Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1901-10-05
CHAPTER XII.

CHAPTER XI.
A NIGHT OF SORROW.
Louis! LOUISE
He turned with a start at the sound
or my voice, JOY and bewilderment-
and no wonder-in his countenance.
He had not supposed US to be within
100 leagues Of him. And 10! here we
Were, knee to knee. hand meeting
hand in a long grasp. while his eyes.
to which tears sprang u%nbidden, dwelt
on my face as though they could read
In 1t the features OF his sweetheart.
Some one had furnished him with a
nat and enabled him to put his dress
In order, and washed his wound, which
was very slight, and these changes had
improved his appearances; so that the
shadow OF grief and despondencey pass
ing Tor a moment from him In the Joy
OF seeing he, he looked once more his
former self; as he had looked in the old
days at Caylus on his return from
hawking, or from some boyish escapade
among the hills. Only, alas! he wore
nc sword.
And now tell me ALL he cried, after
his first exclamation of wonder had
found vent. How on earth do you
come here? Here, of all places, and by
my side? Is all well at Caylus? Surely,
mademoiselle is not"
10 vi NCl DCllCCllJ
we'll! And thinking of you ! swear!''
! answered passionately. For u.s."
went on, eager for the moment to es-
cape that subtect-how could I talk Of
Ii In the daylight and under strange
eyes?-"Marie and Croisette are be-
hind. We left Caylus eight days ago.
We reached Paris yesterday evening.
We have not been to bed! We have
passed, Louis, such q night as l new
err"
he stopped me with a gesture.
"Hush!' he said. raising his hand.
Don't speak Of It, Anne!" and l saw
that the fate Of his friends was still too
recent, the horror of his awakening to
those dreadful sights and sound was
still too vivid for him to bear reference
to Them. Yet after riding for a time in
silence-though his lips moved-he
asked me again what had brought me
up.
wv came to warn you-of him." I
answered, pointing 10 the solitary fig
ure of the vidame, who was riding
ahead OF the party. "He-he said that
Kit should never marry you, and boast
ed of what he would do to you, and
frightened her. So, learning he was
going to Paris, we followed him-to
put you on your guard, you know"
And / briefly sketched our adventures,
and the circumstances and mistakes
which had delayed us hour after hour,
through all that strange night, until
the time had gone by when we could
do good.
His eyes glistened and his color rose
as l told the story. He wrung my hand
warmly, and looked back tc smile at
Marie and Croisette. 1T was like
you!" he calculated, with emotion.
1T was like her cousins! Brave, brave
lads! The vicomte will live to be
proud Of you! Some day you Will all
do great things! / say it,"
But oh, Louis!" ] exclaimed, sor-
rowfully, though my heart was bound
ing with pride at his words, III we had
only been in time! If we had only
come TO you two hours earlier!"
You would have spoken to little
purpose then, fear" he replied, shak-
ing his head. I'VE were given over as
prey to the enemy. Warnings? We
had warnings in plenty. De Rosny
warned us. and we scoifed at him. The
kings eye warned Us, and we trusted
him. But" ard Louis form dilated
and his hand rose as he went on, and [
thought of mis- cousins prediction 'it
will never be 40 again In France, Anne!
Never! No man will after this trust
another' There will be no honor, or
faith, no quarter, and nc peace! And
for the Valois who has done this, the
sword will eve depart from his house!
l believe it! / 10 believe it,"
How truly he spoke we know now.
For two and twenty years after the
oath OF August, 1872, the sword was
scarcely laid aside In France for a
single month. In the streets OF Paris,
at Argues, and Coutras, and Ivry, blood
flowed like water that the blood of ST.
Bartholomew might be forgotten-that
blood which, by the grace OF God, Ma
varree saw fall from the dice box on the
eve of the massacre! The last of the
Valois passed to the vaults Of ST. Denis;
and q greater king, the first Of all
|Frenchmcn, alive or dead, the bravest.
gayest, w!sest Of the land, succeeded
him; yet even he had to fall by the
knife, in a moment most unhappy for
his country, before France, horror
stricken, put away the treachery and
evil from her.
Talking with Louis as we rode, II was
not unnatural-nay, 1t was the natural
result Of the situatior-that / should
avoid n subject. Yet that subject
was the uppermost in my thoughts.
What We're the vidame's Intentions?
What was the meaning of this strange
Journey? What was to be Louis fate?
| shrank with good reason from asking
him these questions. There could be
so little roorh for hope, even after that
smile which / had seer Beers smile.
that dared not dwell upon them. /
should but torture him and myself.
So 1t was he who first spoke about it,
Not at that time, but after sunset,
when the dusk had fallen upon us and
found us still plodding southwark with
links In the long chain Of riders, toll
ing EDWARDS. Then he said suddenly:
DO o know whittier we are going,
Anna?'
/ started, and found myself strug-
Cling with a strange confusion before
l could reply. Home" 1 suggested at
random.
Home? No. And yet nearly home.
To CahorS,' he answered with an odd
q~uietude. Your home, my boy, 1 shall
never see aFain, nor Kit, Nor my own
Kit" It was the first time l had heard
him call Ee' hy the fond name we used
ourselves. And the pathos I'm his one
as OF the past, not the present, as of
pure memory-I was very thankful
that l could not in the dusk see his face
shook my self-control. l wept. Nay,
my lad" he went on, speaking softly
and leaning from his saddle so that he
could lay his hand on my shoulder, I'VE
are all mon together. We must be
brave. Tears cannot help us, so we
should leave them to the-women."
1 cried more passionately at that.
Indeed his own voice quavered over the
last word. But in q moment he was
talking to me coolly and quietly. /
had muttered something to the effect
that the vidame would not dare
1t would be too public.
There is no question of daring in
it," he replied. And the more public
1t is, the better he will like 1t. They
ave dared TO take thousands of lives
since yesterday. There is no one IN
call him to account since the king
our king for sooth!-has declared every
Huguenot nj outlaw to be killed wher-
ever he be met with. No, when
Beers disarmed me yonder," he pointed
as he spoke to his wound, 1T locked OF