n using. "I hope some day you will do me the honor of telling me of
the attack yourself," he said. "It is sometimes very lonely here while
I am on guard."

His gentle tone, and above all the flattering respect he showed, gave
Lucia back her courage.

"Of course I will come," she said, "just as soon as my little brother
is better. He fell and cut his head, and, and--well, I guess I'd
better be going back, he may awaken and be frightened. Good night."

"Good night, Senorina," the soldier replied, "I am proud to have seen
you."

"Now then,--" his voice became harsh again as he turned to his
prisoners, "go along, one wink of your eyelid in the wrong direction
and I will shoot."

He marched them off quickly, and Lucia, because the affair seemed
finished, started for home.

CHAPTER XXI

THE END OF THE STORY

"Tell me a story," Beppi demanded when she was lying beside him once
more, "I'm all awake again and my face hurts."

"What shall it be about?" Lucia asked, stroking his hair. She was
still trembling from the reaction of her adventure, and Beppi's warm
little body snuggled close in her arms was comforting.

"Go on with the story about the soldier and the bad girl that teased
him, and the good girl that was the fairy princess."

"Very well, but shut your eyes. Let me see," Lucia began, "the soldier
went off to the war, and when he came back he was wounded and the good
girl took care of him, and they decided to be married and live happily
ever after. And the bad girl when she saw the poor soldier wounded was
sorry she had teased him, and she never did it again. And because she
was good all kinds of nice things happened to her. She found her fairy
godfather, and he had a magic carpet, and first thing you know she was
in the middle of a beautiful garden with her little--"

"Oh, bother, I knew that wasn't a real story," Beppi protested. "It's
just about Roderigo and Maria and the Captain and you. And oh, Lucia,
how silly you are, you called yourself the bad girl when really you're
the goodest in the whole world."

"Am I, Beppino mio?" Lucia laughed. "I don't think so."

"Well, I say you are," Beppi replied, drowsily, "and the Captain thinks
so too, so--" He dropped off to sleep.

"I wonder if he would say so if he had seen me to-night," Lucia mused,
"I had to do it, it was the only way, but oh, dear, I do hope I don't
ever hear any more wicked men again." She yawned and looked towards
the