Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1901-06-29
CHAPTER I.

iHe . voice seems TO ring In my brain
even now. I can shut my eyes and see
again, after all these years. what I saw
then-just the blue summer sky, and
y gray angle of the keep. from
which q heecy cloud was trailing like
the smoke from a chimney. I could see
no more because / was lying on my
pack, my head resting on my hands.
Marie and Croisette, my brothers, were
lying by me in exactly the same post
ure. and a few yards away OF the ter-
race. Catherine was sitting on a stool
Gil had brought out for her. 1t was
the second Thursday in August, and
not. Even the jackdaws were silent.
! had almost fallen asleep, watching
my cloud grow longer and longer, and
thinner n thinner. when Croisette,
who cared for heat no more than a
lizard. spoke up sharplyl "Madem-
inS !, ne said Why are o watch
/ had not noticed that she was doing
50. But something In the keenness Of
Cfoisette'e tone, taken perhaps with
the fact that Catherine did not at once
answer him. aroused me; inc 1 turned
TO her. And 10! she was blushing in
the most heavenly way. and her eyes
were full of tears. and she looked at us
a~dorably. And we all three sat up on
our elbows, like three puppy dogs, and
looked at her. And there was a long
silence. And then she said quite SIM
ply to us: Boys, / am going to be
married to NJ. de Pavannes."
l fell fiat on my back and spread out
my arms. "Oh, mademoiselle!" l cried
re~proachfully.
"Oh, mademoiselle!" cried Marie.
And he fell fiat on his back, and spread
out his arms and moaned. He was n
good brother, was Marie, and obedient,
Ana Croisette cried: "Oh, made
moiselle!" too. But he was always
ridiculous In his ways, He fell fat on
his back, and Topped his arms and
squealed like a pig.
Yet he was sharp. II was he who
nrst remembered our duty, and went
10 catherine, cap In hand, where she
sat angry and half confused, and
said, with a fine redness In his cheeks.
Mile. de Caylus, our cousin, we give
you JOY, and wish you long life; and
are your servants and the good friends
n alders OF M. de Pavannes In all
quarrels, as"
But l could not stand that. mot SO
fast, st, Croix de Caylus," 1 said, push
ing MIN aside-he was ever getting be-
fore me In those days-and taking his
place. Then, with my best bow, I be-
gan: "Mademoiselle, we give you toy
and long life, and are your servants
good friends and aiders OF M. de
In all quarrels.
A becomes the cadets OF your
house" suggested Croisette, softly.
AS becomes the cadets Of your
house," repeated. And Their Cathe-
rlne stood up n made me a low bow,
and we all kissed her hand In turn, be-
ginning with me and ending with Croi-
settle. as was becoming. Afterwards
Catherine threw her handkerchief
over her face-she was crying-and we
three sat dnuJn TN,rlyl.J, po.li.. -
where we We're. and said: "Oh, Kit!"
very softly.
But presently Croisette had
thing to add. What will the Wolf
say?'" he whispered to me.
All! To be sure!" l exclaimed.
aloud. / had been thinking of myself
before; but this opened quite another
Kit7"
She dropped her handkerchief from
her race. and turned so pale that I was
sorry l had spoken-apart from the
Kick Croisette gave me. us M. de Be-
zers at his house?" she asked, anx-
iously,
Yes" Croisette answered. "He came
In last night from st. Antonin, with
very small attendance"
The news seemed to set her fears at
rest instead Of augmenting them, as I
should have expected. / suppose they
were rather for Louis de Pavannes
than for herself. Not unnaturally, too,
for even the Wolf could scarcely have
found II In his heart to hurt our cou-
sin. Her slight, willowy figure, her
pale, oval face and gentle brown eyes,
ner pleasant voice, her kindness,
seemed to us boys, and in those days,
to sum up all that was womanly. we
could not remember, not even Croi-
settle, the youngest OF us-who was II.
a year junior to Marie and myself
we were twins-the time when we had
not been In love with her.
But let me explain how we four,
whose united ages scarce exceeded 20
years, came TO be lounging on the ter
race In the holiday stiffness Of that
AFTERNOON. 1t was the summer OF 1872.
The great peace, II will be remem-
bered, between the Catholics and the
Huguenots had not long been declared:
the peace which In a day or two was to
be solemnized, and, as most french
men hoped, to be cemented by the
marriage OF Henry of Navarro with
Margaret of Valois, the kings sister.
Vicomte de Caylus, GATHERINGS ia
Their and u guardian, was one of the
governors appointed to see the peace
enforced; the respect In which he was
held by both parties-he was q Cath
Ole, but no bigot, God rest his soul,
recommending him for this employ
ment. He had therefore gone a week
or w before to Bayonne, his province.
Most OF our neighbors in Quercy were
likewise from home, having gone to
Paris tn be witnesses on one side or
the other OF the royal wedding. And
consequently we young people, not
greatly checked by the presence OF
good natured. sleepy Nine. Claude,
GATHERINGS duenna, were disposed to
make the most Of our liberty and to
celebrate the peace in our own fash
lon.
We were country folk. Not one of
US had been to Pau, much less to
Paris. The vicomte held s~tricter views
than were common then upon young
peoples education; and, though we
had learned to ride and shoot. to use
our swords and toss a hawk. and to
read and write, we knew little more
n Catherine herself OF the world:
little more of the pleasures and sins
Of court life. and not one-tenth as
much as she did Of it's graces. Still.
she had taught us to dance and make
a DOW. Her presence had softened our
manners; and of late we had gained
something from the frank companion
Sims OF Louis de Pavannes, q Hugue-
not whom the vicomte had taken pris-
oner at Moncontour and held to ran
som. We were not, l think mere
clownish yokels.
But we were shy. We disliked and
summed strangers. And when old GIL
appeared suddenly, while we were still
chewing the melancholy cud of Kits
announcement, and cried s~epulchrally:
IN. lie vidame de Beers to pay his re-
spects to mademoiselle!"-Well, there
was something like a panic, I confess!
We scrambled to our feet, muttering:
THE Wolff" The entrance at Caylus
Is by a ramp rising from the gateway
to the level of the terrace. This sunk
en- way is fenced by low walls so that
n may not-when walking on the
terrace-fall into 1t. GIL had spoken
before his head had well risen to view,
and this gave us a moment, just a mo-
ment. Croisette made a rush for the
DOORWAY into the hnYea. hut Fatlad 70