Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1899-03-08

mustacne.
"And your secretary, as you call him, the
abbe?"
ooh, he will come, too, and we could con
TESS to him."
hcsitated for second, and then made
answer:
Very well. Only you must be prepared
to start at moments notice, and there
will probably be hard riding and hard fight
ing, and there is yet another thing"
What is that?"
you must come as simple volunteer,
and must make no inquiry as to what the
business is on which am engaged. risk
my life for my own purposes; if you wish
to do likewise you are welcome to join me,
on the condition 1 have stated"
81 accept with pleasure"
'Then that is settled, and have a new
comrade."
"Hurrah!" and he raised his glass to his
lips.
After that he retired, it being late. saw
him across the courtyard as far as his apart
ments, and then, returning to my rooms,
unconsciously took the chair st. Armande
had vacated. The goblet of wine he had
filled was before me, and / idly lifted it in
my hand. 1t was barely touched. In fact
he could but have tasted a few drops only.
Like lightning a suspicion of trcachery
came on ME. The man had been pretending
to drink. With what object? could not
make out. Was the offer of the money a
blind? Perhaps so, and if then? l had
been a fool to agree to his joining me, with
la L. g Il, had
been a fool, but it was lucky l discovered
my own folly in time. should keep my
eyes on this silken diplomat, and if neces
through. Somehow did not like the idea
of this, however; but determined to get
rid of him in one way or the other. Iwould
allow nothing to stand between me and the
road back to honor. So musing, l sat for
a half-hour or SO, and was startled by ia
: copo's sudden entry, so lost was in thought
He came and stood, bolt upright, next tc
my chair, without saying word. knew
! from this that he had some request to
/ make, some favor to ask, as otherwise he
| would not have hesitated to make play will
his tongue at once.
What is it, Jacopo?"
He shifted uneasily from one foot to the
other, and then replied:
| "Your excellency, want leave"
Leave. What for? You are not going
to be married, are you?"
Heaven and the saints forbid, excel
| lency. No-no-it is not that, it is only
leave for the day want, and also for oul
men,"
"The devil! What are you going to dor
"Only little dinner, cxcellency, which
am giving"
"And wasting those crowns you got thu
other day. Well, that is your affair, mo-
mine. Yes, you can have the leave"
"a hundred thanks, excellency."
mind you, there must be no brawling
no trouble
"Excellency."
"Well, good night, and remember whai
I say. Here, you may remove this wine
cup as you go"
Good night, signore," and Jacopo, lifting
the goblet, went out. The night being fairly
warm, kept my door open, and as he passed
into the portico / saw him drain the con
tents of the goblet with gulp, and heart
him draw his lips together with smacl
of approval, and march of to his quarters
chuckling at something or other.
The following afternoon rode out will
Bayard and half dozen others. It wa.
a hawking party, and there was long gal
lop to our point of operation, which was tx
begin q little way beyond Ponte Molle. Il
short time we started noble heron, and
Bayard finging his peregrine into the air
we rode after the birds. It was gloriou
ride, and Castor and Pollux far outstrippec
the others, so much so that when we drew
rein beside the stricken heron, and Bayarc
slipped the hood onto his hawk, our com
panions were not in sight. This, however
troubled us little, and turning rein we mad,
backwards. On our way back, seized tn,
opportunity to mention to Bayard that st
Armande had volunteered to aid me in m,
task, and that had accepted his offer.
ut will do him good" he said; he seem
a noble youth, who has been tied too lonl
to apronstrings."
"Do you think so?.sI said; che strike
me as being effeminate to degree-and We
cannot help liking him."
"He has wonderful pure mind" sal,
Bayard; "the boy, for he is no less, is u
innocent as child"
"The vatican will not improve him then
especially if he plays for gold crowns will
Colonna."
plays for gold crowns" exclaimed Bay
ard; "you are surely mistaken, cavaliere.
"Did he not do SO last night, my lord?
understood he won three hundred off Fab
rizio?'
Impossible" said Bayard, 81 was at tn
vatican last night, and the party in which
Colonna was playing consisted of Strigonia
Mgr. Florido, our lord the pope, and Colon
ma himself-no more. st. Armande wa
standing hard at hand for some little time
but never took wager. In fact, he passe,
most Of the evening with Giulia Bella
thrumming on lutte, much to the annoy
ance of his holiness should say it woul,
be well for him to quit Rome"
"Then am wrong" 1 said; eyes, I fame,
it would be well for him to quit Rome
BY this time the others came up, and w
said no more. As we went back to Rome
dropped little behind, rejecting OF
what Bayard had told me. 1 was certai
that st. Armande had lied to me, and
began to feel sure he had done this not TO
my good. In short, it seemed to me tina
this innocent-looking boy, with his shy, re
firing manners and apparent want o
knowledge of the world, was nothing NOR
nor less than an accomplished actor. The
again he was Frenchman, and how cam
he, obviously fresh from France, to becom
an agent of the Medici plotters, for SO
put him down to be? There were the let
tiers from Nine. de Ia Tremouille, his intro
auctions were unimpeachable, the cardina
believed in him-the whole thing was con
Trajectory. Above all, there was my stron
personal liking for st. Armande. In hi
presence 1 never felt that secret warnin
which all men feel when they are with a
enemy. have never known it fail wit
me, and with st. Armande there was n
such warning, no such silent signal whic
goes straight from soul to soul. On tn
contrary, felt he was almost more thai
friendly towards mo, and I felt, in my tur
towards him, despite our short Acquaintance
very nearly the same protective feeling tina
one has towards defenseless child. A
may be imagined, was in no very con
Portable frame of mind about this, and rod
back silently, revolving the point. Whe
We reached the palace, almost the first pei
son met was st. Armande, and as i di.