For Honor's Sake.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXVIII, Issue 7931, 3 January 1906, Page 2

For Honor's Sake.

By Bertha M. Clay. 0 Author of i( Wife in Name Only," " Wedded and Vavted," "Dora Thorite," " A Queen Among Women," a Triw. Maydalene," etc., etc.,

CHAPTER 1. THE WOUNDED GUEST. The loud clang of tho door bell, hastily repeated, as if indicating the impatience of tho person who rang, startled the servant in a lonely little cottage about lialf a mile from tho villiage of Aviron. Who could it be, and what was tho occasion for the imperative summons? The lady of the house yjus English, and was little more than a stranger in France. These were the thoughts of Toinette. tho seivant, as she nervously rose and hurried to the kitchen door. ' There she paused, seemingly puzzled. Her young mistress was sitting under the trees, at the far side of the long orchard. Why not run to her before going to the front door? Why, good heavens! this might be a thief or a murderer, or a gendarme, or something equally terrible; but madame might be asleeu. Best to run to the door. She could call through the keyhole before she opened it. So Toinette. who, though she had turned 60, was good deal more active than her 28-year-old mistress, went swiftly to the door, and called shrilly through the keyhole: "Who is there?" A man's voice answered in excellent though not quite a Frenchman's French: "Open for the love of Heaven! There is a man here who is dying!" The voice was reassuring; it was English, and it was not that of a 'Common fellow; and the plea was jr p esisiiblo to Toinette's kind heart. The door was instantly opened, and the woman cried out in horror and dismay at the sight that met her eyes. Two gentlemen, itt light summer attire carried, stretched on a gate, a third, who was dead or dying, from whom the blood dripped on the ground. "Oh! Mon Dieu! Mon Dieu!" oried Toinette. "This way, messiours!" She ran before them and ooened a sitting-room door, they following in silence, though one of them could scarcely restrain his sobs. "Bear up, Trafford!" whispered his companion, as they laid their burden on the little sofa. "He isn't dead; and it wasn't your fault that the gun exploded. Wuere is there a doctor?" he added, to Tionette. "At Dinard. It is three miles -away, monsieur. Does monsieur know the way?" "Thanks, yes. Trafford," added the speaker, who had the air of a military man, "go for the doctor, while I see to Captain Stewart. I know something about such things. Get nie some linen.—tear up sheets — anything," to Toinette, as Trafford rushed from the house, and the old servant, who did net seem to lack presence of mind, hurried away, and quickly returned with some linen, which the Englishman rapidly began to tear into strips. Toinette, perceiving his actions, said rapidly: "Monsieur, I'll tear, while you bind. Ah!" she went on, as, with a quick nod and half smile, he thanked har, "how handsome he is—he will not die?" "Heaven forbid!" said the Eng--7 lishman, hoarsely. i With no little skill he bound up the wound, Toinette watciiing i anxiously; then she said: j "I go tell madame." | The Englishman scarcely heard her; he was so. entirely occupied with his wounded friend, that be seemed to take all other things as a matter of course; but presently, as he knelt by the couch,, trying to administer mixed brandy and water from his flask to his friend he heard female voices—one an English voice—and hurried steps without and he just glanced up to see a very lovely, fair-haired woman, seemingly five or six-and-twenty, who looked white and soared, and far more ready to fairtf herself than j to oe of any assistance to an insen- ] aible man. The Englishman rose quickly, and bowed. •; "Madame," he said, speaking in bis own language and hurriedly, "forgive this intrusion—there was no choice—yours was the nearest house—my friend and brother officer, Captain Sfcewart, of Lochmohr, has been accidentally shot. lam Major Langdale." "CaDtain Stewart, of Lochmohr!" exclaimed the lady. "Oh! how horrible!—how horrible!" "You know him?'"' "No; but I know his uame. Oh! is ho dangerously wounded? Let me see —everything possible must be® done for him. Toinette! Oh! dear!—oh! dear—this is dreadful!" Toinette vanished, without mak ing any fuss. Major Langdale bent over to his friend again, while the lady, gazing on the handsome, deathly face, continued to murmur and sigh, but mado no offer of help; and was probably incapable of affording any. In a surprisingly sort time Toinette returned, to say that a bed was .ready. It was on the same floor, and would, therefore, be more easily reached. "Monsieur will not mind my loom?" she said. "It is clean. There is only one other bed-cham-ber, and that is madame's. I can help to carry the poor gontleman, sir—l am strong." "That's right, Toinette," said the lady. "Major Langdale, your friend should have my room, but the stairs would make it difficult, I am afraid." "Thanks, madame," replied the soldier, not very cdrdially. "I am ashamed to thus quarter a wounded ■ man upon you. Yes, Toinette, that s right; you are invaluable." Gently they 1 bore the wounded man away into Toinette's little chamber, aud then while the women withdrew Major Langdale got his friend into bed and onoe. more tried to restore animation, this time with better sue-

cess. Toiiiette had now returned to tho room, and watched vfitfc deep anxiety. "Ho is eo handsome !*' she said, sorrowfully, touching with her vvorkworu but kindly fingers the dark curls that clustered over the shapely head on the pillow. "He is uot an Englishman, is he?" "No, Toinette. not exactly English." "An aristocrat," said Toinette to herself. "Ah! 1 can tell." Certainly it was a noblo and striking face on which she looked; the clear, dark skin, though somewhat bronzed, as soft as a woman's; the features beautifully moulded; the mouth, shaded by the silky dark moustache, at once proud and tender and, alas! sensitive, too —surely this man was "somebody's darling"— surely he is not, in the prime of his early manhood, passing away into the 9ileut land! "Raise the pillow, Toinette—ever so little—ho." A breathless pause and then a low sign rippled over the marble lips, and slowly a pair of largo dark eyes opened, and rested with a vague gaze on Major face. "Esric!" whispered bis friend, choking down the sob in hiß throat; but there was no sign of recognition, the dark eyes closed and the wounded man laDsed again into unconsciousness. "Monsieur!" hardly breathed Toinette, "he is not dead?" "No—no. Ah! Listen—it is the doctor!" Toinette went out quickly, and then in came, silently, the doctor, a short, elderly, spectacled man, with a iotund figure and a kind, round laoe. r lhe lady of the house, whom Toinette had told Major Langdale was a Mrs Arnold, followed with Trafford, Toinette ushering the doctor into the room. Trafford had, of course, explained to JJr. Rasseaux what had happened. The three men were taking a walking tour; at a town a few miles distant, wheie they were staying for a short time, Trafford, who was an enthusiastic sportsman, bought a gun, as he had heard there was some good shooting about Aviron. He was crossing a gate, when his gun fell from his hand, and it instantly exploded, part of the charge enterring the breast of Captain Stewart, who was close behind. This happened nearly a mile from Mrs Arnold's cottage, which was the nearest house, and the young officer lost a quantity of blood before he oould be properly attended to. Luckily Dr. Rasseaux, though now a country practitioner, had been an army surgeon, and therefore knew very well what he wai about in such a case as this. After an examination of the patient he announced that Major Langdale had performed bia task very skilfully, that he did not think the wound was mortal, but it was dangerous; the patient must be kept perfectly quiet, and not on any account movea at present. "Sp,- much will depend on himself," the doctor said--"his constitution. Monsieur knows him well?" to Langdale. ."Intimately. He has a splendid contitation. I don't chink ho ever had an illness; and as for being temperate I never kaew a man to take so little. I think he has so much animation that he needs no external help." "Ah! well!' well! Has he mother —sister——" (To be Continued).