The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1903-08-19


mo. mol You would not. Even were
you as valiant and grand as you think
yourself, you would be but a child In
his hands,"
Francis was furious, and had Mary's
apartments guarded to prevent her es-
cape, swearing he would have his way.
AS o as Brandon and 1 arrived
I'm Paris we took private lodgings, and
well it was that we did. 1 ut once
went out to reconnoiter, and found the
widowed queen a prisoner In the old
Palace des Tournelles. With the help
of Queen Claude 1 secretly obtained an
interview and learned the true state
Of Affairs.
Had Brandon been recognized and
his mission known I'm Paris he would
certainly have been assassinated by
order of Francis.
When l saw the whole situation, with
Mary nothing less than q prisoner in
the palace, L was ready to give up
without q struggle, but not so Mary.
Her brain was worth having, so fer
tile was 1t I'm expedients, and, while I
was ready to despair, she was only
getting herself In good lighting order.
After Mary's refusal Of Francis, and
after he had learned that the sacrifice
of Claude would not help him, he grew
desperate and determined to keep the
English girl In his court at any price
and by any means. So he hit upon the
scheme Of marrying her to his weak
minded cousin, the Count of Savoy.
To that end he sent n hurried embassy
tO Horny VIII nffartno In noco Of tho
Savoy marriage, to pay back Mary's
dover OF 100000 crowns. He offered to
help Henry In the matter OF the impe-
ria crown in case OF Maxlmilian's
death, n help much greater than any
King Louis could have given. He also
offered to confirm Henry In all his
French possessions and to relinquish
all claims Of his w thereto-al! as the
price Of II eighteen -year-old girl. Do
you wonder she had an exalted esti-
mate of her own value?
AS to Henry, 1t Of course need not be
said that half the price offered would
have bought him to break an oath
made upon the true cross itself. The
promise he had made to Mary, broken
In intent before it was given, stood not
for an instant in the way of the French
kings wishes, and Henry, with a
promptitude begotten of greed, was as
hasty in sending an embassy to accept
the offer as Francis had been to make
1t. 1t mattered not to him what new
torture he put upon his sister. The
price, / believe, was sufficient to have
induced him to cut off her head with
his own hands.
If Francis and Henry were quick In
their movements, Mary was quicker.
Her plan vas made In the twinkling
Of an eye. Immediately upon seeing
me ut the palace she sent for Queen
Claude, with whom she had become
fast friends, and told her all she knew.
She did not know Of the scheme for the
Savoy marriage. though Queen CLAUDIO
did and fully explained 1t to Mary.
Naturally enough, Claude would be
glad to get Mary as far away from
France and her husband rs possible,
and was only too willing to lend a
helping hand to II purpose, or Mary's,
rather, for she was the leader.
We quickly agreed among ourselves
TINT Mary and Queen Claude should
within an hour 60 out In Claude's new
coach for the ostensible purpose OF
hearing mass. Brandon and / were to
go to the same little chapel in which
Jane and 1 had been married, where
Mary said the little priest could admin
lister the sacrament of marriage and
perform the ceremony rs well as if he
were thrice as large.
/ hurriedly found Brandon and re-
paired to the little chapel, where we
waited for a cry long time, we thought.
at last the two queens entered as If to
make their dcvotions. AS soon as