The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-11-24
PART I.

After the second Daltle oi hoShStSN'
(which Englishmen call Blenheim, In
world ringing with the names OF Mari
borough asd Eugene, Louis of Baden
and Villars, Vileroy the Incapable ana
Rouff}ers the Brave--a world, for US,
of dark chaos luridly lit by flames OF
burning hamlets, and galoped through
Iby huge troopers wearing periwigs
and high boots, and pistols two feet
long in the barrel-one of the Austrian
captains sat down before the frontier
town of Huymonde in Spanish Flar-
Iders, and prepared to take it.
Whereat Huymonde was not too
greatly moved. A warm town of fat
tburghers and narrow streets, and oak
wainscots that winked in the freight,
lapd FURNISHED flagons that caught the
drinkers smile, 1t was not to be hghtiy
excited; and IL had been besieged heav'
len only knows how many times before.
Men made ready as for long frost;
hook count of wine and provisions, and
hid q portion of each under the cellar
floor: thanked God that they were not
the garrison and that times were
changed since the Thirty Years War;
and, in short, fell very easily into an
idle life fiecked with bubbles OF excite-
t1nent. When the Austrian guns rum
Ibled without, and the. smoke eddied
mlowlv over the walls, they stood in the
streets. their hands in their muffs, ana
loossiped not unpleasantly; when the
cannons were silent, they smoked theic
long pipes on the ramparts, and meas
ured the advance of the trenches, and
listened while the oldest iphabitant
iprosed Of the sack by Spinola in IA ana
the winter siege of Al.
Whether the good townsfolk were os
brave in private-when at home with
their wives. for instance-may be
coubted: but this for certain the burgo-
masters trouble lay all with the wom-
en-. Whether they had less faith In
the great Louis--who, indeed. seemed
IN these days Iess superior TO world in
arms than in the dawn OF his glory
Ior whether they found the Oldest an
habitant's tales too precisely to the
point. they had way of growing rest
Ave once a week, besieging the good
Rurgomaster's house and demanding
with a thousand shrill and voluble
toppues-immediat surrender on
terms. Between whiles, being busy
with scrubbing and baking and wash
ing their children, they were quiet
enough. But as surely as Sunday came
round. and with il a clean house and
leisure to chat with the neighbors, tho
lburpomasters hour came too, and with
Ht a mob of women shaking crooked
fingers at him, and deafening him with
their abuse. He began-though bold
1nan--to dream at night of De Witt and
his fate; and from a stout and pompous
burgher, dwindled in six weeks to
lean and morose old tyrant. Withal he
had no choice, for at his shoulder
lurlced the French commandant, q res
,olute man with a grim wit OF his own
land a pet curtain-between the Stadt-
haus bastion and the bastion OF the
Bronze House, and very handy to the
sormer-Awhereat he shot deserters and
sthe like ON the smallest pretext.
Still the Burgomaster, as he wiped
his sallow face, and watched the last
Iof the women withdraw on the seventh
IEunday of the siege, began to think
that, rather than pass through this
arain, he would face even the curtain
and vollcy. The ordeal had been more
severe than usual; his cheek still
Itwitched, and he leaned against his Of
fetal table to belle his trembling knees.
He had been settling a change OF billets,
when the viragos broke in on him, and
only his clerk had been present; for his
council-and this rub he felt sorely-
much -bHllied in cid days, were treating
him to solitude now and the monopoly
lof the burden. His clerk was still with
him, but affected to be busy with the
papers on the table-perhaps he was
scared, too. and equally bent on hiding
vt; 50 1t was the burgomaster himself
who first discovered that they were mo-
In fact alone, but that one woman still
fingered. She sat in corner of tn,
oak seat that ran round the panelet
room; and the stained glass Of the win
dows, blazoned with the arms of Huy
monde and the Counts of Flanders, cas-
n veil of tawny lights between her an'
the gazer, a veil behind which sh
seemed to lurk. The Burgomaste
started, then remembered that the dan
ger was over for the time, and in
harsh voice babe her follow her mates
"Bcgone. wench," he said. "And g,
ito your prayersl That is women
work. Leave these things 20 men,"
The woman rose. when men," sh
answered, in a strident voice at whic
the Bureomaster started sfresh, "hid
themselves, il is time women stood foi
ward. Where is your son?"
The Burgomnster swore.
where is your SOM" the woman re
Ipeated firmly.
The Burgomaster swore again. his sa
low face grown purple; then looked q
his clerk and signed to him 10 go. Th
clerk went wondering and gaping fo
this was unusual-and left the two e
gethcr.
Then the Burgomaster found IA
voice. "You Jezebel," he cried, pa