The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1903-04-03
Noel bowed and sped on his errand

Katherine requested:
Have 1 your majesty's leave?'
Tristan and Olivier withdrew them
selves discreetly apart, under the
shadow Of the gallows, that building of
all hunan buildings which was most
lear to their hearts and most sacred
in their eyes.
Louis came very close to the pale
girl and whispered:
Are you SO hungry for your devo-
tons hat you cannot waste some
worldly words on me? Are you still
angry with me for the trick I played
on you?"
Katherine's pale face flushed a little
as she answered:
1T is wasted spirit to be angry with
a king"
Louis grinned.
You are as pat with Vol answers
as a clerk at mathis. Could you give
me your heart now if I bent my knee?"
Katherine stitled q great sigh.
II lost my heart last night; I have
not found it again."
!. Louis flung up his hands in con-
temptuous amusement.
THE fellow was a fool to blab SO
glibly. l would have carried the jest
farther. But he stood on the punctilio
and would not win you without con-
fession."
The girls hear swelled.
Il am glad he had SO much honor"
she said, and the shining figure in the
bright armor seemed more archangel-
like h ever.
Louis looked at her intently, tickling
his chin with his f~orefinger.
IF you wait in the church for his
homecoming, you will see how the jest
ends" he said.
Katherine made the king a profound
reverence and slowly entered the
church, every pulse of her body plead
ing in prayer for her lost lover. She
scarcely needed an old. bowed wom-
an who tottered out, propped On a
crutch stick, and who dropped the
great lady a respectful curtsey as she
passed and went her ways into the
silent streets. So the two women in
the world whom Villon loved met for
the first time.
Louis, left alone, beckoned to Tristan
and Olivier, who hurried down to him.
There goes a brave lady, gossips,
a fair lady, a chaste lady. She sails
in the high ATTITUDES Of love and de-
serves to find the Fortunate islands.
Are there not better things to do with
Master Villon thar to hang him?"
Olivier protested:
"This Villon is such a damnable dou-
BILE dealer that the ass-headed populace
loves him better than you"
The kings visage soured.
THAT Is enough to hang him. Yet
I have a kind Of liking for the fellow
and my dream troubles me-the sta1
that fell from heaven"
Tristan commented bluffiy:
Hang the rascal While you can and
thank heaven you are well rid Of him
Even as he spoke the world seemed
suddenly to be full Of many noises anC
many voices. From beyond the gate
on the ways hat led to the city walls
came the clamor Of l1oarse shouts anc
cries and the thudding din Of running
feet. From the other side, from the
street that led to the Louvre, came ths
ordered tramp Of soldiers.
Olivier interpreting one interruption
said:
The people are coming from til
wallis"
And Tristan interpreted the other
THE queen, SIRE" he announced.
Through the narrow space that let
into the open square there came a lint
Of soldiers %escorting a number Of splen.
didly caparisoned litters-the car.
riages Of the queen n the queen.
chief ladies. Louis advanced to tn,
first litter, and extending his hand, as.
: sisted the queen to descend and con.
: Quoted her with an elaborate displa!
of polite affection to the gorgeous dai.
, by the side Of the church, where the.
sat side by side On the small throne,
: that had been prepared for them. Thu
J ladies and gentlemen OF the cour
) ranged themselves in their places be,
hind the royal pair and the Scottish
; archers formed a solid force in front
: Through the open gateway came TIL
: mass of citizens who were returning
: from the walls. Even the heavy slee]
l Of Trois Echelles and Petit-Jean wa
l not proof against all this tumult. The.
, a rynyn y-y,Ihn1 tLnSr a1ya %l1~s ILL., =
l ing briskly to their feet. leaned owe
the platform OF the handrails of tn
l gallows and surveyed the scene witt
interest.
Noel de Jolys pushed his wa,
t through the crowd about the gatewa,
and advanced to the king.
Sire" he said, the latest messag
E ours. The grand constable returns ii
triumph. You can hear his must
now"
t Louis nodded.
5 "It is very WELL" he affirmed gravely
Through the gateway the crowd o
| people was pouring thick and fast
shouting and cheering and filling tn
e square in front Of the dais with
throng of enthusiastic men, women an,
l children, all waving their arms, fling
ing flowers and yelling welcomes a
the topmost pitch Of their lungs. TIL
! sound of military music and the tram
of marching men could be heard ap
preaching louder and louder.
e Five girls forced their way to tn
very front row of the throne and wer
applauding and shouting with the rest
These were the light ladies OF tn
Fircone, Isabeau, Jehanneton, Denise
and Blanche with Guillemette, ia
: Robin Turgis' fat daughter. They wer
r all in a state Of great excitement, TO
t their lovers had vanished over nigh
: and their abbess had disappeared like
dream, and they knew not what ha,
4 become Of them. They had little fea
for their lovers, for the good gentle
a men of the Fellowship Of the Cookie
shell had a way of diving into the dee,
t waters of existence at intervals in or
der to escape the too attentive y an,
the too particular finger Of the Law
and the girls had a vague idea Of som
great scheme on hand which nigh
8 easily result in trouble for the brother
e hood. AS for their abbess, they wer
e none too sorry to be free from he
: somewhat decisive authority, and the,
chartered and babbled like birds es
d capped from a cage.
BY this time the advance guard c
Y the army began to pOur In through tn