The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1904-05-12

- IN l Ct \ tlD.Ns W il'
could guess but my relations with Col
onel d'Ortez might throw me again IN
her q | took her hand again, max
ing pretense to examine the ring more
curiously. She made slight demur,
and | pressed my first fervent kiss up
on the hand Of woman. Mans forth
tude could stand no more. Tossing
honor, discretion. duty to the winds. l
folded her close, closer yet, and kissed
her brow, her hair, her eyes-her lips,
she struggling like a frightened nest
ling all the while. 1t was done.
Ashamed but impenitent-it was too
new, too sweet to wish undone-I
loosed her gently, and kissed her hand
but once again, then left her standing
whore the light from the m~ullioned
window in halos wreathed my saint
1t was thus l ever afterWard remem-
bered her.
She made no other sign: I withdrew
swiftly as l came, From across the
wall, unobserved, I watched her leave
the place. downcast Of eye Il slow Of
step. In rebellious and uncertain
mood | rode away.
Though the relish IN my task was
done, I made all haste toward Dieppe.
Scarcely stopping for food, changing
horses as often, as l could, i pushed
on without adventure until l reached
me Chateau Cartillon. then a formiess
ruin.
Here my saddle girth broke and I
was nearly thrown to the ground. I
scrambled Off, walked to the little inn
where l inquired how far I had yet to
go.
Three leagues yet to Dleppe," the
host replied, but monsieur cannot go
On tonight; he must walt the morrow;
he can sc with comfort in the morn
ing"
l sent my groom for a new girth
and found it would take quite an hour
TO procure one from the village.
"~Probably monsieur would visit the
castle upon the hill there" persisted
the landlord, pointing across the way,
lit is worth his while. It is said to have
been destroyed by the Great Henry in
his wars with the duke OF Maycnne.
True 1t is that sounds of battle and
screams are yet heard there on stormy
nights. Probably monsieur would rest
here several days"
l essayed to silence the fellow, for I
was in no mood to listen TO his chat
ter. Yet there was something in his
eulogy of the locality, which he gave
as q haVyker crying his wares, that
fixed my unwilling attention.
And. monsieur, ~perchance you may
see old Mad Michael. What, you know
naught Of him? Country folk do say
ans - hANLhISSNN N4lS t4ItLOEl u
the count, and that it sent her feeble
mind a-Wanderiug. Her child through
all her life did fancy herself the count,
and made strange speeches to the Deo-
pies fear. And now this grandson of
hers has grown old IN frenzy like his
mother n grandam, possessed of an
evil spirit which speaks through him
beuMeS-lt is a curse of the blood.
monsieur, a grieveOuS curse Of the
blood"
IT aroused something Of a curiosity
within me, yet | was lOath to pause
upon my journey. Forced, though, to
walt an hour, l thought to walk over to
the chateau, a couple Of hundred yards
distant. Taking a lad who lOunged
about the Inn, to ShCW me the way, I
~Sauntered UP the path, pausing a while
at a long disused spring, and idly
pIucIeQ an apple from 81 branch which
oFCrhung It. y little further up, n
the steep ACTIVITY, l stood
WITHIN the ancient fortress.
rms castle since r~ebulIded. you, my
children, are Of course familiar with,
for you were all bonn here. At that
date the great central tower alone
STOOD erect amid the universal de-
structlon. a black VOLTS head reared
Itself high above the ~portcu!lis. The
Hoat was filed with drift Of crumbling
SeafS, ana tlle walls, fallen III nIany
i'SN"' i"'i 't'''NA Gnu IIii'H'4 !! ann
less curves and angles, much as they
60 to-day.
Up to this hour my chronicle has
been only OF such adventures as might
beiail a soldier upon any enterprise,
put now a strange thing happened.
lhuI n a had seen
the Chateau Cartillon, still there was
not a corner or a passage that did not
seem well known to me. l Seemed to
knOW intuitively what each building
was for, and even imagined most vivid
~ scenes which had transpired there.
The whole place had the most intense
personal interest for me, why l knew
not.
l an not superstitious, but the ruin
oppressed me, made me restless and Un-
easy; yet l was loath to leave. The
loneliness OF 1t all tilled me with grave
appr~enensions as picked my way
across the grass-encumhered court
yard toward the road again. \ thou
sand haunting fanCies OF half familiar
things thronged from out each dis
mant!ed doorway. Faces l all but rec
ognized peered at Ine through the
broken easements; voices l almost
knew called to me from many a silent
corner. Yet oil was still, all was soil
tude. Heartily sh2ned at my quick
ening step | hurried on and having
consumed a quarter Of my hour sat
down by the spring mentioned before,
just beyond the castles utmOs bound
1ry:
The haze OF late afternoon had deep
ened into night upon The peaceful