The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1903-02-13

Inc they left him with MANI crrtsia.
ana salutations and drifted away d.
hghtedly into the mazes Of the rosa
villon turned to look at the men nr,s
actions. scanning MS
AS for these gentlemen" he s.;d -
Hoei, let them go where thew viii nv
nrst give them food and drink and a
pocketful of money!" o q
Inc erect OF his words was almost &c
Paralyzlng upon the rogues ss n woo
upon Messire Noel. 1t pleased the one
as y as 1t displeased the other.
Noel looked the contempt he did NOT
venture TO express. The men rushad
1orward choking with gratitude.
800 save you, sir"
Your excellency# is of a most exo.,
lent excellence"
Long live the grand c~onstab,e,"
"a most rare constable"
Vlllon waved them away.
70 your ways" he said, and if YOU
can, mend them" -
shouting and dancing for joy the me
LOOK advantage of his permission and
disappeared in their turn among he's AL
leys or the rose garden, seeking and
nnalng The wandering women and van
isnlng with them in due course into the
htiS VI TdT1S. ..... VI.
Vlllon turned to Noel.
You may dismiss your soldiers he
said. ATTEND me within CALI" and as
Moei obeyed him, he advanced to where
Huguette was standing, with a smile
OF scornful Indifference still on her fail
face. LII
Villon asked himself as he went:
Why, in Gods name, does the world
appear SO different today? Is it the
thlng they call the better self, or mere
ly this purple and fine linen?"
What he said when he came to the
girl was,
Fair mistress, you have a comely
race and you make it very plain that
you have a comedy figure. Why do YOU
go thus?"
The girl shrugged her green shoulders
n shifted the balance of her BODY
from one green leg to the other, as she
answered ~impudently,
For ease and freedom, to please my
sell, and to show my fine shape to
please Others"
Last night this girl had been his own
lam1llar friend; today she lay leagues
away from his fairy greatness. There
was, pity in his mex speech.
Are YOU a happy woman, mistress?'
Happy enough" she answered as she
snapped her fingers defantly, when
fools ike you dent clap me into prison
for living my life in my own way"
II may be a fool, but + did not clap
you into prison. Heaven Forbid"
A curious look came into the girls
eyes, and she drew a little nearer to
HIM. Her voice was a caress; the tenor
Of her hands was a caress; every supple
curve OF her alluring body caressed.
She seemed to Goa him, cat-like, as
she whispered: '
Your voice sounds familiar, Mon
seigneur. Had I ever the honor to
serve you?"
Villon drew away from her. He felt
suddenly body-sick and soul-sick; sorry
for the woman; sorry for himself.
who knows?" he answered. The
girl laughed and turned aside.
Who cares? What are you going to
do with me?"
set Q free, my delicate bird of
prey. Those wild wings were never
meant for clipping and caging. Is
there anything I can do to please you?"
On the instant her enticement shifted;
all her being was a tremendous en-
treaty.
What has come to Master Francois
ogillon?"
why do you ask?"
He vas with us when we were
oliCl 1aoI llSiit DuI lC IL I'LL
share our prison and he is not with US
now. Does he live?"
Villon hesitated for a moment before
speaking.
H lives. He is banished from Paris,
but he lives"
Huguette clasped her hands in graft
tude.
THE sweet saints be thanked" she
said; and there was that in her voice
/ which made the simple words sound
very sincere to Villon' ears.
What dc you care for the fate Of this
fellow"
"As I am a FOO, I believe I love him."
Heavens mercy! Why?"
II cannot tell you, Messire. A look in
/ his eyes, a trick of his voice-the some
fhing-the nothing hat makes a wo-
mans heart run like wax in the fire.
He never made woman happy yet, and
It'll swear no woman ever made him
happy. If you save him the moon, he
would want the stars for a garnish. He
believes nothing; he laughs at every
thing: he is a false monkey-and yet, I
wish I had borne such a child"
There was a sudden pain at Vfllon's
heart, is if the girls fingers had seized
1t and squeezed it, but he replied
lightly:
LET us speak no more of this rascal.
He believes more and laughs less than
he did. He is so glad to be alive that
his forehead scrapes the sky and the
stars fall at his feet in gold dust. Paris
is we'll rid of such a jackanapes."
you are a merry gentleman"
81 would be more gentle than merry
with you. Will you wear this ring for
my sake? Fancy that it comes from
Master Francois Villon, who will al
ways think kindly of your wild eyes,"
Let me see your face" h requested
but Villon denied her. He signed to
Noel lie Jolys. where he stood apart,
and the young soldier came hurriedly to
him. "
Captain" he said, "give this lady
honorable. conduct
He moved away and. left the pair to-
eether-the mannish m and the
Womanish man, looking at each other,
the man in admiration and the woman
in. veiled disdain.
you are a comely girl" Noel at
frmed roundly.
Huguette laughed.
This is news from no-man's n
Noel spoke lower.
..Where do you lodge?"
Huguette was a woman OF business III
an instant. She flashed in NoeIs race
~. rino the grand constable a given