Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1903-01-10
made, while the old woman crossed
herself ~revefentially.

made, while the old woman crossed
herself ~reverentially.
Lady Of heaven, queen OF earth.
Empress OF hell, l kneel and plead
You pity, by the holy birth,
The humblest Christian Of the creed;
I cannot write; I cannot read
l am a woman poor and old,
But in the church, where l behold
The gates of paradise, l cry
Woman to woman, make me bold
In thy belief to live and die"
There, nanny, there Is q pretty
prayer for you"
Mother Villon was dissolved in tears
and sobbed on his shoulder.
you should have been O good man."
she said.
Villon troked her hair very gently.
1--WE are as heaven pleases, dear"
He paused for a moment. then sudden
ly remembering the silver coin which
he lad confiscated from the king, he
dipped his fingers into his pouch and
produced 1t.
Here is something for you, mann
N.Y." he said, and as the old woman,
with a faint flush on her worm cheeks,
seemed about to protest, he insisted.
"Oh, yes. Take It, take II. 1t was
honestly come by, and o will spend
it more honestly than l should" He
forced the coin into her lean, brown
hand, and added, Now run away,
nanny, and pray yourself to sleep.
You shall see me soon, l promise you"
He led her gently across the tavern
foor to the door, which he opened for
her. AS she turned to go, she looked
up to him and repeated two lines OF his
prayer
Woman to woman, make me bold
In thy belief to live and die"
AS the door closed and Villon turned
to come back to his seat, Jehan lie Loup,
who had been cycling him and who vas
eager to pay off the score of his
cracked crown, rose to his feet, drag
ging Isabeau with him, and barred his
passage
Kiss a young mouth for a change"
he said, and thrust the girl against the
poet. Villon brushed them both aside.
GO to the devil" he said angrily,
and passed them. Once again Jehan's
hand sought his weapon and nee
again he was restrained.
He is in one of his bad moods" said
Isabeau. Leave him to himself" and
she drew her reluctant companion back
to the table, while Villon seated him
self in a corner of the settle, staring
into the fire.
At the moment the tavern door was
thrust open violently and Guy Tabarie
rushed into the room, his great moon
face sweating, his eyes bulging, his
fringe of crimson locks flaming out
from the egg-shell dome Of his bald
head, his mighty belly swaying with a
passion of excitement.
"Friends!" he shrieked, at the top
of his voice, there's a fight at Fat
Margot's between two wenches. They
are stripped to the waist and at It
the love OF God"
The whole band was afoot In an in
slant. Clamantly agog. Guy Tabarie
turned as he finished speaking and
rushed through the open door into the
shining moonlit street. The TCst trailed
after him, wandering stars in the tail
of a d~ishonorable comet, shouting,
screaming, laughing, pushing, painting.
eager for the promised sport.
I'll crown the victor!" cried Mon
tigny as he ran-and I'll console the
vanquished!" shouted Jehan lie Loup,
as he brought up the rear Of the road
and vanished, Gathering, into the night.
Only Huguette remained OF all the
fellowship, and she turned Instructive
ly to Villon when he crouched over the
dying fire.
will you come, Francois" she
whispered softly. Villon lifted his head
for a moment from his hands to sig
Nifty a refusal.
Nay, / am reading
Huguette blazed out at him q fierce
You lie!" which failed to move the
poet from his melancholy resolve.
"A man may read without book" he
said. Go your ways, girl, and skelp
both the hussies!" He dropped into a
detected heap again, oblivious OF the
girl, who looked at him half sadly, half
angrily for IN instant. and hen dis
appeared in her urn into the cause
way, calling upon her knavish heralds
to wait for her.
Robin Turgis, shutting the door after
her with a sigh of satisfaction, retired
to his own quarters to seek sleep until
custom should return. Louis and iris
tan, deep In their cards, paid little heed
TO anything else.
Your barber tarries," Tristan said
after a pause.
THE game makes Amends Louis
answered.
You are winning, sire" Tristan
grunted. The king chirruped merri-
ly.
MY grandsire will be remembered
longer than most kings for the sake OF
these MASTERS and winners that they
made to soothe his madness"
But even as he spoke his mirth fad
ed, for a turn Of fortune gave Tristan
an opportunity.
MY game, sire!" he said, and swept
the stakes ;nto his pocket.
The king fell into a frowning silence
as Tristan dealt the cards again, and
scrutiniZed his new hand with q som
bre care, as If the fate Of empire de,
pended upon IT.. Scarcely a sound dis.
turbed the heavy quite of the room
Master Francois Villon glooming ir
his settle corner, sucked a long noise
less draught from his stolen jug and
meditated drearily. Between wine ano
WEAKNESS his head was beginning t
swim. His head felt as heavy as leao
and his brain as light and foolish as 6
w~ind-tumbled feather. Two women:
faces danced before his eyes, one proud
and beautiful and young, the Other
humble and pitiful and old, and hi
tried his best to shut both Of them ou'
Of his senses. Vaguely he tried to shape
a ballade, a noble ballade in honor OF
all things good to eat. He had got a
least an excellent overword. "A dish o,
tripe's the best of all" He mouthet
the line with a relish, but his eyes were
seeing straws and his stubbled h
scraped his breast. There came a clicl
at the latch, but he did not heed 1T. He
would scarcely have needed a Burgund'
ian cannon shot; he had drifted into 6
lumpish doze. And yet the way of thu
world depended, for him, upon that lifr
Of a latch.