Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1903-03-26

~
splendidly spangled with fieur-de-A
-ahd brave with .synos,sials blessings.
+ The two men who were working at
sthe ,galows having finished. their job,
scame out into the open space and
stretched themselves. One was tall,
thin, grave. poplar-tree OF a man., clad
In sad-colored clothes and conspicuous
which he carried around his. neck and
which from time to time he handled
with ostentatious saRctimony. The
other was as complete contrast to his
companion as could be desired by the
humorous painter. He, was q plump.
spry little fellow. brightly dressed and
bubbling over with merry, ro4uish
foil to the righteousness OF his fellow
worker. Any good citizen OF Paris.
arising belated. If any such, there may
have been, and hurrying to the walls to
know how things went for the kings
cause. would have recognized readily
senough in these two strange opposites
two of the most dreaded Of the
sntyrmidons Of Tristan lHermite. no less
than his two chief hangmen. Trois-
Echelles and Petit-Jean. Trois-Echelles
was the long, cadaverous hangman;
.Petit-Jeap was the stout, droll hang
man, but when 1t came to push and.
a pinch, both were hangmen and hung
i'm the same manner. II not with the
same manners. Petit-Jean pulled q
:fiagon Of wine from under the platform
OF the gallows. lifted, 1t to his lips,
drained mighty draught. sighed with
satisfaction, and held out the bottle.
ito hts brother craftsman.
Drink and be merry
Trolls Echelles. making gestures OF
,protestation with. his head but taking
the bottle with his hand none the less,
drew deep daught from its throttle
and sighed as sadly as his friend sighed
gladly. ~
II will drink but I cannot be merry.
What's the good OF building noble
gallows IL nobody looks at it? One
might as well be building on church"
Petit-Jean laughed, good-naturedly.
IAN Paris is on the walls watching
the battle. Lucky PARISH -
Trois- Echelles laughed 'ill-humoredly.
Not SO lucky IL We don't win the
battle.
Petit-Jean was complacent.
Whichever wins Will need US to hang
the losers. Look at the bright side.
man." -
Trois-Echelles fumbled his beads
furtively.
i've lost heart, tell you. haven't
hanged q man for week."
AS he mourned over, this melancholy
retrospect, the door Of q little house
hard by the church opened and an old
woman. iproppipg herself on. tcrutch
stick. came hobbling slowly across the
open space towards The church. Petit
Jean knew her well enough, for they
both lodged in the same house and both
on the same floor of. attics. He knew
she waa the mother ssof the !. greatest
scapegrace in all Paris, a rascal named
Francois Villon, who had disappeared,
Heavenr lore Hnsw. where, to the sold
lady's great despair. He saluted' her
good humoredly.sgs5i ~ isssi
"Good !, morrow; to. your. .nightcap,
mother. Have you found your lost
Sheep" .
Mother villon shook her head visit
fully. -.esi 1879.
.'They say he,is banished, but he has
sent me money, bless him.! though I
touch none of 1t, lest 1t be badly come
.by.'s '''s 81 .i,s
Trois- Eeheres stopped, fumbling his
beads and advanced toards her, ex-
tending his hand: 'tft = ~ ~ is'si
,,"Gtve.it to me to spend, on masses?"i
he asked simultaneously,
Petit-Jean danced between them.
LEND 1t to me for drink money!" hs
(continued Next Week,