The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1902-12-26

QaQQ, SWlIC anu agile DIS d AdWh, 4AHa W
swooped between the king and the puna
lican, and had secured the coin, which.
he promptly held up n surveyed In
an apparent ecstasy of admiration.
lis this the good kings counters" he,
asked, and as he did SO he plucked on
his shabby bonnet and paid the exaltedl
coin a profound obeisance. well, God!
bless his majesty, say T., for I owe him
my present liberty. There was a gaol-
clearing when he came to Paris, and aa'
1 happened to be in gaol at the time
through an error of the law''-here he
paused to leer knowingly at his COM
rades, who yelled commendation-"they,
were good enough to kick me Into the
free air. Will you add to your kind
ness, old gentleman"-and here Master;
Francois spun round and solemnly sa-
luted his unknown entertainer-"by al!
lowing me to guard and cherish this
token Of our dear monarch in memory
of this notable event?"
Louis fortitude could not prevent!
him from making something of a wry
face as he hastily answered, "By all
Means" He beckoned discreetly to,
Robin Turgis, who. making a wide cir
Gle round Master Francois, stole to the,
kings side, received from him another
coin and fastened away to bring the
drink it paid for. -
From his corner Tristan surveyed the,
episode with a grim enjoyment. Mas
ter Villon, Master Whom" he MUIR,
INJURED to himself, you'll be sorry for
this, very sorry indeed And in his,
minds eye he transferred the fantastio|
figure, posturing and grimacing before
Louis, to the end of q long rope hang
ing from a high galloWs. Master Franz
coils, ignorant of the immediate irony,
of existence, waited q kiss airily from,
the tips Of his fingers to his patron.
avon p n yarU oh1ipinoE 01S pantle.'.
man. he said a~pprovingly.
Louis frowned slightly. you harp,
on my age, sir he said. "Yet o. are
yourself no chicken" This mild reproofi
seemed to irritate Villon's friends more
h q it irritated Villon. The men man.
Tested a marked inclination to hustlei
so questioning a citizen; the ONE
cackled at him angrily. Casin Cholet
bluntly proposed to lend the cit a slap;
on the chops; and Huguette enquired,
with every emphasis of impoliteness;l
whats his age to you, sobersides?"
But Villon quietly waved his ~turbulent,
companions into tranquility. Pa
thence, good comrades of the Cockle-
shell. If our friend is inquisitive att
least he has paid his Fee" n as he
spoke he hid his face for a moment be-
hind the huge mug of a wine
| which Robin Turgis at that moment
handed to him. Much refreshed by his
mighty draught he resumed brisklys
For three and thirty years I have taxi
see. A light pocket is a plague, but a.
light heart and a light owe make,
amends for much.'' And as he spoke.
he slapped his pocket whose emptiness
gave back no jingle, drummed lightly
on his bosom and nodded CALAMITY to-
the admiring ~womenkind. you are al
philosopher" said the king. You are
q 1itf1a oroa1 ~ oria1 AL .Ainr-F
ing her arms round the poet in an en-i
thusiastic hug. The girls homage
seemed little to Villon's taste, for he dis
engaged himself swiftly from the en-
brace, saying as he did so: Gently.
Abbess, gently! My shoulders tingle|
n my sides ache too sorely for clasp-I
ings."
villon's manner vas SO decisive and
his meaning so obvious that the
curiosity Of the gang burnedj
keenly and found voice in Rene de Nom
tigny, who asked him what allied him
with comnlendable solicitude. Villoni
shook his head, applied himself again3toi
the cannakin, and emerged from it with
a most melancholy expression Of coun-
%tenance. 'You behold in me, friends,''l
he sighed, (" a victim Of love-" and his
visage showed SO lugubrious that #itS
sorely tempted Louis to laugh, and hot-i
ly moved Huguett to anger, for she
ragged up to Villon, challenging the
meaning Of his speech. Villon gently
cooled her Impotence. Hush, hush.
my girl! There are many kinds of love,
as o ought to know well enough. /
am rogue andsa ~vagabond, no less.
and 50 sometimes i love you and otherl
such Athanasian w%enches; Isabeaul
there and Jehanneton." " o.. a
At this mention Of her novices' nameS1
the Abbess turned on the two girls
4 a - I.vIuE ~.-l~ 49, i gsA ~
you make eyes at my man?" The pair
shrank back from her fury, but Masteri
Villon, who seemed suddenly to have
fallen into a meditatiye mood, rambled3
Ton In a kind OF reyerie, as indiIefsht5
to the Ffrcone and all his surroundings
as II he were a lonely shepherd tending
his sheep on q lonely hillside.
But am also, heaven forgive me, a;
jingler Of rhymes. with the stars for
my candles and the roses for my toys,
and singers 8of songs sometimes love-
in another fashion. And SO 1t has!
CHANGED to me for my sins and to myi
sorrow"
Villon's chin had dropped upon his
breast; the cocks feather dropped dis
mally; the singer seemed quite chap
fallen. Huguette. tired of glaring at!
%scornful attention to Neutrality-suspicious.
l"Cry-baby!!" she sneered sc%ornfully,3
pointing with Ederisive finger at Master
Francois. in whose eyes indeed the
close observer could discernthe threat
lenfng Of tears. Jehanneton came sid,
ling round to villon,, piquead BY natural
curiosity, and h desire to svex)
Huguette. Tell us your love tale
Francois she pleaded, and her plead,
ing found an Immediate supporter III
Louis. The ArabianSnature Of his adj
venture enchanted him, and he had5a
schild's taste for a story. .4MayI iii
port the lady's prayer h 6 said, unless
presence 8distresses you?s
Wilton turned to him with srnoelsi,s