The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1896-03-02
FL0RE.
ny STANLEY j. wEymAN,
Author ofuA Gentleman OF France"
Copyright. iS9c)
PART II.

riage-,and third clerk to tae most
noble the bishop OF Beauva!s, and even
admitted on occasions 70 write In MS
presence and prepare his mlnutes'Who
should marry " / might not?--lt was
about a month after my marriage, ]
say. monsieur. that the thuhderbolt. 10
which have referred. fell and shat
tered my fortunes. / rose one mornie
--they were firing guns for the victory
| OF Rocroy, l remember, so that II must
have been eight weeks or more after
the death OF the late king. ana the
glorious rising OF the sun OF France
and who 30 happy as 1? A. summer
morning, monsieur. and bright, ana !
had all wished. The river az u
sparkled and rippled against the piers
OF the Pont Netff far below Tue WEI
roofs that wInlEled under our garret
window. were not more brilliant than
my lords fortunes, and as Is the SOUR
rel 80 Is the tall. or certainty, ] was
happy that morning. Thought OF the
little hut under the plhewood At Gabas,
and my father cobblng By the I'M
glazed window, his nightcap OH his
bald head, and his flce plastered
where the sherd had slipped. and !
,uffed out my cheeks to phlnk that !
mad climbed so high, HlghY How
high might not a man climb who had
married the daughter OF the queens
under-porter. and had sometimes me
ear OF my lord. the queens Minister
My lord OF Beauvais, In whom all men
saw the coming master OF France MY
lord whose stately presence beamed
on q world still chilled by the aeaa
hand OF RIchelleu!
But that morning. that very morning,
I was to learn that who climbs may
fall. l went below at the usual hour;
1T the usual hour, monseiSneur tett,
attended. for the council; pres
emily all the house was In an uproar
NV ford had returned and called for
Prosper, I eancled that caught even
then something ouinOus In the sound
OF my name MS II passed from lip 10 llp'
and llastened, scared. 20 the chamoer.
But fast as ] went l did not go last
enough; one thrust me on this side.
another on that. The steward cursed
me. The head clerk stormed at me; tne
secretary waited for me at the door,
ana se4zitg me By the neck ran me Into
the room. IN, rascal, I'M" he growled
In my car. "and hope your skin may
pay for ~"
Naturally, by this time was quak-
ing. AfonseIgneurs looks finished me.
He stood In the middle OF the chamber,
gnawIng the nails OF his left hand, and
scowled Of me, his handsome face pale
and sullen, Yes, he said. CURLY.
that is the felolw!"
"Wretch!' the head clerk cried.
selzIng me by the ear and twisting u
until I fell on my knees. "lmbecile!
Or more likely he did 1t on purpose.
"Bribedl" said the secretary
"He should be hung up" the stew
ard cried truculently, before he does
further mischief. And II my lord
"siieEce!" the bishop said. with n
dark glance at me. What does he
The head clerk twisted my ear until
I screamed, "Ingrltes" he cried. DO
you hear his grace speak to you? An
swer."
MY iord,'' cried. piteeusiy. 81 have
done nothing! Nothlng!"
'Nothing?" half dozen echoed.
"NothinS!" the head clerk added, bru-
tally. Nothing. and YOU added cl-
pher TO the census OF Paris! Nothing,
and your lying pen led my lord to
state the pooulatIon 10 be five millions
Instead OF five hundred thousand!
Nothing. and you sent bis grace's high
ness to the council to be corrected by
low clerks and people. and made a
laughing stock for the cardinal, and"
'Silencei" said the bishop. hcrcely.
Enough! Take him away and
Hang him" cried the steward.
NO, rascal, but have him 70 the
courtyard. and let the grootns Hog him
| through the gates. And have care.
he continued, addressing me, that l
do not see your face again, or II VIII be
worse for you!"
appealed against the sentence, but the
bishop, between rage and discontinue.
was pitiless, and before l could utter
| three words a dozen otficious hands
plucked me up and were thrusttng me
10 the door. Outside worse things
awaited me. A shower of kicks and
cuffs and blows ratned upon me; vain
~ struggling and shrieking: and seek :
ing still to gain his ear. was hustled
] along the passage 10 the courtyard.
and there dragged amid brutal ieeFa
| and laughter to the fountain, and hung
In, When scrambled out, they thrust
me back again and again, until trem-
bling with cold and rage, l at last
evaded them. only TO be hunted round
the yard with feathers and brides
that cut like knives. and drew scream
| at every stroke. ! doubled like hare;
more than once knocked half a dozen
men down; but was fast growing eX-
hausted, when some one more prudent
or less cruel than his fellows, opened
the gates ard ddrted Into the street.
/ was sobbing with rage and pain,
| Dripping, ragged, and b1refoOt-some
rogue had prudently drawn OF my
shoes In the scufiic. II wHs a wonder
that ] was not attacked and chased
through the streets. Fortunately OPP
I. Nfs.er Rna mn
| OF a little alley. plunged into X, and
in the first dark corner dropped ex-
haus,ed and lay painting In tho mud.
] who had risen so happily few hours
before! l who had climbed 20 high!
] who had a wife new-married In my
| garnet at home!
do not know how long ] lay there.
now cursing the Jealousy Of the clerks.
who would have ilRyed me to save
| themselves, and now the cruelty of the
grooms, who thought It fine sport TO
whip a scholar. But the first tempest
OF passion had spent itself, when n
wnmnn-not the first woman my plight
| had attracted, hut the others had mere
~ shrugged their shoulders and passed
| on-paused before me. What a white
skim" she cried, making great eyes at
| me. And then: You are not Street
prowler How come you here. my
Il was silent. ashamed to meet her
gaze.
She stood moment staring at me
curIously. Then: Better go home
she said. shaking her head sedateiy.
"Or those who have robbed you may
end by worse. doubt this IS what
comes OF rakIng and night work. Go
home, my lad" she repeated. and went
| on her wRy.
Home! The word raised new
thoughts; I scrambled to my feet.
| had q home-the bishop might deprive