The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1884-04-22
TIE INN OF ROUELLE.

stopped at the door or an inn in the
village of Rouelle, which adjoins the
park Of Malmaison. He was shown
into The best room in the house, and
the busy hostess set about preparing a
repast In a few minutes another
traveller Oh horseback stopped ut the
inn, and also ordered dinner.
am very sorry tnat | cannot &C.
commodate You, sir, said the hostess;
but everything we nave in the house
has been bespoken 10y "a gentleman who
arrived Il few minutes before you.
Go up stairs saId ne, aud tell your
guest shall be much ub.igei to him if
he will permit me TO share his dinner,
and L will detray my portion of the
expenses.
The hostess delivered the message
to the first traveller, VINO politely re-
piled, tell the gentleman | shall be
glad of his company, but it is not my
practice To accept payment from per-
SONS whom | invite To- dine with me.
The second traveller accordingly
went upstairs, and they both sat
down to the table.
The dinner was as cheerful as could
be expected, considering the short ac-
qualntance of the two but during the
desert, when some excellent WINE was
placed before them, the second travel
er ventured to ask his obIiging Am
phitryOn what had brought him to
that part ofthe country. 1 have Jeen
ordered here, he replied, by the Car
dinal.
By The Cardinal /! resumed his COM
panion. Pardon my curiosity, If in-
quire whether You have given his
EmiBence any offence
BY no means and it is only to free
myself from any such incubation that
| nave come here. The fact Is, there
has been published ut Rochelle, my
native town, viruient satire upon
the public conduct aud personal char
acter of the Cardinal, several copies
of which have been addressed To the
King, aud though | never i'll nv life
wrote a single word that has appeared
in print, | am unjustly accused of be-
ing the author OF this pamphlet. Moth
ing obtains such ready belief as the
Whispering of folly ana ill-nature
and | have, therefore, lost no time in
obeying the summons IF his Emmence,
with the hope of efectalIy refuting
the charge that is br,aght against
me.
Sir, said his companion, with an
expression of marked anxiety, return
thanks To Providence for the fortunate
accident that introduced me to you
to-day. | also have been summoned
hither by the Cardinal, and for no
other purpose, | am convinced, than
that of beheadirg you.
A thrill OF horror passed through
the frame Of the person to whom
those words were addressed.
Yes. sir, my task wOuld have been
to behead you. am the executiOner
Of neighboring town, and whenever
the cardinal has any secret act of ven
geance to perform receive orders TO
repair TO the castle. The particulars
| have just heard you relate, together
with the hour of your appointment
here, all convince me beyond doubt,
that YOU are marked out is 4 victim.
But fear nothing, | will secure your
escape. Order your horse instantly.
and 20 with me. Will acquit my
self of the debt of gratitude which
your courtesy has imposed upon me.
The horror and alarm of the poor
Traveller NAV ne easily conceived. He
instantly ordered the horse to be sad
died. and having paid the bill, he and
his companion set out taking private
way through the wood OF Bertrand.
Do YOU see, said the guide, as they
approached ihe castle, that grated
window which almost reaches the
crannies OK the central turret? In
that dungeon, sentences, against
which there is 10 appeal are pronOunc-
ed and executed, and the mutiIated
bodies of the victims are hurled into
the moat below, where they are speed
destroyed by quicklime. Neglect not
to observe my instructions. Conceal
yourself behind tina; hedge, and if
within the space of an hour you see
Il light glimmering at the win
dow which have pOintel
out, then you may conclude that
| am ordered here 10 execute VEN
geance upon another, but if, on the
contrary, you see no light, rely on it
that you yourself are the intended vic
tictim. In that case, lose not a mo-
ment, Profit by the darkness of the
night and the swiftness of your horse.
Gain the frontier, and there plead