Newspapers / The Eagle (Cherryville, N.C.) / Sept. 14, 1944, edition 1 / Page 4
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CHAPTER IX The Princess Meridel of Grat zen and her cousin arrive in Can 1 ada to visit Baron Ru li le Morpin . her uncle. He had been employed in Madame Fa'ore Lusignan, who ... turned t:he estate over to the baron in order that he could cn " tertain the Princess without her knowing of her reduced circum • stances. Roger Fabre of the Ca X, nadian Air Force and nephew of :: the Malame’s falls in love with the Princess. The estate is turned ov .. ®r_ti the care of the enfortunate - children of war-torn Europe. Pol Martin and Rosine finu a photo graph on the Madame’s table and . learn that it is the ma 1 whom ■> Roger has vowed to kill. They . then learn that the man is Roger s ■ brother. Roger still does not know v the connection between his broth er and the crime he is pledged to . avenge. The child! er) break the picture frame and fell Madame the truth. She tries not to Relieve that Roger’s own brother had killed Bonhomme Fricut, but a doubt remains. The princess learned that the baron was not 'the owner ofthe castle, so they all left for Coq dOr where he bought an interest in the Golden Cock. Roger returns to find the Princess gone and Madama's fortune :rt a bad way. He sets out w.th Mad ame to find the Princess and have her and the children ret.:: “You could :• t tiu .it. -e from your airplut-e, ; asked Poll Mart:" 'V- ta -- these prisoners. 1 st v : , tr* sojdi.ers on the g-:. - • . them and send them ;ere ; ■:put them :r big w* : i.i-is. js~ . ner told us tout -.nm-; vW t j .one full cf them leeu :i ; woods back if 1-; - would net taka i:< . j«m. ’ said •’Supcuse .mu vm-i mat 11 -in a cage, vouni mu iim to ccae a.iu fane n mu ■ . - -course they voitiun ‘ ’’ askea Sumne. Hiu mu .<«« tie .■as, tie wttens va zseu ,i •>., m - ;i gc-idea west it:.. .. • •• the inn? Sax.! i.i>: Virgua : - r to ask you. r'tey ...... dering about t. ' Roger sailed an ; s.- . -•> head.. “I stay have - - - ver Graczen, my ..tt e .•••<- - I . did it was in the rugrt: and "there was nothing I ecu'... -ee. ProbablV tfce brave little cock -' ll there ab^vejht door—unless the army st ^as oaten him in a I hey could not eat a wooden oirii. Monsieur Roger!" protested Kosine. •’Still do they not have sawdust in their sausage?" i "Do they not indeed. But I was only joking. That cock of Juies would he too tough even for those men of iron. There' the clock strikes ten — it’s bed for little men—and also little women." He sat at the tire with Meridel after madaine had retired, while Rudolph and Jules went over their accounts in the little enclos ure in the taproom. Roger’s Uai k .eyes studied her face shyly. He ‘•said, “This is an hour I have wait ed for. And I pictured it just like fithis. There would be a fire and you and I would sit beside it, and I would know such happiness as never before. To be near you is all I’d ask, to know that, by “ reaching out I could touch you, ' that by bending I cocld kiss your y Ups—n “• “She looked at him, then away -• “But—but you do not?’’ “No, I do not." He, too, was in - tent on the blaze. The mystic fig ! ure that was between my love and ■ me”—his voice held now a little if that same wryness that had been in it when he learned of her previous meeting with the red one ' —“it has crystallized into the very solid form of my brother, Michel.” “Madame told you about the picture?” “All about it.” And you think?” "I think with you and my aunt it is a thing too awfhl, too mon strohsly anppaling, to be believel “But could— it —could it be? ■ Your brother—how could he live among them, serve with them—?” “You mean could he get away with it? Yes, he could, readily. - He was educated in Germany, spoke the language well,had many . friends there. He knew the politi cal setup and admired some of the • things about it. There! I swore I wouldn’t talk about this business and here I spoil our first moments . together by dwelling on it. I will not mention it again—even tho' ■ I know you keep his photograph . and—pray to it.” “I do not!” She was as swift with her denial as any school girl “I do not! I keep it because I remember him pleasantly be cause I had some lovsly hours with him, because he seemed—” “I’m sorry, sweet. Forgive me. He Is 4 marvelous fellow, Mike. AnyOnft who ever knew him will itell you that. He was always a romantic figure — remote, doing fascinating things such as climb ing glaciers in Alaska, exploring the regions of the Congo and digging in Mayan ruins. And he eould charm the birds out of the tree. What a fine John Alden I have turned out to be. John was a fellow, Meridel, who pleaded for another man, while he himself really loved the girl he was try ing to win for the other. I'm not going to give Mike any more of a buildup. I’ve praised him too highly now. From now on I shall 1 tell you what a wonderful fellow is Roger Fable, what the King said to him, how Mr. Churchill, looking at a few hundred of the Air Force boys one day said, “And whois that tall dark fellow there? Can that be this Fabre I’ve heard so much about?, the man at the mere mention of whose name Marshal Goering says, ‘Groundt der Luftwace at vonce!' And, be lieve it or net, it really was Rog er.” “Ah, you are fine, Roger You can laugh always and have fun. Deep inside, though, you do not laugh so much, eh?” “I try not to look too deep inside, Meridel. It’s nogood. And right now especially. After this is over, after we can think quietly, for a while and no longer iiear the thunder of guns and the roar of flames—why then, perhaps, we can look into our hearts and raise them up to God. Right now it's laugh while you can, be merry while there's gayety about Would you like to go somewhere and dance with me?” "Dance? It’s so long since I've danced that I shouldn’t know how to go about it. And you are fatigued. You must be so weary. “But I'm not. I snatch a wink here, a wink there. I can’t be tired when I am with you.” "I think it is better that we ".ay here and you will rest. If you l.ke I shall sing for you." ' A lullaby, no doubt. You want t put me to sleep to get rid of She laughed. "I wouldn’t leave .; ever: ypu slept." And she sleep. sleep. Tre tay -as gene and the night >iy 1 ttle or-.e sleep, s~e <a-g >n: Roger listened. 5'i saw him nod, his eyelids •: — She smiled, sang more - Slowly his dark head came her shoulder, rested there. Me: tel did not move—not until almost an hour had passed. He stirred then and sat up in an in -tant. looking at her in utter confusion. “I dreamed of angels,” he said. 'And this is one dream that car- i ries on waking. Why ever did you let me go to sleep, Meridel?” "So that I might see what you looked like ”in repose.” "I must have looked horrible.” He rubbed his short hair. "I feel fine now.” ed Roger, "and I fall asleep! Wi.y “My first night home,” mutter mirth and flowers and music! You You were nj'vti to leave mv tries Instead-—” ' [ held you in nw arms while rou slept." "Which is why I dreamed so : iea=an'l$\ Ah. well, th** will be j’her r.iehts. 1 shall !>•> here for a whila »nd yo nre comi; v back to Philiber> w'th us?" ‘ Yes Madame Fab<-e h&s asked ■ « all.” Everywhere, i. :.t s-.scon, was the ringing music of children’s voices The threat of poverty was ignored even if it was not entirely i.on cxidert. The government and th<* authorities in charge of the little visitors had assured Madame that iiiilihert would be main tained by them and it still would belong to her. ‘‘You began tnis noble work, Madame,” the Pre mier said. “Be assured we shall not let it languish.” noger, aiuea Dy a lawyer wno had been a classmate at McGill, was trying to bring some semb lance of order out of the chaos left by that lord of misrule, Gab riel Follet. “We shall make some fair arrangement madame,” he told his aunt. “It will be all right. But you will be a working girl, mind — directress of all these little refugees you have taken in “That will be no work. And I Meridel has promised now to stay I here and help me, and Rudolph will come too. There will be more children—” “Yes, for many years to come there will be children in need of just such aid as you Cc*n offer. You will be doing something great and useful. And you are repaid in i such coin as that.” Late that evening, Madame raised the delicate, thin-stemmed glass and watched the ruddy fires in tre depths of the wine, the warm heart’s blood of the Bur gundy grapes. “There is one more toast,” she said slowly. “And tonight, some how, I do not hesitate to propose it. You know what it is, Roger, —you all know—let us drink to Michel." Suddenly, as if a hand invisible had dashed tre glass from her lips, the fragile bit of crystal the old lady held was shattered on the hearthstone at her feet and the wine spread like blood. Her hand stayed halted near her lips. Tre others were on their feet, staring at the two men in sheep skin jackets who stood in the wide doorway, at the dark menace of the automatic the short one held, at the grim, red stubbled visage of the tali one who sur veyed them with blue eyes cold cold as tre ice of the river. “Be quiet, all of you,” said he. And the voice was the voice of Michel Fabre, but how altered, how harsh, how hateful! “We are sorry to spoil this occasion, but our lives are important to us. We escapued from yog? prises camp in the backwoods. You will remember me as Oberlieutenant Faber. My companion is Manfred Kehl. What we want from you, my friends, is tre key of the sta tion wagon parked in front of the house. You have them, brother." He looked at Roger, his face er pressionless. “Bring them here.” “The laughing soldier who kill ed Bonhomme Fricot,” said Mad ame softly. “And I thought it was some wild story tre children had made up.’’ Michel started. His eyes strayed from Roger to the scornful face of his aunt. “We have no time for talk,” The keys, please; and at once. We cut your telephone wires and have fixed the other car so it will not go. Ah—” he had seen Roger reach for a bronze book-end as he passed be rind a chair and in one leap he was on him. His fist shot and cracked cruelly on his brother’s mouth, bloodying it, sending Rog er crashing to the floor. “Fool; You would not have tried that had you known how good Manfred is with the trig ger.” He bent and took the keys from Roger's pocket. “Trank you —” He stood up. “And you, tr.y friends. Let this not spoil your merriment. It is war, you knew— a war whose demands transscend anything else." “hveu the love of G >d and the ove . f yoi r bniher,” »aid Mer Trincess of Gratz n.” Ober i«uten«i. bow»d stifT.y. A.- d ye* even perhaps such loves as you mention. I am glad you have found sanctuary in ,his country. It v t ,ld be a shame for such beauty «• your- to sucer. * V*».e has’« !" >d Kehl in German. "There is no time for talk. You^know he pretty one? She s the Princess of Gratze, bein’’ lie bowed slightly his n cur. set in a h-iid smile. She is wa»m her?, nicht7 We shall go now.” Roger had risen slowly to his feet. Rudolph stood beside him. Meidel moved close to the old la dy whose eyes never left the thin stubbled visage of Michel Fabre Oberlieutenant Fabei, ’ she said. “A little child stamped on your picture anl said she hated “It is war,” he said. “War. You do not understand, you peo ple. You will know one day soon Auf Wiedersehen.” No one moved. Not until, above the low moaning of tne wind, heard the sound of a motor, did anyone have the will to speak;, to think, even, of what happened. Roger went to the window then. Meridel came and stood beside him, her hand through his arm. Trey saw the tail lights of the station wagon receding until they were only fiery pin points; then nothing. _ (TO BE CONTINUED) WARTIME HINTS FOR BUSY HOUSEWIVES New, appetizing recipes that make meat go farther, interesting suggestions for sewing attractive slip covers and draperies, and high lights to beauty are a few of the features that await readers of the Houserold Almanac in the Household Almanac in the Sep tember 24th issue of BUY BONDS TODAY u4 TOMORROW By DON ROBINSON STUDENTS . . . Individualist* In spite of the tremendous up heavals in our way of living have taken place during the past ten years, the youngsters of the coming generation don’t seem to have lost the desire for personal independence which ha3 always been typical of Americans. At least a survey of over 100, 000 high school boys and gills showed that the majority would prefer to be in business for them selves to working for someone else. j The boys and girls of high school age today were born dur ing a major business depression, grew up during an era of great social changes, and have, for the past three years, lived under ab normal conditions of world war. These major shakeups are bound to leave permanent impressions on the minds of the coming gen eration. Some teachers have predicted that it would result in socialistic thinking— a desire to substitute group action for indi vidual action. But the response to the “ambition poll" conducted bv the Scholastic Institute of Student Opinion would indicate that individualism will continue to be a pitent force in our coun try. INDEPENDENT-60 percent | The scholastic poll named six work classifications from which each student was asked to choose I the one which best answered the question: “If you could begin your career in any of the folliw j ing and obtain the same income in the start, which would you choose?” The choice included three clas j sifications which might be con sidered independent occupations and three which necessitated J working for someone else. Among the boys questioned, 60 per ceat chose an independent occupation; 26.2 per cent said they would like to own or manage their own business, 21.7 percent chose a profession scch as medi cine, law or teaching, and 12,1 per cent said they would prefer farming or some branch of agri ! culture. Of the 40 per cent who thought they would prefer to work for someone else, 16.9 per cent wanted to work for a large busi ness or industry, 16.6 oer cent said they would like to work for j the government and 6.5 percent thought they would like working for a small business or industry. Among the 61,115 girls cover ed by the poll, the greatest pro portion—45 per cent—expressed a preference for teaching, nurs ing, law or medicine; 13 percent said they would like to work for the government, 19 i>er cent for a large business or industry, 10 per cent for a small business, and 2 per cent expressed a preference i for agriculture. ! GOVERNMENT . . . danger There may be somewhat of a threat which bears watching in the fact that 16.6 per cent of the boys and 13.3 per cent of the girls expressed a choice for gov ernment or public service. Since there are approximatel> 12,000, 000 boys and girls of high school age, this would indicate that al most 4,000,000 are more interes What’s the Rush? IT'S THE TELEPHONE RUSH. Every night thou of service men and women dash to the nearer it phones to talk with families and friends at her. Most of the Long Distance calls from camps and uo»u. stations are crowded into a few short hours. Many circuits are likely to be crowded at that tin? and it helps a lot when you keep the lines clear from 7 to 10 for service men and women. Southern Bell Telephone aid Telegraph Company INCORPORATID tel in government earears then in private business. Perhaps this choice merely in* licates a schoolboy desire to be in the public eye—to be President or senator. Perhaps it glows out of the dissatisfaction with the way this country is run and a de sire to have a hand in improving it. But it is also possible that it can be interpreted as indicating approval of big government— of the givernment rather than pri vate enterprise being considered the most important category. But if. as the poll suggests, ov er 7,000,000 of the present high srhr.oi generation want to ba m Lusiness lor themselves, there is not too much to worry about. Whnt occupation they' at-i tl>y Jo enter will depend on numer ous cone..lions beyond cne'r cos tr°l—but, as of today, it would situ i(i' American yo*t’- is jurt is ambitious, just as freedom - loving n.u most as anxious foe independence as pievi us gener rtio s. USE EAGLE ADS WiUys V builds the mconomical Jeei flight Truth 1 Fautngur Car / Light Trmctor f Fowtt Haul T DO YOU NEED A-- , ^ * RUBBER STAMP? “WE HAVE EM” THE EAGLE PUBLISHING CO. DIAL 2101 BUY MORE WAR BONDS AND STAMPS Established 1907 Insurance that Insures The Best Insurance Fire Automobile Liability Business Houses, Stocks Goods, Dwellings, Household Furniture; Farm Dwellings and All Buildings. Automobile Protection Cheap in The Travelers which is the Oldest and Best. DAVID P. DELLINGER r v. Cherryvikle, N. C. 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The Eagle (Cherryville, N.C.)
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Sept. 14, 1944, edition 1
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