The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1903-02-06

L oAia11 Wahe presently tlu DS ucNlilSi
shabby. BUT in the meantime. thega
dream liquors make good drinking"
He was about to MI himself another
cup when a shadow fell at his feet. the
shadow Of Olivier lie Dain standing be-
fore him with his air Of emphasized re-
spect, which was beginning to pail upon
the TRANSPORTED poet.
Your dignity will forgive me. out it
is the kings wish you should pass judg-
ment on certain prisoners"
Villon stared at him.
IT? And here?"
Such is the kings pleasure"
What prisoners"
Certain rogues and vagabonds, man
kind and womankind, K brawling
in the Fircone tavern last night.
Villon stroked his chin thoughtfully.
An idea seemed to take command Of his
confused mind. Here was a chance to
learn something of the reality that lay
at the core of all his mystery Of roses
and wine and fine rainment. He leaned
forward curiously and almost whisper
ed to the attendant barber.
Tell me, Is Master Francois Villon,
Master Of arts, rhymer at his best,
vagabond at his worst, ne'er-do-wel at
all seasons. and in all
moods. among them?"
Olivier smiled complacently as those
In office are accustomed to smile at the
humors Of great men.
Your dignity Is pleased to jest. Shall
I send you the prisoners?"
Villon caught at the offer sharply.
Can 7 do with them as I wish?"
Absolutely as you wish. Such is the
kings will"
Villon leaned back in csisne1 sur-
render to an astonishing situation. He
had dreamed strange dreams in his
! RI VS. on1 niohto h1t naXrap a 1ral m
like this dream.
Set a thief to try a thief" he philoso-
phized. We'll, bring them in"
Olivier bowed n disappeared silent
ly along the rose alley by which he had
come. When he was alone again Viii
lon slapped his forehead resoundingly,
as if he hoped to scare his senses pack
into sanity by violent assault.
"Oh, my poor head" he moaned. "Am
I awake? Am 1 asleep? What an en-
broglio!'
A sense of dislike to his respectful at
tendant surged up through his ~perplex-
ity. THAT damned fellow. in black is
confoundedly obsequious,'' he mutter-
ed. Il wonder If 1 could order him to
be hanged; he has g hanging face
Even as this kind reflection came into
his head, his m~editations were disturb
ed by the tramp of many feet and the
rattle and clank of weapons, and a
small company Of soldiers came wheel
ing ound into the rose garden from
the side of the palace, guarding a num-
Der of men and women, in whom Villon
instantly recognized his familiar friends
Of the Fircone tavern. At the head Of
the soldiers marched a dapper gentle
man, courtier-Soldier or sOldier-courtier,
a thing of silk and steel, half dandy,
half man-at-arms, exquisitely attired
and ~lagrantly aware of his own attrac-
lions. He, too, was familiar to the
poet, for he was no other than the pink
and white gentleman whom he had seen
acting as escort to Katherine on the
day when he first beheld her, and whose
NAME, as he had learned on the pre-
vious evening from Katherine's own
lips, was Noel lie Jolys.
1.-THE puppet who bangles after my
LADY" he grumbled to himself. HE
jars the dream"
Villon felt profoundly sorry for his
imprisoned playfellows, and profoundly
hostile to the pink and white gentle
man. His friends looked so wretcf1ed
so woebegone, SO b~edraggled, while
their captor looked so point-device and
~self-satisfed that Villon felt a fierce
indignation burn within him over the
injustices of the world.
How hang-dog my poor devils look
and how dirty he thought to himself
eo an ~ ii0S AN ~ "a
J in a line before him at the base of the
| terrace, and their prinked n fragrant
captain came trippingly forward anC
saluted Villon, presenting to him at the
same time d piece of paper, covered
, with writing.
: MY lord" he said, dapperly, there
, are the names of these night birds"
Villon took the paper and looked
2 straightly into the young nan eyes.
i a- "HaVa we ever mot I. hafnca 81 hf
asked
; ; Noel lie Jolys made a deprecator,
! gesture.
l Alas! no. he said. your lordshi1
has swept into court like an u~nlleraldet
: comet. You shall tell US tales of Prov
ence to please Il ladies'"
Still gravely looking at hin, Villo1
questioned him again.
! "Messire Noel, if you and 1 had
mind to pluck the same rose from tti:
garden, which of us would VIM
: The affable fribble's intelligence an
peared to be baffied.
= II do not understand you,' he pro
tested.
Villon shrugged his shoulders. "Nev
er mind" he said, seating himself again
Z on the marble seat and looking at TIL
familiar names on the piece of paper
Send me hither Rene de Montigny.
He was fairly convinced by thi
time that he was not wandering in tn
u labyrinth of a dream, that he reall.
4 was awake, but that for some reason
u which he was unable to fathom he ha.
e been thus strangely transmitted int
> the semblance of splendor and au
u thority.
y THE popinjay fails to recognize me,
l he said to himself; so may my bull
les" n as he thought, Rene de Mon
I tigny was pushed forward by a coupl
of soldiers and stood sullenly defian
T before him.
n Villon leaned forward, oddly inter
ested in the grotesque turn of thing
which put him in this position with hi
old companion n fellow-scamp.
You re" he questioned.
q Montigny answered angrily, "Ren
4 de Montigny. of gentle blood, fallen O
q ungentle days.
Through no fault of your own, Q
course"
AS your grace surmises, through n
y fault of my own. I am poor, but,
thank my stars, I am honest"
l This remark, which was made alou
for the benefit Of all and sundry, pro
p yoked q roar OF laughter from Gu
Tabarie. which was promptly convert
p y al W.T. - 49, ZGa = -