Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1903-09-19

to fall off; then she would slip away
from him and lock herself in her ROOM
December, say I, let May alone; she
certainly will kill you. Despite which
sound advice, 1 doubt not December
will 60 on coveting May up to the end
of the chapter, each old fellow-being
such fine man for his age, you under
stand-fondly believing himself an ex-
cepton. Age in fool is damnable.
Mary was killing Louis as certainly
and deliberately as If she were feeding
him slow poison. He was very weak
and decrepit at best, being compelled
frequently upon public occasions, such,
for example, as the coronation tourna-
ment of which I have spoken, to lie
upon couch.
Mary's conduct was really cruel, but
then, remember the provocation, and
that she was acting in self defense.
All this was easier for her than you
might suppose, for the kings grasp of
power, never very strong, was begin
ming to relax even what little grip it
had. All faces were turned toward
the rising sun, young Francis, duke of
Angouleme, the kings distant cousin,
who would soon be king in Louis place.
As this young rising sun, himself vast
~ smitten with Mary, openly encour-
aged her In what she did, the courtiers
of course followed suit, and the old
king found himself surrounded by a
court only too ready to be amused by
his lively young queen at his expense.
This condition of affairs Mary well
coined with herwhole soul, and to accent
1t and nail assurance, I fear, played
ever so lightly and coyly upon the
heartstrings of the young duke, which
responded all too loudly to her velvet
touch and almost frightened her to
death with their volume of sound later
on. This Francis dAngouleme, the
dauphin, had fallen desperately in love
with Mary at first sight, something
against which the fact that he was
married to Claude, daughter Of Louis,
In no way initiated. He was a: very
distant relative of Louis, going away
back to st. Louis for his heirship to
the French crown. The king had
daughters in plenty, but, as you know
the gallant Frenchmen say, according
to their law salic, 1.-THE realm Of
France Is 80 great and glorious q heri-
tage that 1t may not be taken by q
woman" Too great and glorious to be
taken by woman, forsooth! France
would have been vastly better off had
she been governed by woman now
and then, for country always pros.
pers under a queen.
Francis had for many years lived at
court as the recognized heir, and, as
the custom was, called his distant cous.
In Louis Uncle" "Uncle'' Louis in
turn. called Francis Zee Gros Garcon,"
and Queen Mary called him Monsieur,
mon beau fils," In a mock motherly
manner that was very laughable. A.
mother Of eighteen to a good boy" Of
twentytwo! Dangerous relaH onship!
And dangerous indeed it would have
been for Mary had she not been as
pure and true as, she was willful and
impetuous. - anon beau fills" allowed
neither his wife nor the respect he
owed the king to stand in the way Of
his very marked attention to the queen.
His position as heir and his long resi-
dence at court, almost as son to Louis,
gave him ample opportunities for press
ing his unseemly suit. ss: He was the
first to see Mary at the meeting place.
this side Of Abbeyille, and was the
kings representative on all: occasions.
q. tssR eau. f1ls' was rather al handsome
fellow, but thought himself vastly
/ handsomer thanihe was, and had some
talents. which he was likewisa careful
to estimate at their full value, to say
/ the least He was very well liked BY.