a year it will be a model for Virginia; and then I'll come home." Pietro smiled. "Come home and fight for the prince for our Prince Louis. - Do you remember that afternoon at the chau teau, Pletro, and the strange boy, and how he fascinated us and -how " the weak voice stopped' at every syllable, but slipped on again cheerfully.; The familiar charm of the boy Francois was strong as he talked. "And how he was not to be frightened by any dan ger of an old wall" ,and Francois stopped, smiling. v "And how you saved him," Pletro added. "That was a chance," said Francois quickly. "But, Pietro, do you remem- ber how, Allxe turned on you, because I had done it? Droll little Alixe!" "She always scorned me because I was not wonderful like you, Francois. You were always the hero," Pletro said gently, and pressed the skeleton hand under his own. Francois' eyes blazed up at him then as they had done so often in boyhood. "Not that, Pletro. You do not under stand. , It was because Alixe wished always to see you first I Was older and had a certain quickness she wanted you to have my poor facility as well as all of your own gifts." Pletro smiled his kind quiet smile. "My Francois, I have no gifts. And if Allxe Is more proad of you it is right, for yo.u are a pride' to all of us and I : am the last to grudge one parucie or honor or love to you. Francois" Pietro's deep voice stopped, and then he went on in his straightforward, sim ple way 'Francois, it is not possible for me to tell you how glad I am to have you, my brother, back from the dead." And weak, nerve-wrecked Francois, holding tight to Pietro's hand, turned his face to the wall and cried. Now that the end of effort was over, the strain of the long years showed their effects in y a collapse; the stretched chord had fallen loose, re laxed as If it might never make mu sic again. When the time came to leave the sailboat ot "Luigl: and go aboard the Lovely Lucy, the effort was too much for the man who, two nights before, had shown the nerve and agil ity of an acrobat. When he must leave the boat and make the change, he tainted, and, wrapped in a blanket, ghastly white, unconscious, the little Battista carried his light weight up the ladder of the American ship. (TO HIS tJUJN'llKUJUJJJ.) 8tand-0ff-Nagging Wife drinking husband. Which is cause and which is effect? Sociologists and temperance lectur ers may think they know but they don't Philadelphia Record, .
The News-Record (Marshall, N.C.)
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Feb. 20, 1914, edition 1
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