Charred Wood

riest as a friend; and, as a friend, he had cast doubt from his mind. There was an appointment to fill at Killimaga in the afternoon, an appointment to which Mark had looked forward with much joy;

there was a dull pain

rk wanted to be alone. Taking no note of the distance, he walked on for miles. It was already late in the afternoon when he turned

, and through a fear that made him take every precaution against it. He did not remember ever having had even a head

em or smash them; but now the greatest of them all insisted on raising itself between them. Poor, he could still have married her; rich, it would have been still easier so far as his people were concerned; but as a grand duchess she was neither rich nor poor. The blood royal was a bar that Mark knew he could not cross except with ruin to both; nor was he foolis

le of him. Whatever he had been to the girl once, Mark felt that the

and with aching heart, he flung himself into the tall grass wherein he had lain on the day he first saw her. L

trange what a corner the man had made for himself in Mark's heart; and Mark knew that the priest loved him even as he, Mark, loved the priest; but he felt that he must go away, must flee from the misery he dared not face. Mark

serable, he did not even care to know

of a soldier, with a step both firm and sure. He looked straight ahead, with his eyes fixed on the tree as though that were his goal. He passed Mark's resting-place quickly and struck three times on

speak lovingly to the officer who had at last come back into her life. She spoke in French and-was it because of the language used or of the unusual excitement?-her voice took on a strange elusive quality utterly unlike the

my beloved," h

keep me. When you wrote telling me where to come, an

igi. Perhaps they are

swered. "I have seen no one watching. And w

d I am afraid I should not have ca

I should have died. With

me, then

look up to you, Carlotta

Luigi, and

lay in dumb misery in the grass. It had been hard before. It was harder now when he knew for sure.

of dead branches. Was it Saunders who at last had found his man? Instinctively Mark resolved to protect, for did he not love her? He watched the shrubbery, and soon he saw a face peer out; but it was not the face of Saunders. It was a strange face, youthful, but bearded and grim, and a gun was poised beside it. Mark lay quite still, for now he heard the

before the tree

k, Luigi?" the gir

when you call

they f

ll not f

try. I have my jewels, you know. We could hide. We could

you be happ

Luigi. It is too much to pay for being

now. I never have asked such a sacrific

hat makes me all the more happy to

o parted. She stepped inside

t with his eyes wide open, as if in wonder at a strange shock, but only for an instant. Mark sprang to his side, and caught him as he fell to the ground. There was a heavy crashing through the underbrush, then a voice was raised in an oath and there was the sound

. He looked long and earnestly at the

man," he

long and earnestly at his face.

?" asked M

you for-the man for whose sake the Duch

dded toward the gunman,

of it. It's all been arranged, of course. They really sent me her

ped on his light, and examined the

ap is one of the foreigners at the railroad camp. He c

Mark quickly, "for I saw him

urned quic

ixed up in it. No one will thank you, and you will only get into difficulties. Why, the biggest men in the country would have a special messenger down here inside of twenty-four hours to keep you

, good God! you can't expect me to leave him here

tive smil

think they would send a man who

ng officer's heart. He felt for t

he said, "we can d