Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1897-03-25


him. IF you say anything as to his
danger he may refuse to come Men
are obstinate"
nodded smiling assent, thinking
l understood. At the same time per-
mitted myself in my own mind a little
discretion. Pavannes was not fool,
and the name of the vidame-but. how
ever, I should see. I had more to say
to him than she knew of. Meanwhile
she explained very carefully the three
turnings 1 had to take to reach the
river, and the wharf where boats most
commonly lay, and the name of the
house in which I should find N. de
Pavannes.
HE is at the Hotel de Bailli," she
said. 'And there. L think that is ALL"
mo, not all,'' said hardly. There
is one thing have not got And that is
a swordi"
She followed the direction of my eyes,
started, and 1aughed-a little oddly.
But she fetched the weapon. ''TalSe it,
and do not" she urged, do not lose
time. Do not mention me to PavanneS.
Do not let the white badges be seen as
you return. That is really all. And
now good lucki'' She gave me her hand
to kiss. 'Good luck, my knight-errant,
good 1ucl-and come back to me sooni"
She smiled divinely, as it seemed to
me, as she said these last words, and the
s.lme smile followed me downstairs;
for she leaned over the stairhead with
one of the lamps in her hand, and di-
rected me how to draw the bolts. I took
one backward glance as I did so at the
fair STOPPING figure above me, the shin
ing eyes, and tiny out-stretched hand,
and then darling into the gloom 1 hur-
ried on my way.
was in n strange mood. A few min
utes before had been at Pavannes'
door, at the end of our journey; on the
verge of success. I had been within
an ace, as supposed at least, of eXecut-
ing my errand. I had held the cup Of
success in my hand. And it had slipped.
Now the conflict had to be fought over
again; the danger to be faced. Itwould
have been no more than natural if !
had felt the Disappointment eenly; if
had almost despaired.
But it was otherwise-far otherwise.
Never had my heart beat higher or
more proudly than as 1 now hurried
through the streets, avoiding such
groups as were abroad in them, and
intent only on observing the proper
turnings. Never in any moment of tri-
unph in after days, in love or war. did
anything like the eXhiiaration the en-
ergy, the spirit, of those minutes come
back to me. [ had woman's badge in
my cap-for the first time-the music
of her voice in my ears I had q magic
ring on my finger; a talisman on my
arm. My sword was at my side again.
All round me lay misty city of adven-
ture, of danger and romance, full of
the richest and most beautiful POSSIBLE
tiles; a city of real witchery, such as i
had read of in stories, through which
those fairy gifts and my right hand
should guide me safely. L did not even
regret my brothers, or our separation.
I was the eldest. It was fitting that the
cream of the enterprise should be re-
served for me, Anne de Caylus. And to
what might it not lead? L fancy saw
myself already a duke and q peer of
France-already I held the baton.
Yet while eXulted boyishly, I did not
forget what I was about. I kept my
eyes open, and soon remarked that the
number of people passing to and fro in
the dark streets had much increased
within the last half hour. The silence
in which, in groups or singly, these fig
ures stole by me was very striking.
heard no brawling, fighting or singing,
yet if it were not too late for these
things, why were so many people up
and about? I began to count presently,
and found that at least half of those
met wore badges in their hats and on
their arms, similar to mine, and that
they all moved with business-like air.
as if bound for some rendezvous.
was not a fool, though was young,
and in some matters less quick than
Croisette. The hints which had been
dropped by so many had not been lost
on me. 'NThere is more afoot tonight
than you know OFF, Mime. do had
said. And having eyes as well as ears
I fully believed it. Something was
afoot. Something was going to hap
pen in Paris before morning. But
what, wondered. Could it be that
rebellion was about to break out? If
so I was on the kings service, and all
was well. 1 might even be going-and
only 1S-to make history Or was it
only brawI on a great scale between
two parties of mobiles? had heard of
such things happening in Paris. Then
well I did not see how / could act in
that case. / must be guided by events.
ITO BE Continued