Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1903-01-31

baut was a traitor, a villain
Louis mirth d~eepened, but he kept
the gravity Of his speech.
Take care, sweeting, lest you vale
out of your depth. But you women are
fountains Of compassion. If this knave,s
life interests you, plead for 1t to my
lord, the grand constable
The girl made q gesture or despair.
"Thibaut is pitiless," she said. Her
mouth hardened as she thought or the
man she hated and of her own failure
to thrust him from her path, put IL
softened on the next words of the king.
'"Thibaut is no longer in office. Try
your luck with his successor
She leaned forward b~eseechingly.
His name, sire?"
Louis looked at her houghtfully.
"He Is the count Of Montcorbier, ne
said. HE is a stranger in u court,
but he has found a lodging IN my
heart. He came under saIe cohuuc'
from the south last night. He Is rec
commended to me highly by our brother
of Provence. / believe he Will serve me
well, and l am sure he Will always De
lenient to l~oveliness."
The king smiled affably as the a
lies slipped smoothly from his Fps. he
was amusing himself immensely with
the threads of the fairy tale ne was
spinning. g.,
You shall have audience with him.
The king paused. He caught sight on
the steps of the dark familith hgure
! of the royal barber, who was approach
ing him de%ferentially. He called to
him: -,
"Olivier, by and by, when my Lord
! of Montcorbier takes the aid In the
garden, bring this lady to him. YOU
understand" i,
He turned to Katherine again and
once more tIckled her hin with the
swaying rose.
Now, go, girl, o. my wife and your
queen will be wanting her roses j.,
Katherine again saluted the king and
went slowly up the steps into the PAL
ace. Louis watched her as she went.
watched her until she was out OF
sight, and then turned sharply upon
his servant. .
"Well, goodman barber, what of
Francois V~illon?" -.
"a pot of drugged wine last night
sent him to sleep in a prison. rms
morning he woke in a palace, lapped
in the linen of a royal bed. He mas
been washed and barbered, sumptu
ously dressed and rarely perfumed. he
IS so changed that his dearest friend
would not know him again. He does
not seem to know himself. He carries
himself as If he had been a courtler all
his days"
The king chuckled.
II have little doubt that when the
| iackass wore the lions skin he thougni
himself a lion. Blu Is he not maZed !!
TOO much amazed, sire, to betray
Amusement. His attendants assure MIN
with the gravest faces. that he Is the
grand constable OF France. l believe
he thinks himself In q dream, and, ma
ing the dream delicate, accepts It,
"Remember," said Louis, Ito keep tt
the tale. This fellow came here from
Provence last night. None must know
who he Is save you and l and Tristan
BLOW 1t about to all the court that he Il
the count of Montcorbier, the favoritt
of our brother of Provence, and now my
friend and counsellor. l have a likins
for YOU, olivier, as you know, n TITS
tan and l are very good friends, pu'
neither Of your heads are safe on thel
shoulders If this sport OF mine o'
spoiled by indiscretions.
olivier bowed deeply.
IT cannot speak for Tristan, sire, n
said, but I can speak for myself. Tn
god Harpocrates is not more symbollca
than l when 1T is my business to holC
my tongue"
1T is we'll" said Louis. II will an
swer for Tristan. Have this fellow sen
to me here"
With another reverence Olivier let
the king and assembled the steps int
the palace. The king shifted penslVei
at the rose which Katherine had give
to him. The perfume seemed to SCOT
him and he unused, summing himself an
feeding his fancy with the entertain
ment which playing with the lives O
others always afforded to him.
This Jack and Jill shall dance to m,
Whimsy like dolls upon q wire. 1t Woul
be rare sport If Mistress Katherine dis
dained Louis to decline upon this beg
gar. He shall hang for hooking me
But he carried himself like a l n 70
all his tatters and patches, and he sha
taste Of ~sp.endor.'
CHANGING up at the terrace he per
ceived the returning figure or OlVle
lie Dain, and guessed that his hench
man was serving as herald TO the neN
grand constable. Behind OliVler cam
a little cluster of pages, and benin
them again the king could see a shlnln
figure in cloth of gold.
Here comes my m~ountebank," n
said TO himself "as pompous as If h
were born to the purple" He move
swiftly to the door Of the tower an
entered it, disappearing as the llttI
PROCESSION descended the steps into tn
rose garden. There was a little gratin
=, I'm the door Of the tower, a little gratin
with a sliding shutter. and through tn
grating the king now peered with IL
finite entertainment at the progress {
the comedy himself had planned. OF
vier had spoken truly when he sal
that Master Villon had been great
changed. The BARRIERS own handiwor
had so cleansed and shaved his couI