Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1904-02-27
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nc this Is my NEsL HlBnt III rains
II thought as much. This lady" the
tall man continued in q sarcastic ton
permit me to present you to mad
.moiselle Florine, waitress and decoy
pigeon for Betrand's wine ROOMS, where
gentlemen sometimes play at dice
He laughed again, and even the girl
could muster up a smile now thai the
danger had blown over.
THAT 10 true, Mademoiseile. l
asked. She nodded.
Then, good sirs, I'll fight no more In
such a matter"
And by my soul, comrade. right glad
I am to hear you say It; for q ngh'
ike a very devil Of hell, and Carne
Ward knows a swordsman."
Carne Ward! The very fellow 1 had
been tent out to find, now by a queer
chance throws full in my a verify,
[ was relieved to know I could hold
my own against this IN
ramous-bravo. Another thing gained;
[ knew my man while yet a stranger 10
him. And further. i stumbled on the
very place which OF all other l desired
10 find. Truly the chance was odd.
The two gentlemen upon the star
had o yet staunched their nlerrlmen'
these thoughts coming so unex-
pectedly had swept me every recoilec-
ton OF the fight.
Thou are not OF Parish" the spokes-
nan asked again.
I heard him as a man hears some
hing afar off, for my foot resting up
On the package which had been
dropped, sent my mind a wandering
again. Could II be that this was a
paper Of Importance, or possibly the
very one / desired? Why not? / re-
,olyed TO possess It at every hazard.
Yet were / to stoop and pick It up now
and they saw me, I knew Of no means
by which / might leave the place In
safety. So I carelessly showed IL with
my foot farther into the shadow or the
,tep. 1 answered the question asked
ne so long before.
mo, my lord. the city is q strange
one to me-
"Of what place, did you say?"
Now I had purposely RETAINED from
saying, and did not know what reply
20 give. i hated to appear boorish, be-
sides It would not serve my purpose.
Ny father being of Normandy, !
leemed / would have nearly the accent
IF those people, so / made a venture TO
say:
"Of Normandy, sir" in such a way
ne did not pursue the subject further.
I'VE thought you no Partisan, or this
ady would not have made so easy u
conquest" and they laughed again.
do you play?" he queried.
"But rarely, my lord" the fact was
knew little Of the dice.
They put about and assembled the
stair, the two together, then Ward, /
coming on behind, but not until the
packet, from which I hoped 80 much,
n safely in my bosom. This was
.asily accomplished when Ward had
urned his back.
we climbed the stair, and after some
'orty or nifty PAGES stood inside the
DOM Of which Serigny had spoken to
ne. l could recognize the place from
IFS description.
The gaming tables were ranged
lbout in the center OF the room, and
lbout them sat many men-and Wo-
nen, too-at play. On three sides OF
he place q row OF columns ran some
our or 1--WE yards from the wall. These
pillars formed convenient alcoves for
hose who would sit and sip their wine
some were curtained. n better TO
screen their occupants. Others stood
BROADLY open.
The four Of us walked over to n table
we'll out of view and sat down to wine.
c was then / regretted not having al
.eady needed Serigny's admonition "a
provide myself with garments more
suited to my character, for / felt / at
:racted some attention as we passed
Trough the room, and this was most
% be avoided.
We seated ourselves about h table
md ordered wine; mine remained UNI
.aster while the others drank. l de-
.ermined to touch no wine that night.
..A,, 10 fNnt 1rtnH " va rI
.emarked, rs your blood still hot with
he clash Of steel2"
mo. by my honor, hal Is long for
gotten; 1t IL my oath, an oath, too
hat cannot be broken"
"Ah, to q LADY,"
I nodded, and he smiled.
we talked Indifferent gossip, and
. fter a while the Spanish troubles
we're mentioned; / think the tall man
arst spoke Of It. Somehow / felt
wards carelessness to be assumed,
and that he very much desired to
near what these two gentlemen would
say on a matter 80 important Ills
manner made It plain TO me he knew
he two gentlemen, and also that they
we're men of rank. However, they
we're quite discreet; while they talked
much. vet they said nothing which was
not common talk on the streets. After
/, bit they arose to leave, n l was
sorely perplexed whether II were bet
ser that I depart with them, now that
papers which might be valuable rested
safely against my breast, or a. ]
better stay and endeavor to learn moio
Ward, who was beginning to
drink heavily. Perhaps q little moTt
liquor might loosen his tongue. ana ]
even capture him or his confei-
Discretion would have taken me
for hat these two gentlemen
we're powerful enough to protect me
In case Of trouble in the house i die
doubt. The bearing OF the elder
man especially was such as TO inspire
The adventure, though. was too CT
ticing, and the hotter or youth
prevailed. / bade the gentlemen good
night, and remained sitting mt the table
with Ward. 1t was but q few moments
before I regretted my unwise decision
Ward leaned forward, the edge OF
the table pressing against his breast
and in 30 doing noticed the absence OF
the paper which he had forgotten ir
the fight. His face changed instantly
the drunken leer vanished. At frs
there was q merely puzzled expression
aa Of an intense effort to remember
He looked swiftly at me. / gave nc
sign. The two men were gone. His
anxiety convinced me Of the import
ance OF the papers. He thought for Z
moment. then excused himself ant
went out tho way we came. As M
passed through the room, I saw hin
stoop and whisper a word to n or TN
men at the dice table. In a minute tn
fellow shifted his seat. and though III
to play. he had taken q poEi'
ton where, as ! imagined, he couit
watch me that I did not leave. / be.
came uneasy now, for I could not tel
how many there were, and my princi
pal thought was how to get u OF TIL
house. Assuredly not by h way
entered.
Looking about more carefully to net
the different means of egress, my at
teption was attracted by a carver
shield above the main door. The arm
were the same as those craven on tn,
locket shown me by Colonel d'Orte
the night I left Biloxi. There, stand
ing out boldly above the door. was tn
z.AY~ u,n1f tho erect Of tn