Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1901-07-20
The House of The Wolf,,,,,,|
BY STANLEY ]. wEYMAN

onau 4 Dflns you a slice or him, my
dear?" asked my rakehelly friend,
looking up and making his sword play
round the shrinking wretch. Just a
tit-bit, my lover" he added, persua-
siyely. "A mouthful Of white liver and
caper sauce?''
Not for me-, the BEAST" the girl
cried. amid the laughter Of the yard.
Not a bitT If warrant him tender?
Ladies' meat?"
Bah! no. and she stolidly spat
down again.
d you hear? The lady has no taste
Tor you," the tormenter cried. Pig
of a Gascon!" And deftly sheathing his
dagger, he seized the big coward by the
ear, n turning him around, gave him
a heaVy Kick which sent him spinning
over q bucket, and down against the
wall. There the bully remained,
swearing and rubbing himself by turns;
While the victor cried, boastfully;
Enough of him. II anyone wants to
take up the quarrel, Blaise Bure Is his
man. If not, let us have an end OF It.
Let some one find stalls for the gentle
mems horses before they catch a chill;
and ave done will it. AS for me" he
added, and then he turned to us and
removed his hat with an exaggerated
nourish; Il am your lordship's servant
to command"
n him with a heartiness, half
earnest, half-assumed. His cloak was
ragged, his trunk hose, which had been
fin enough, were stained, and almost
pointless. He staggered inimitably,
and had led-captain written large upo
IN But he had done us a service, for
Jean had no further trouble about the
horses. And besides one has a natural
liklng for a brave man, and this man
was brave beyond question.
you are from Orleans he said, re-
SpeCtfullY enOnph hut a one oSSnrfinp
"a tact' not asking a question.
yes, | answered, somewhat aston
ished. Did you see US come in?"
NO, but looked at your boots, gen.
tlemen," he replied, White dust.
north; red dust, south. Do o seer"
Yes, l see | said, with admiration.
you must have been brought UP In a
sharp school, M. Bure."
Sharp masters make sharp schol-
ars,' he replied, %grinning. And that
answer l had occasion to remember
afterwards.
You are from Orleans, also9" I
asked, as we prepared to go in.
Yes, from Orleans, too, gentlemen.
But earlier In the day. With letters
letters of Importance And bestowing
something like a wink Of confidence
on us, he drew himself up. looked
sternly at the table folk, patted him
self twice on the chest, and finally
Nv lllS lIluSldCHSS, dIlO SIIllTheu Il l
the girl above, who was chewing
straws.
/ thought 1t likely enough that we
might find 1t hard to get rid OF him.
But this was not so. After listening
with qualification to our repeated
thanks, he bowed with the same gro
tesque flourish, and marched off as
grave as a ~Spaniard, humming:
'Ce petit homme tant Joli!
Qui touJours cause ct t~ouJours rit,
CIV! touJours baise sa mignonne,
Dieu gard de NAL ce petit homme!"
on our going in, the landlord met us
politely, but with curiosity, and a sim
mering Of excitement also in his man
ner. From Paris, my lords?" he
asked, rubbing his hands and bowling
low. 'Or from the south?"
From the SOUTH" / answered.
From Orleans, and hungry and tired,
Master Host"
latter part of my answer, while his
little eyes twinkled with satisfaction.
Then l dare swear, my lords, you
have not heard the news?" He halted
in the narrow passage, and lifting the
candle he carried, scanning our faces
closely, as If he wished to learn some
thing about us before he spoke.
"News?" l answered, b~rusquely, be-
ing both tired and, as l had told him,
hungry. I'VE have heard none, and
the best you a give us Will be that
our supper is ready to be served"
But even this snub did not check his
eagerness to tell us the news. "Ad-
miral de Coligny," he said, breathless-
~, you have not heard what has hap
pened to him?"
ITO the admiral? No, what?" / in
inquired, rapidly. i was interested at
last.
For a moment let me digress. The
few Of my age will remember, and the
many younger will nav been told,
that at this time the Italian queen
mother was the ruling power in
France. 1t was Catherine de Medici's
first object to maintain her influence
Owe Charles IX.-her son.; who, rick
ETY., weak and passionate, was already
doomed to an early grave. Her second,
10 support the royal power by balanc-
ing the extreme Catholic against the
Iiuguenots. For the latter purpose
she would ~coquette first with one party,
then with the other. At the present
moment she had committed herself
more deeply than was her Won't TO the
Huguenots. Their leaders, Admiral
Gaspard de Coligny, the king the Ma
varre and the prince of Condo, were
supposed to be high in favor, while the
chiefs OF the other party, the duke Of
Guise and the two cardinals of his
house, the cardinal OF Lorraine and the
cardinal of Guise, were in disgrace;
which, as 1t seemed, even their friend
at court, the queens favorite son
Henry of Anjou, was unable to over
come.
Such was the outward aspect of
things in August, 1872, but there were
not wanting rumors hat already Co
ligny, taking advantage Of the footing
Eiven him, had gained an influence over
, 40 yOttnr lyfaH uyhf1h thraa a-AI
Catherine de Medici herself. The ad-
miral, therefore, to whom the Hugue-
not half Of France had long looked as
to its leaders, was now the object Of
the closest interest to all; the Guise
faction, hating him-as the alleged
assassin of the duke Of Guise-with an
intensity which probably was not to be
found in the affection of his friends,
popular with the latter as he was.
Still, many who were not Huguenots
had a regard for him as a great French
man and a gallant soldier. We
though we were of the old faith, and
the other side-had heard much of him,
and much good. The vicomte had
spoken of him always as a great man,
a mar mistaken, but brave, honest and
capable in his error. Therefore 1t was
that when the landlord mentioned him
/ forgot even my hunger.
He was shot, my lords, as he passed
through the Rue des Posses, yester-
day." the man declared, with bated
breath. 1T Is not known whether he
will live or die. Paris is in an uproar,
and there arc some who fear the
worst
But / said, doubtfully, who has
dared to do this? He had a safe con-
duct from the king himself
Our host did not answer; struggling
his shoulders instead, he opened the
door. and ushered us into the eating
room.
Some preparations for our meal had
already been made at one end Of the