Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1898-09-27

-eoifdn War-f rance VIII be all plOW-
shares, now that the king is king"
/ caught him by the sleeve. Tell
me-" I said, weakly, "who is madame,
where is Bidache?"
Madame is Claude de Rochemars,
widow of Antoine de la Tremouille, and
heiress of Bidache, Pelouse and quar-
ter of the Cevennes-Bidache. Where
you go is her chateau in Normandy.
Madame" he went on, with ghost of a
smile on his thin lips, sis kindness her
self. Now, no more talk for to-day"
Then he went and lay back, as sore
in mind as in body.
In day OF so madame's steward of
Bidache arrived, bearing letter from
her, in which she placed her Norman
chateau at my disposal until was well
again. They moved me here by easy
stages, carrying me in a litter, as I was
too weak to ride, and when came to
Bidache, and was borne to my apart
ments, imagine my joy and surprise at
seeing there my knave Jacques, whom
I thought to be either dead or home
again ut Auriac, and not only Jacques,
but hanging on the wall my own sword,
and the sight of it was like meeting
tried friend. Later on jacques in
formed me that after the rout he had
made the best of his way back to the old
rock and stayed there, hoping for news
of me. At last it came, with orders for
him to hurry to Bidache, and he did so,
bearing with him such things as he
thought I needed, as we'll as hundred
pistoles of rents. AS for the sword, 1T
had been given to him on his arrival by
madame's orders to keep for me. Ihad
come to a low ebb by this, and the
money was trebly welcome, as it would
furnish me with couple of horses, and
leave round sum besides when I left
Bidache, which meant to do as soon as
ever / was fit to travel. And now the
time had come for me to depart, and
was TO start that evening. For 40
crowns Jacques had picked up couple
of stout cobs at Evreux, and we meant
10 leave an hour or so before shutdown
and make for Paris, where, if the king
would accept an old leaguer's sword,
he would stay-if not, the world was
wide. was as far as ever from I'M
derstanding the strange message that
M. d'Ayen had delivered to me, and felt
myself safe in going to Paris, as gen.
eral amnesty covered all our sins of re-
bellion-so they were called now.
So absorbed was 1 in these thoughts
that did not mark the rapid approach
OF a horseman, nor indeed was / aware
of his presence until, when within few
yards from me, he refined in his plung-
ing beast, whose bit and neck were
white with foam, and lifting his hat re-
spectfully, inquired if was the Cheva-
lier d'Auriac, and on my reply ex-
claimed: Madame will be overjoyed.
We heard that you had already left
Bidache, and my lady arrives within
the hour from Evreux-pardon, mon
sieur, go to give the news to the
household" and saluting again the
lackey dashed EDWARDS toward the
chateau.
so ] would meet her within the hour.
Half unconsciously / glanced down to
see if my doublet set Alright and my
points were tied. Then l thought /
would go back to the house and meet
her there, and, as I did this looked
at the fall of the plumes in my hat, and
finally laughed aloud at myself for a
coXcQmb, took my heart in both hands
and marched EDWARDS toward the gates.
The porter had already been warned,
and on my coming 1 found him there
and a crowd of yolels, all in state
of high excitement.
ut is three years since madame was
here, monsieur" the honest fellow ex-
claimed to me as l came up, three
years, and now she comes without a
word of warning-hola! There they are,
and there is madame on the jennet she
purchased from NJ. lie Due de Sully-he
was but the Sieur de Rosny then-holaI
Hola!"
The crowd joined with him in his
cheers, although as yet the party was
far off-not so far, however, that I
could not easily make out the graceful
figure on the jennet, and in the two
riders who accompanied madame, apart
from the half dozen servants behind, /
recognized to my surprise d'Ayen, and
guessed that the gray beard in the tall
crowned broad-brimmed hat, with the
sad-colored cloak over his shoulders,
was no other than the old Huguenot,
whose zeal had outrun his discretion,
on the night when saved madame