Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1903-04-04
Louis grinned.

AAAS Wi ASoA " Il Il bNllN lily hllCN
Katherine stifed a great sigh.
Il lost my heart last night; / have
not found 1t again."
Louis flung up his hands in con-
temptuous amusement
THE fellow was a fool to blab so
glibly. I would have carried the Jest
farther. But he stood on the punctilio
and would not win you without con-
fession."
The girls heart swelled.
Il am glad he had so much honor"
! she said. and the shining figure in the
bright armor seemed more ~archangel-
like han ever.
Louis looked at her intently, tickling
his chin with his fore1nger.
"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
n 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 ind the Fortunate islands.
Are there not better things to do with
Master Villon han to hang him?"
Olivier protested:
This Villon Is such q damnable dou-
bic dealer that the ass-headed populace
loves him better than YOU"
The kings visage soured.
That is enough to hang him. Yet
1 have a kind Of liking for the fellow,
and my dream troubles me-the star
that fell from heaven"
Tristan commented bluffly:
Hang the rascal while you can and
hank heaven you are Well rid of him."
Even as he spoke the world seemed
suddenly to be full of many noises and
many voices. From beyond the gate
on the ways that led to the city walls
came the clamor of hoarse shouts and
cries and the thudding din Of running
feet. From the other side, from the
street that led to the Louvre, came the
ordered tramp Of soldiers.
Olivier interpreting one interruption,
said:
The people are coming from the
wallis
And Tristan interpreted the other.
"The queen, SIRE" he announced.
Through the narrow space that LED
into the open square there came q line
Of soldiers ~escorting q number of splen-
didly caparisoned litters-the car
riages Of the queen n the queens
chief ladies. Louis advanced to the
first litter, and extending his hand, as
sisted the queen to descend and con-
Quoted her with an elaborate display
of polite affection to the gorgeous dais
by the side of the church, where they
sat side by side on the small thrones
that had been prepared for them. The
ladies and gentlemen Of the court
ranged themselves in their places be-
hind the royal pair, and the Scottish
archers formed q solid force In front.
Through the open gateway came the
mass Of citizens who were returning
from the walls. Even the heavy sleep
of Trois Echelles and Petit-Jean was
not proof against all this tumult. They
awoke, rubbed their eyes, then climb
ing briskly to their feet, leaned over
the platform on the handrails Of the
gallows and surveyed the scene with
interest.
Noel de Jolys pushed his way
through the GROVE about the gateway
and advanced to the king.
sire" he said, "the latest message
from the battle: The day is wholly
ours. The grand constable returns In
triumph. You can hear his music
now"
Louis nodded.
ut is very WELL" he affirmed gravely.
Through the gateway the crowd of
people was pouring thick and fast,
shouting and cheering and filling the
square in front of the dais with a
throng Of enthusiastic men, women and
children, all waving their arms, fling
inc nnNNnTS and Ualinp uva1pnnNag pf
the topmost pitch Of their lungs. The
sound of military music and the tramp
Of marching men could be heard ap-
preaching louder and louder.
Five girls forced their way to the
very front row Of the throne and were
~applauding and shouting with the rest.
These were the light ladies Of the
Fircone, Isabeau, ~Jehanneton, Denise,
and Blanche with Guillemette, fat
Robin Turgis' fat daughter. They were
all in a state of great excitement, for
their lovers had vanished over night
and their abbess had disappeared like a
dream, n they knew not what had
become of them. They had little fear
for their lovers, for the good gentle
men of the Fellowship of the Cookie
shell a a way Of diving into the deep
waters Of existence at intervals in or
der to escape the too attentive eye and
the too particular finger of the law,
and the girls had a vague idea Of some
great scheme on hand which might
easily result in trouble for the brother
hood. AS for their abbess, they were
none too sorry to be free from her
somewhat decisive authority, and they
chartered and babbled like birds es-
capped from a cage.
BY this time the advance guard of
the army began to pour in through the
M rTnU mouth Of tho orntA,4v,,, o~l A.
form a line in front of the populace.
thus leaving a wide open space between
the assembled people and the seated
king. From every window heads were
thrust and hands extended waving
scarfs Of silk or scattering flowers.
The blare OF the soldiers music grew
louder and louder, the tramp of horse
and men came nearer and nearer, and
then, when the cheering was at its
shrillest n the rain of flowers thick
est, Villon rode In through the gate
way on his great warhorse with his
five ruftians close at his heels. Villon's
lifted hand gave the signal for a hall:
and he leaped lightly off his horse and
advanced towards the king, a glorious
figure to the eyes of the crowd in his
shining armour with a scarlet Golf up
on his helmet. If for a momen his
glance rested on the gaunt skeleton OF
the galloWs there came no change in
the proud composure Of his face. I'm
mediately behind him followed the
faithful ragamuffins, each of whom
bore vivid signs in slung arm, swathed
leg or bandaged forehead of the lusty
work he had done in the kings name
upon the kings enemies. But the sings
and swathes and bandages were of no
common sort, but splendid bits Of silk
of many colors, bearing fantastic de-
vices and rich in threads of gold and
silver.
AS Villon and his fantastic escort
strobe towards the presence, Noel in
terposed Indignantly. He stretched q
pair of protecting arms wide out to
ward off from the king the approach