The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1894-09-21
Cardinal RicheIieu.
Founded on the Play of ..Richelieu,' by
Lord LyttOn.
CHAPTER II-CoNTINUED.

CHAPTER II-CoNTINUED.
''Adrien." Kissed the other in his
ear, ''to you alone 1 confide it; nom
inally our figurehead is the duke
royal, but once at sea we pitch over
board the gaudy doll which served
to pass us by the forts and show our
true colors-our real captain. u
"Ah! And hep"
"That is to bel determined. Come.
to our meeting"
''As long as Prince CASTOR be not
the chief" began Mauprat. rising.
81 pledge you so much. F"
''I'll go with you, and 1 will strike
with you. L."
.Bravely said," cried the count
leave forever thoughts that
Speak not to me thus. 1 am
yours! But speak not There's a
voice within my soul whose cry
could drown the thunder. Oh, if men
will play dark sorcery with the heart
of man, let them who raise the spell
beware the fendT"
And he made way, striding through
the plumes and satin dOublets with
enough rudeness to have won him a
hundred challenges were they all
thirty years younger, before Riche-
lieu had prohibited dueling under
pain of death.
Since some time there had been
gradually formed in secluded
chamber, guarded, though not osten-
sibly, as crystal collects around
nucleus, a conclave OF principal
guests of Marion Delorme, those who
had played and drank merely as
blind to their true errand. No lady
was there; the hostess was excluded
as much from prejudice against
woman as the keeper of a state Sc
cret as any particular reason.
The knight of Mauprat held him
self back from the inner circle, from
his double feeling of disgust for the
prince of Orleans, shining there in
the most sumptuous apparel, like a
beautiful snake, and his Indifference
to details as long as his dispenser of
life and death, the cardinal, was the
target of the enterprise.
He stood erect, with firm mouth
and kindling eye, like soldier
whom a nightmare held in trem-
bling, but who had shaken off his
tremor and was eager for the morn
ing's fray. He put his name to the
scroll of allegiance with the clearest
handwriting he had ever traced; but
though his sight was equally as
clear, he forebore the precaut1on of
reading the lines to which he gave
adherance. He was the last save
few others, more hesitating than he.
The business of the night was
over, and the party broke up-some
to pass the remaining hours in the
rooms where the heat was suffOcat
ing, others to hasten home with
growing apprehensions, the rest to
saunter the streets and pick quar-
rel with the watch, in order to lessen
the strain on their brains by a little
blood-letting without payment of the
surgeons fee.
: Adrien de Mauprat. alone, sailed
out, grimly joyous, for at length he
was no longer solitary combatant
against the terrible old man who
dwelt IN the palace he had to pass on
his way to his lodgings.
In spite of the hour there was
movement at those gates. Several
guardsmen appeared, armed to the
teeth A sound of steps behind him
caused him to glance over his
shoulder; instead of group of
jewellers from Marion Delorme's, six
guardsmen, in the same uniform as
those in front, we're treading in his
steps, And from the other side of
the way, a deep shadow yelling some
preparatory materials for building
on waste ground, a colossal figure
strobe straight toward him where he
had halted with his back to the
palace for defense if he were the OBJ
iect of this triangular advance.
The three forces closed in upon
him, all the swords drawn. and all
the cloaks thrown back to leave
right arms free.
..The knight Adrien of Mauprat.
methinks?" said the giant guards
man, extending square of parch-
ment in his left hand. ga warrant
for your arrest. signed by his emil
nence for the king. Wilt come under
the lamp in our gateway to read it?''
he continued sarcastically at the hui
NOR of venturing so far into the trap
with any hope of return.
Receive my sword said the sol
der, too experienced in war to ex-
peet any gain by resistance against
such Odds ..and my tribute of self
satisfaction that his eminence does
me the honor to reckon me worthy
of arrest by a dozen of his flowers of
cavalry. headed by the tall Huguet
l-a tripe man himself"
And marching as steadily as the
oldest veteran In the ranks closing
around him. and the captain holding
the two swords. he who had few
minutes since dreamt of q conflict
with the cardinal was conducted
lsgsftIin that dignitary's residence
CHAPTER III.
- The Child of the Chfldless.
IT,. 4si44-.r, i, IL. std :.