The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1903-01-09
CHAPTER III.
THE COMING OF KATHERINE,

The door opened and a woman entered
the room, a woman closely muffled after
the fashion adopted by discreet ladies
when they walked abroad in Paris in
the fifteenth century. She was fol.
lowed by an armed serving-man to
whom h turned and spoke in a whis'
per as h paused upon the Threshold.
You are sure this is the place." she
asked, and the man answered.
'Sure!"
"Wait .outside!" the muf1led lady cor.-
manded, and the servant with an obeis'
ance stepped bac into the street. The
woman looked cautiously about her,
only her bright eye showing over the
lifted fold of her cloak. Villon Wa
hidden from her while he sat; there was
no one IN her view save thu two men
playing cards. She came cautiously
forward and touched Tristan, who waa
nearest to her, on the shoulder. He
swung around, with hooded face, to an.
.swer the challenge, and as he liz 50
Louis took advantage of his turned
back to examine TriStan's hand, which
he had laid upon the table, and to SUBJ
stitute a card from his own hand fol
one of his ~adversary's.
Has Master Francois Villon beer
here tonight?" the asked. Hel
voice was full and sweet, and Tristan
knew it well though he listened un.
movably. She had lowered her cloaA
enough to allow him a glimpse Of a
young, lovely face, but he needed nc
glimpse to sSure him.
"Yonder he squats by the HEARTH" he
answered, masking his own voice with
hoarseness and jerking his thumb to.
wards the settle. The girls eyes fol-
lowed the signal and saw for the first
time the huddled figure on the bench. 81
thank you." she said simply, and
moved into the background, her eyes
fixed on the cIouching form, her fingers
clasped ~nervously, waiting an impatient
patience upon resolution.
Tristan leaned hurriedly over to the
king.
POUNDS, sire! do you know what tina
VASE"
Louis, smiling at his adopted cards,
answered carelessly, Some bonaroba
who took you for a gull" but Tristan's
e words pricked him from his indif.
erence.
1T was your majesty's kinswoman,
the Lady Katherine de Vaucelles."
The king rose cautiously to his feet.
"Oh, no, Oh, ho!" he chuckled. Does
lovely Katherine come to meet Thi.
baut?"
"she seeks Francois Villon, sire"
The King started.
us she the girl he spoke Of? Do we
! catch her tripping?"
Louis looked at the mutionless figure
of the girl, then his gaze travelled rap
idly around the room. Behind him was
a doorway. Soundlessly he opened it
saw that it gcve on to a dark passage,
motioned Tristan. through it, babe him
in a whisper to wait In the darkness.
AS Tristan disappeared the girl seemed
to make up her mind and moved slowly
across the foo toward the doing poet.
The king watched her narrowly as he,
too, began to move, skulking among the
shadows along the wall. His goal was
the distant space behind the settle
where his cunning mind discerned a
good listening place-for to listen was
Louis passion. The kings tread was
cat-quiet-the kings breath was
mouse-still; for a moment he paused
at the street door as if about to pass
out, but seeing that he was unnoticeG
he drifted unheeded through obscurity
to his haven and nestled there Just as
the girl, bending forward, touched the
sleeper firmly on the shoulder and Their
drew back, defantly abiding by hel
temerity.
Villon moved uneasily, as if resentins
the interruption to his shoulders thai
the firm touch had disturbed, and he
grumbled sullenly, without looking up
"What is it,"
The woman bent towards him again
and whispered:
"A word with you"
Villon rose YEARLY to his feet, ano
as he did SO the woman drew bach
towards the open center of the room
which now appeared to her to be
empty. Her nerves were too highly
strung to note anything surprising II
thes disappearance of the two visitors
If she thought Of them at all it wa.
only to be glad that they had gone
their ways and left the place so lone.
ly. Villon followed her almost uncon.
sciously, too sleepy for wonder. Sud
denly the woman threw off the fold,
that muff1ed her face and the vision
that a haunted him flashed on hi!
frightened eyes, the vision SO proud, 81
beautiful and young. He crossed him
self as he questioned in a voice tina
sounded strangely alien to him, Gar,
you real?" l.
CONTINUED Next Week,)
a PecLonino.Itp bu no1aoe