Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1901-07-13

began abruptly without any term of
address, and ran thus: II have a mis-
sion in Paris, mademoiselle. which ad-
mits OF no delay, your mission, as well
as my own-to see Pavannes. You have
won his heart. 1t is yours. n / will
bring 1t to you. or his right hand, in
token that he has yielded up his claim
to yours. And to this / pledge myself"
The thing bore no signature. 1t was
written In some red huid--blood per-
haps-a mean and sorry trick! On the
outside was scrawled q direction to
Mile. de Caylus. And the packet was
scaled with the vidame's crest, a VOLTS
head.
THE coward! The miserable cow
ardl" Croisette cried. He was the first
to read the meaning OF the thing.
And his eyes were full OF tears-tears
OF rage.
Fer me, l was angry exceedingly.
My veins seemed full OF fire, as com
pretended the near cruelty which
could thus torture q girl.
who delivered this?" ! Numbered.
Who gave it to mademoiselle? How
did 1t reach her hands? Speak, some
one!'
A maid. Whispering in the back
ground. said that Francis had given II
to her to hand 20 mademoiselle.
1 ground my teeth together, while
-NAdi = uliblNlicu, lGll tue iOOIl W SVCh
Francis-and a stirrup leather. The
vidame had brought the note In his
pocket, no doubt, rightly expecting
that he would not get an audience OF
my cousin. Returning TO the gate
alone he had seen his opportunity, and
given the note TO Francis, probably
with q small fee to secure Its trans
mission.
Croisette and ] looked at one another,
experimenting all this. He will sleep
at Cahors tonight l said, ~sullenly.
The lad shook his head and answered
In a low voice: II am afraid not. His
horses are fresh. l think he will push
on. He always travels quickly. And
now you know"
1 nodded, understanding only too
we'll.
Catherine had flung herself into a
chair. Her arms lay nerveless on the
table. Her face was hidden In them.
But now, overhearing us, or stung by
some fresh thought, she sprang to her
feet In anguish. Her face t%witched,
her form seemed to stiffen as she drew
herself up like one in physical pain.
"Oh, / cannot bear it," she cried to us
in dreadful tones. "oh, will no one
do anything? / will go to him! I will
tell him I will give him up! 1 will do
whatever he wishes If he will only
spare hlm!"
Croisette went from the room crying.
IT was a dreadful sight for us-this girl
In agony. And 1t was impossible to re-
assure her! Not one OF us doubted the
horrible meaning OF the note. It's covert
threat. Civil wars and religious hat
red, n / fancy italian modes OF
thought, had for the time changed our
countrymen to beasts. Far more dread
full things We're lone than this which
Beers threatened-even II he meant 1t
literally-far more dreadful things were
suffered. But in the flendish ingenuity
OF his vengeance on her, the helpless,
loving woman, / thought Raoul de Bez-
ers stood alone. Alas! 1t fares Ill with
, the butterfly when the cat has struck
1t down. III indeed.
Nine. Claude rose and put her arms
round the girl, dismissing me by a ges-
ture. / went out, passing through two
or three scared servants, and made at
only breathe there. ] found Marie and
st. Croix together, silent, the marks Of
tears on their faces. Our eyes met, and
they told one tale.
We all spoke at the same time.
"When?" we said. But the others
looked TO me for an answer.
l was somewhat sobered by that, and
paused to consider before 1 replied.
AT daybreak tomorrow" I decided,
~ ~ENAlhS IL 10 oil AAOuI dIlSt llOOIA
already. We want money, and the
horses are out. 1t will take an hour to
bring them In. After that we might
still reach Cahors tonight. perhaps; but
more haste less speed, you know. No,
At daybreak tomorrow we will start"
They nodded assent.
1t was a great thing we meditated.
No less than to go to Parasitic I'M
known city so far beyond the hills
| md aaak ont NJ do Do yannnc md yuo ~,
him. 1t would be a race between the
vidame and ourselves: a race for the
life Of Kits sutton. Could we reach
Paris first, or even within twenty-four
hours OF Beers arrival, we should in
all probability be in time, and be able
to put Pavannes on his guard. 1t had
been the first thought of all of us to
take such men as we Gould get to-
gether and fall upon Beers wherever
we found him, making it our simple
object to kill him. But the lackeys M.
lie Vicomte had left with us, the times
being peaceful n the nelghbors
friendly, were poor spirited fellows.
Beers handful, on the contrary, were
reckless Swiss riders-like master, like
men. We decided that it would be wis
err simply to warn Pavannes, and then
stand by him If necessary.
We might have dispatched a messen-
ger. But our servants-Gil excepted,
and he was too old to bear the journey
were ignorant of Paris. Nor could
any of them be trustel with a mission
so delicate. We thought Of Pavannes'
courier, indeed. But he was n Rochel-
lois. and a stranger TO the capital.
There was nothing for 1t but to go our
selves.
Yet we did not determine on this ad-
venture with light hearts, I remember.
Paris loomed big and awesome In the
eyes of all of US. The glamor OF the
court rather frightened than allured
us. We felt a shrinking from con-
tact with the world which a untr
life engenders. as we'll as that dread OF
seeming unlike other people which is
peculiar to youth. And we trembled.
If we had known more-especially Of
the future-we should have trembled
more.
But we were young and with our
fears mingled a delicious excitement.
We were going on an adventure of
knight errantry in which we might win
our spurs. We were going to see the
world and play mems parts In 1t to
save a friend n make our mistress
happy!
We gave our orders, but we said
nothing of Catherine or Nine. Claude,
merely bidding GIL tell them after our
departure. We arranged for the i'm
mediate dispatch of a message to the
vicomte at Bayonne, and charged Gil
until he should lei from him to keep
the gates closed and look well to the
shoot Of the kitchen hidden. Then.
when all was ready, we went to our
pallets, but 1T was with hearts throb-
bing with excitement and wakeful eyes.
ANNE! Anne!' said Croisette, rising
on his elbow n speaking to me some
three hours later, what do you think
the vidame meant this morning when
he said that about ten days?"
What about the ten days?' I asked
peevishly. He la reused me just when
I was at last falling asleep. .
"About the world seeing that his WAS