Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1899-03-01

CHAPTER I.
A BOLT FROM THE BLUE.

II do not drink with thief!'
D'Entrangues spoke in clear, distinct
tones, that rose above the hum of voices,
and everyone caught the words. In an in
slant the room was still. The laughter on
all faces died away, leaving them grave; and
twenty pairs Of curious eyes, and twenty
curious faces, were turned toward us. 1t was
so sudden, so unexpected, this Earring dis.
cord in our harmony, that it fell as if bolt
from a mangonel, or shot from one of
Messer Novarro's new guns, had dropped
in amongst us. Even that, take it, would
have caused less surprise, although for the
present there was truce in the land. Pros
pero Colonna turned half round in his seat
and looked at me. Our host and commander,
old Ives d'Alegres, who was pouring him
self out glass of white vernaccia, held the
decanter in mid-air, an expression of blank
amazement in his blue eyes. Even the
Englishman, Hardwood, who sat next to
me, was startled out of his habitual calm.
Every eye was on us, on me where sat
dazed, and on D'Entrangues, who was lean.
ing back slightly, forced smile on his face,
the fingers of one hand playing with the
empty glass before him, whilst with the
other he slowly twisted his long red mus
tache. I was completely taken aback.
Only that afternoon / parted from DEN
trangues, apparently on the best of terms.
We had played together and he had won
my crowns. 1t is true he was not paid in
full at the time; but he knew the word Of
q Savelli. On leaving, Nine D'Entrangues
asked me to join her hawking party for the
morrow, and he urged the invitation. ]
accepted, and backed my new peregrine
against pEntrangues' old hawk Bibbo for
ten crow'as, the best of three flights, and
the wager was taken. Never, indeed, had
I known him so cordial I did not like the
man, but for his wife's sake was friendly to
him. OF truth, there were few of the
youngsters in Tremouille's camp who wer,
not in love with her, and some of us older
fellows too, though we hid our feelings bet
ter. I was grateful to madame. She had
been kind to me after the affair of San
Miniato. when a Florentine pike somehow
found it's way through my breastplate. In
deed, l may say owed my recovery to her
nursing. In return had been of some serv-
ice to her in the retreat up the valley of the
Taro, after Fornovo-she called it saving her
life. In this manner friendship sprang up
between us which was increased by the op-
portnnities we had of meeting whilst the
army lay inactive before Arezzo. Long years
of camp life made me fully appreciate the
society of woman, remarkable alike for
her beauty and her talent; and she, on the
other hand, felt for me, I was sure, only
that friendship which it is possible for
good woman to hold for man who is not
her husband.
/ do not for one moment mean to imply
that Doris D'Entrangues was perfection:
/ knew her to be hayward and rash, some
times foolish, If you will; but withal pure
woman. / soon found she was unhappy,
and in time she got into way of confding
her troubles to me, and they were not a
few, Cor D'Entrangues was-what all men
knew him to be. Finding that could be of
help to madame, I avoided all difference
with the husband, and for her sake was, as
I have said, friendly to him. Perhaps my
course of action was not prudent; but who
is there amongst US who is always guided by
the head? At any rate, Iexpiated my fault.
and paid the price of my folly to the end of
the measure.
A sat in the now silent supper-room
with the mans words buzzing in my ears, a
curious recollection of scene that oc-
Cured about a month ago came back to me.
Madame and I had overridden ourselves
hawking, and had dismounted at her re
quest and gathered for her posy Of yellow
coronilla and scarlet amaryllis. This, in her
quick, implusive way, she held to her hus-
bands face when we met him, half league
or SO on our way back, saying: "See what
lovely flowers Di Savelli has given mel" He
snatcked them from her hand, and flung
them under his horse with an oath, adding
something which I did not catch. Madame
flushed crimson, and the incident ended
there, for did not care to press the matter.
It all came back to me now, in the oldest
manner, as 1 sat staring at D'Entrangues.
He had come in late to the supper, and.
after greeting D'Alegres, slipped into the
seat opposite me in silence. Across him
two mef were discussing series of thefts
that had recently disturbed us. They were
not COMMON thefts, such as are of daily &C.
currence in military camp; but were the
work of some one both daring and enter
prising. Even then the matter would not
have attracted the attention it did but for
the loss of ruby circlet by Duchess de Ia
Tremouiile, which, besides its intrinsic
value, was the gift of king. Nine. de la
Tremouille made an cutlery, and the duke,
az the matter touched him, was leaving no
stone unturned to find the thief. It had
come to he that every robbery in the camp
was put down to this same light fingered
gentleman; and Visconti, one of the two men
who were discussing the question, was loud
ly lamenting the loss of rare medallion of
which he had just been relieved. Through
out their conversation DEntrangues,
Though once or twice addressed, spoke no
word, but maintained moody silence.
When the wine was circling round l, being
warmed, and wishing to stand well with the
husband of madame made some rallying al
lusion to our match for the morrow, and
offered to drink to him. His reply is known.
The silence which followed his speech was
10 utter that one may have heard a feather
fall; and then some one, know not who,
laughed shortly. The sound brought me to
myself, and in fury, hardly knowing what
1 was doing, jumped up and drew my dag
ger, but was instantly seized by Colonna and
Hardwood. The latter was man of great
size, and between him and Colonna I was
helpless. 49,.
.'Give him rope" whispered Hardwood,
AMI his voice was kind, "this is not an affair
10 be settled with q poniard thrust, =. 4
The whole room was in an uproar now. oil