Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1901-07-27

the same thought-and a late repent.
ance. Nay, the malignity of Beers
tone, the savag CLEAN OF JOY In his
eyes, appalled, me to such an extent
that / fancied for a moment / saw IN
him the devil in~carnate.
He recovered his composure very
quickly. however: and turned careless
ly towards the door. "Ir you will fol
low me-" he said. II will see you dis.
posed of. o. may have to complain
OF your lodging-I have other things &c
think OF tonight than hospitality. But
YOU shall not need to complain OF your
supper"
He drew aside the curtain as he
spoke, II passed into the next room
before us, not giving a thought appar-
emily to the possibility that we might
strike him from behind. There was an
odd quality apparent in him at times
which seemed to contradict what we
knew OF him.
The room we entered was rather long
than wide, hung with tapestry, and
lighted by silver lamps. Rich plate en-
bossed, / afterwards learned, by Gel
lini, the Florentine-and richer glass
from Venice, with a GROVE Of meancr
vessels filled with meats and drinks
covered the table; disordered as by the
attacks OF a numerous party. But saw
NAhN ~ W w III =
and an ec~clesiastic at the far end of
the table, the room was empty.
The priest rose as we entered, the
Nldame saluting him as II they had not
met that day. You are welcome, M.
lie Coadjuteur," he said; saying it cold
ly, however, l thought. And the two
eyed one another with little favor;
rather as birds OF prey about to quar-
rel over the spoil, than a host or guest.
IDnphn MS fhA 4 s,,t A-', alsNtas a,ya
and great beak-like nose made me
think Of this.
"Ho! no." he said, looking p~iercingly
at us-an no doubt we must have
seemed a miserable and detected crew
enough. "Who are these? Not the
first fruits of the night, eh?"
The vidame looked darkly at him.
No" he answered, ~brusquely. They
are not. / I'm not particular out Of
doors, c~oadjutor. as you know, but this
is my house, and we are going to sup
per. Perhaps o do not comprehend
the distinction. Still it eXists-for me-
with q sneer.
This was as good as Greek to us.
But I so shrank from the priests ma
lignant eyes, which would not quit us,
and felt so much disgust mingled with
anger that when Beers by a ges-
ture invited me to sit down, / drew
back. Il will not eat with YOU" / said
sullenly; speaking out of a kind of dull
obstinacy, or perhaps a childish petul-
anCc.
1t did not occur to me that this would
pierce the vidame'S armor. Yet a dull
red showed for an instant in his cheek,
and he eyed me with a look hat was
not all ferocity, though the veins in
his temples swelled. A moment, never
theless, and he was himself again.
Armand" he said quietly to the serv-
ant, these gentlemen will not sup
with me. Lay for them at the other
crd."
Mer: are odd. The he gave
to me I repented OF my words. II
was almost with reluctance hat / fol-
lowed the servant to the lower part of
table. More than this, mingled with
the hatred / felt for the vidame, there
was now q strange sentiment towards
of admiration: that had
It's birth ] think in the moment when
/ held his life In my hand, and he had
hinched.
We ate in silence; even after Croi-
settle by grasping my hand under the
had begged me not to judge him
hastily. The two at the upper end
fast, and from the little that
reached us, / judged hal the priest
pressing some course On his host,
which the latter declined to take.
once Beers raised his voice. II have
my own ends to serVe!" he broke III
angrily, adding a fierce oath which the
priest did not rebuke, and / shall
serve them. But there / stop. You
have Jour own. Well, serve them, but
do not talk to me Of the cause! The
To hell with the cause! l have
my cause, and you have yours, and my
- a T-.- I-- Ilnt AL Ill
not make me believe hat there is any
Other?"
THE kings suggested the priest,
sourly.
Say rather the Italian woman's!"
he vidame answered recklessly-mean-
.ng the queen mother, Catherine de
/ supposed.
We'll then, the cause Of the church,"
the priest persisted.
Bah! The church? 1t is you, my
Beers r~eJoined, rudely tap
ping his companion-at that moment,
the act Of crossing himself-on the
chest. The church," he continued;
no, no, my friend. / will tell you what
you are doing. You want me to help
YOU to get rid Of your branch, and You
offer In return to aid me with mine
and then, say you, there will be no
stick left to beat either Of us. But you
may understand once for all"-and the
struck his hand heavily down
among the glasses-"that / will have
no interference with my work, master
clerk! None! Do you hear? m as
Tor yours, it is no business of mine.
That is plain speaking, is 1t not?"
The priests hand shook as he raised
l full glass to his lips, but he made no
'ejoinder, and the vidame, seeing We
1ad finished, rose. Armand" he
,ried, his face still dark, take these
gentlemen to their chamber. You un-
l~erstand?"
We stiffly acknowledged his salute
he priest taking no notice of us-and
the servant from the room:
going along a corridor and up a steep
light of stairs, and seeing enough by
way to be sure that resistance was
hopeless. Doors opened silently as we
and grim fellows, in corselets
padded coats, peered out. The
of arms and murmur of voices
continuously about US; and
we passed a window the jingle of
bits, and the hollow clang of a restless
loof on the flags below, old us h
he great house was for a time a fort
'ess. l wondered much. For this was
Paris, a city with gates and guards;
the night a short August night. Yet
The loneleSt manor In Quercy could
have bristied with more pixies
md musquetoons, on a winters night
md in time Of war.
No doubt these signs impressed US
Ill; and Croisette not least. For sud
ienly / heard him stop, as he followed
is up the narrow staircase, and begin
warning to stumble down
again as fast as he could. 1 did not
what he was about, but NUT
.ering something to Marie / followed
lad to see. At the foot Of the fight
stairs l looked back. Marie and the
were standing In suspense,
where | a left them. 1 heard the
bid us angrily to return.
But by this time Croisette was at
he end OF the corridor; and reassuring
fellow by a gesture, 1 hurried on,
Until brought to a standstill by a man
a door in my face. He had
our returning footsteps, and eyed
ne suspiciously: but gave way after
mnTOQnf with N oritnf nf dnttht