The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1903-01-02

~ N"A A> ASooA
OF silken coat and gilded wand.
Not so we Frenchmen understand
The lord of lions heart and glance,
And such q n would take command
If Villon were the king Of France!"
The kings face was a study in sar
donics. Tristan was poppy-red with
rage. The gang applauded and Villon
glowed with their applause.
His counsellors are rogues, Perdie!
While men Of honest min are banned,
To creak upon the gallows tree,
Or squeal in prisons o~ver-mann'd;
We want a chief to bear the brand,
n bid the damned R%urgundians
dance;
God! Where the orinamme should
stand
If Villon were the king of France!"
Mugs and cans clattered approval.
The rhymer's ayes widened as he drew
breath to blow forth the envoi of his
ballade.
Louis the Little, play the grand;
Buffet the foe with sword and lance;
'Tis what would happen, by this hand,
II Villon We're the king of France!"
A roar of enthusiasm came.from the
full threats of the band. Montigny
slapped Villon on the back with a well
crowed, Chanticleer!" Huguette flung
her arms around him and Rugged him
as she cried passionately: Il forgive
you much, for that light in YOU eyes"
But the poet seemed weary after so
much heat. He pushed the girl away
and dropped on his hogshead. The
rogues ratified away to their table again,
and Villon was left alone with Louis,
who questioned him drily: You call
yourself a patriot, 1 suppose"
Villon had recovered sufficient energy
to drain a mug of wine. He turned to
the king, passing his hand over his
fnraJ,noI ssPIr ,,r p,1.1, biph- cntynHin O.
title,' he answered. Il am but a poor
devil With a heart too big for his body
and a hope too large for his hoop. Had
I been ~begotten in a brocaded bed, l
might have led armies n served
France; have loved ladies without fear
Of cudgellings, and told kings truths
without dread Of the halter, while as 1t
is, l consort with sharps and wantons,
and make my complaint to a dull little
buzzard like you, old noodle! Oh, it's
a FOOLS play and it were well to be out
Of it,"
"You won't have long to worry" iris
tan muttered to himself under his
breath, and found great comfort in the
thought. Louis merely said: You are
sententious!" "
villon took him up quickly. 1.-THE
quintessence Of envy, no less. I have
great thoughts, great desires, great
ambitions, great appetites, what you
will. I might ave changed the world
and left q memory. AS it Is l sleep In q
| garnet under the shadow of the galloWs,
and shall be forgotten tomorrow, even
by the wolves I pack with. But this is
dry thinking; let's to drinking!" AS
he spoke Villon rose to- join his COM
rades, when his quick eye noted that
Robin Turgis had fallen asleep on his
bench. Villon skipped lightly toward
him, dexterously% unlocked his bunch OF
keys from his girdle, and, with q tri-
umphant gesture, made on tptoe for
the cellar door, which he unlocked and
through which he disappeared. Louis
looked after him with an acid smile.
Tristan leaned forward and plucked at
the kings sleeve. "Shall I hang him
tomorrow" he asked, hoarsely. The
king turned, musing, to his henchman.
I'VE shall see! He is q loose-lipped
fellow, but he might have been a a
He has set me thinking of my dream.
I was a swine rioting in the streets of
Paris and I found q pearl-well, well.
Let us kill the time with cards till Thi-
baut d'Aussigny comes" Tristan pro-
duced a pack Of cards from his pouch
and laid them on the table. "Do @
think he will Gomez" he asked.
"He does not expect to find me here,
+ promise you" Louis answered. He
would not come If he did. Barber Oil
NlCl. ~ GA 1liS VI iito >N1
he spoke the inn door opened a little
and the king, hearing the click Of the
lcatch, asked: us that hep"
Tristan glanced round over his Shout
der. The doorSwas pushed partly OPEN,
"a Ind an old,sstooped women was peep
ag curiousiy into the room. Tristan
his shoulders.
"r'So, sire" he snarled; another old
y l%irlan."
this time the king had arranged
cards to his satisfaction. He made
,,ea CO Imperative gesture to his companion
at himself, and in a few econds
Morgotten everything else in the x
Mon, lent of the game. Meanwhile the
raa ~ 14oman, having pushed the door
go aopen, came softly into the room.
20 was a quiet, mild-faced creature,
~. II those human shadows who sug-
without tragedy faded youth and
~ " red comeliness. She was very
10y but very neatly dressed, in worn
'!tt1 w and rusty black, inc the linen
Aeeabcut her lined face were scru-
,,aasa tsly clean. She looked anxiously
ea7 i'd her, shading her eye with her
Tin the dim light of the tavern,
lie to discern much, but evidently
Chlca. to discern something.
,reat ne de Montigny, tired Of teasing
au, SUDDENLY looked up and caught
You of the old woman as she stood,
ne onehelpless n wistful, peering about
Jet en- An impish spirit foated leaf-like
the surface of his mind. He rose to
- Effect and danced towards her in a
nc ns Elastic manner, sweeping her a pro-
Sand s%alutation as he approached her.
..t'Your pleasure, sweet princess?' he
i'd with mock Difference.
THE old woman turned her wrinkled
Misage up to his in wonder.
n rs Master Francois Villon In this
company, sir?" she faltered.
Montigny treated her to another pro-
. ound bow.