Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1898-12-04
CHAPTER 1.

liz WduluS lWlllSHI VI telcHellcu D
day of power found France the mis-
tress of Europe. Austria lay under her
thumb, she dominated Catalonia, and
her old enemy, England, was in the
throes of revolution. National quies
cence and prosperity found diverted
expression in the exuberant social life
of Paris. In the capital it was day Of
drama and duel. of ballad writing,
love-making and little jntrigues.
Pit and stage alike were dusty that
afternoon in 1910, when all Paris gath
cred in the Hotel de Bourgogne to see
produced the play to which Master Bal
thazar Baro looked for fame-his COM
ely "Clorise.'
Tie candles were nQt--yet lighted,
but the house hummed with sounds.
Now an imprecation smote through the
buzzing when one of the troopers OF
the household of his majesty Louis
XIII knocked insolently against one of
the guard of the great cardinal, Ar
mand de Richlieu. Now there was the
clash of tolls when two gentlemen
passed the tedious time of waiting at
fencing. Pages played FRANKS and
pickpockets likewise.
Now a swaggerer seized a kiss from
a pretty shop girl, and now the foaming
of wine bespoke man about to quench
his thirst.
Honest burghers made their sober
way among the roisterers of the arts
tocracy and those of the cutters.
Sometimes a ripple of laughter floated
musically from the galleries where the
ladies' boxes were-the ladies whose
slumbrous eyes reused love their scorn-
full lips pretended to disdain.
Now a band of young marquises
burst through the doors, swords clat-
tering at their sides. They came bent
on their favorite sport-the batting of
the burghers. In the semi-darkness
they could not make out the crowd.
"Ah. Cuigy," cried one, when his
eyes had swept the dim theatre
"what sport is here? Where are the
good people who were to rush? Pshaw!
Not a toe have we trodden upon. We
come in like band of wooden diapers.
1t this your fun?"
"You should have waited at least till
the candles were lighted" said Cuigy.
"Ah! Here comes the lighters now
The crowd gathered around the can
die bearers. By their light the little
group of mobiles made one another out.
The theatre where the kings own play
ers were to perform was plain in the
light. Above the tapestried curtain
that hid the stage the royal arms were
crossed. The hall was a sort of ten
mis- court, arranged and decorated for
a theatrical performance.
On both sides of the stage were
benches, and steps led from it down to
The floor On either side of these were
places for the violinists. In the pit,
where the men of the audience gather
ed, there were no seats, and in the rear
Of it, beneath the steps that led to the
ladies' gallery, was the buffet, where a
girl sold cakes, tarts and sweet drinks.
The lights showed two men, both
striking and strikingly alike. Ligniere,
already half drunk, though the day
was young, piloted his friend Christian,
the Baron de Nervilette, about the pit,
presenting him to one group of mobiles
after another.
Christians "delighteds" were per-
functory. His eyes carelessly sought
the gallery He was Indifferent to the
scarcely whispered comments OF his
new acquaintance. He heard, as fro.l
distance, Ligniere explaining that his
friend was but new come to Paris from
Touraine and that the next day he was
to join the guards as cadet. He bent
his head in acknowledgement yof the
congratulations, but his eyes we're still
upturned toward the boxes fhere the
grand danes OF Paris gatherfd to mass