Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1904-04-02
ODE Black sAg
VOLTS Breed
c.r,r,sn' 1899 s& By H.rrl. Dickson

AT any rate she feared to lntfude,
and at once set out TO seek help. The
girl throughout acted with astonish-
ing promptness n judgment. Flor
Inc had recognized Madame la Prin-
cesse-all Paris knew the eccentric
lady-so went straight to her. At first
denied admission she sent up q note
couched in such terms as gained for
heranimmediate private int~erview-in-
deed the Princess herself was careful
tt should be strictly private.
Madame knew nothing of me except
the request l rnade concerning Jerome,
and sending the papers to the Austrian
arms. Florlne went without delay to
that place. This was about midday.
Meanwhile Jerome, much troubled that
l Gid not appear during the night, pur-
sued our original plan of watching the
house, and arranged his men at win
dows, and i'm the street, In such a way
as no to attract attention. One OF
them had seen me working at the win
dow, but never dreamed 1t was i.
Jerome found the house already douhly
guarded by the ~provost's men, to his
infinite disgust. He was a handy chap
though, and not to be outdone. Dress
ing himself as n clumsy lout, he found
little difficulty in worming the tram
saction OF the night before out OF n
of the guard off duty. A drink or two
together at the sign of the yellow
Fiagon' fetched this information.
Jerome was much wearied through his
long watching and anxiety when he
returned to the Austrian Arms. The
hostler at the inn turned him aside
from the front loo by Il gesture, so
that he entered by another a Claude
acquainted him hat a lady in the pub
lie room desired to speak with NJ. Je-
rome de Greviile, and would not be
denied. Jerome's custom with visit
ors was to see them first himself, be-
fore Claude told them whether he was
in or 10.
Peeping through an aperture he saw
the lady walking imratiently up and
down the room, tapping at the win
dow, mending the fire, and expressing
her haste in many other pettish man
ners so truly feminine. 1t was Florine.
lie knew the girl well from his fire.
q%uenting Bertrand's during this piece
of business. Jerome sem her word he
would be in, and changing his costume
to II he usually wore, presented HIM
self before her IN the public room.
lis 1t l you seek, NJ. de Greville,
mademoiselle?" he inquired politely.
"Oh! Monsieur de Greville, il is you;
I'm so glad" She came forward with
a pretty air Of perplesity and surprise,
for Florine had a dainty woman's way
about her, showing even through her
present trouble. She bore hereslf more
steadily that h had not to deal with
some seVere-faCed stranger, but a gall
Ian gentleman, whose mien was not
that from which timid maidens were
prone to fly.
"Oh, Monsieur de Greville, l know not
what to say, now that / am we'll met
with you"
And by my faith, mademoiselle, 1
am sure no word of mine would grace
those pretty lips as well as thine own
sweet syllables. So I cannot tell you
what to say"
Florine pouted her dissent, yet was
not in earnest angered-she was a
woman. Jerome saw her business lay
deeper than mere jest and badinage,
so he spoke to her more seriously.
Il pray you Observation-Disclosures? p
am l right? BE seated"
Florine had no thought for gallan-
tries; she declined the proffered seat,
and, standing, proceeded at once to the
point Of her mission.
There is a young gentleman in our
house" and she blushed a little, Je-
rome declared to me afterwards, "in
Bertrand's wine room-you know the
place? locked up, and / am not certain
whether he lives or is dead. l can not
tell monsieur his name, but you know
him. Oh, he was kind to me, and /
would willingly do something to save
him. It is so hard to be only a woman.
The provost has the house guarded"
Il know it," Jerome put in drily.
This gentleman gave your name
and lodgings TO the lady who was with
him there last night, and she it was
who sent you the packet" Florine had
run on hurriedly. u~nheeding Jerome's
blank look of establishment. This was
probably a shrewd guess on her part,
yet it s%quarely struck the mark.
Lady? Sent the papers? Who?
What LADY," Jerome asked before she
could answer anything.
THAT l must not tell, monsieur. Oh,
come, quick; get him away from there;
If our people find him they may do him
harm. Monsieur is a brave gentleman,
a friend Of his, is it not true? Come"
Jerome drew the facts pretty well out
OF the excited girl, knowing somewhat
Of the circumstances and guessing the
rest--all in an exceeding short space of
time. Florine told him as accurately as
she could in what room l lay, leav-
ing him t. locate the window from the
street. From this point the plan was
simple enough. Jerome and Florine ar
rived at Bcrtrand's by different routes,
Fiorine passing in unconcernedly, and
Jerome, clad again as a stupid country
knaYe, walked by the house to discover
my outer window.
1t vas at this time that the falling
Of the spur conveyed to him the intel
ligence of my life and place of confine-
ment. After this Jerome had to de-
pend greatly on the quick-witted WON
an.
1t would be a long story and a boot
less, were 1 to tell how it fell out that
Florine had a friend, the same kind
faced oma who helped her watch be-
side my bed; the window of. this
friends garnet room opened almost di-
rectly opposite Florine's own poor
apartment. Only a narrow, dingy alley
lay between: SO scant was the space the
upper stories came near to touching
across it. Florine's friend, after some
fearful persuasion, consented to aid
the rescue of such a gallant gentleman
as l was described to be. The girl
could come and go at will. The friend
permitted Jerome and three OF his men
to hide in her room. From her window
Jerome cast a light cord into Florine's
window, she drawing a stouter robe
across with it, and made fast. 1t now
became a trifing feat for these nimble
adventures to swing themselves
across to Florine's room, but twelve
feet or SO away. Once inside Bertrand's
they proceeded with abundant caution,
all Of which near came to naught
through Florine's sudden Shrek and
my own ervou clamor. 1t shamed me
heartily.
Truly, comrade, thou hast good
lungs" Jerome told me days after
ward. ut took all our strength to shut
thee of thy wind"
When the four men found me a help
less body in their hands, they were
greatly troubled. However, Florine in
sisted that l be carried to her room
where she could conceal me.
Once there they found means to truss
me up like a bale of merchandise and
sling me across the alley again, whence
l vas conveyed, still unconscious
through out-of-the-way streets to the
Austrian arms.
And so 1t was I came to my
strength, safe in my own lodgings in