Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1904-04-02

tn black VOLTS breed,
AS l grew stronger Jerome and l had
a long talk. He told me the morning
after l left him, which was Thursday,
a yelled woman had brought him a
pair Of gauntlets, with the request that
he preserve them carefully. Jerome
naturally wanted to know who had
sent such a present. The woman an
swered no questions, only impressed
upon him the importance of keeping
them himself and letting no one have
them. She would not tell whence she
came, and when she departed Jerome
made a sign to Claude. who followed.
He returned n reported she had en-
tered the apartments of Mademoiselle
de Charities by a private way.
Verify this was coming close to the
king, and to Orleans; these gauntlets
coming from the house of this naughty
bourbon princess. One Of the gaunt-
lets, of course, contained folded therein
the papers taken from Ward, the same
had confided to Mademoiselle la Prin-
cesse. l smiled my satisfaction that
she had been so discreet.
The other packet Jerome found up
on me when l was disrobed for bed.
1t was many days before Jerome
asked me for the details of my inn
prisonment, or how 1t came about there
was a dead man in the room with me.
| related the whole circumstance briefly
uS lOoSlDle, WHO l0IOuSSaTQ WAS, ana
all, to avoid further questioning. For
| hated to dwell upon the occurrences
of that night, yet ever returned to
them with a sort of secret fascination.
You choked him we'll, comrade," was
Jerome's only comment, regarding the
affair, yet / fancied l saw him shiver
somewhat at the CHASTITY recollection
OF Broussard. The matter being thus
dismissed, we never spoke of 1t again.
our fire burned warm, filling the
room with a homelike glow, so with
good wine II clear consciences Jerome
and l drank and talked and stretched
the lazy evening through.
There is just one other thing we can
do, Placide, to put the finishing touch
upon our success"
l turned an interrogative glance
toward the speaker.
That is to ind out who Is back of
this scheming. That fellow Ward,
daredevil though he Is, has not brain
enough to concoct such q plan, ever If
he had courage and energy to fight 1t
through. Depend upon ii, some power
full person is behind Ward. Most likely
Madame du Maine. What say you to
an adventure"
My blood vas in the humor for sport,
the wine heated me somewhat, and
rocking not OF consequences / caught
at his idea.
'LhiiSiyb III iut, DuI WHAT.
Let us to SCeaux, to madame's
court, and see what we may discover,
for two fools like ourselves might per-
chance stumble blindly upon what a
wise man would overlook" he con-
tinued with mock humility.
Yes, and two fools like ourselves
might ~perchance get themselves hanged
for what a wise man would keep his
skirts clear Of. There's q peril in med
| ding with the affairs pf +ba graat,
seriously, now, l have means and
ways OF learning things in madame's
family. My head has been fast set on
this matter for some time. If you agree
TO take the risk with me-" he pursued.
rising n stretching his back to the
fire, facing me, mind you, l tell you all
l want you to know, and you must
promise me to make no inquiries on
your own account"
BY this time l had grown accus-
toned to trust de Greville, so l simply
~assented.
"a lady you know-it might get me
into trouble" he further explained.
with that l made myself content.
Jerome averted his face as if he would
first frame his speech carefully before
he rave it me. Here Serigny's final re-
mark about making friends of the ladies
REQUIRED to me, and | wondered what
this fair unknown had to do with such
a rough game as we played. Before
the hand was out, though, l under
stood how truly it had been said that
women's wits now swayed the destinies
of France. Since this day, too, u
country has suffered much through
women, when under the next, and more
plant Louis, they ruled with even a
Scantier pretenSe at ~concealment or Of
decency. Jerome spoke low and guard
eddy, when he turned to me again. He
1 IhnnYN IN q tDNA .aa,l.1,.AI -, a.
sity of his feelings-which, as 1 soon
learned, were quite natural.
Il was a mere lad; / had a sweet
heart whose family lived near our own
in the vicinity of q certain small pro-
vincial town, 1t matters not where. She
much younger than 1, shared all my
childish games. 1t was the will Of God
that we should love. My family was
rich, is rich; both were noble. I had
two older brothers who stood between
me n a title of wealth. Her parents
were ambitious for her future; l was
put aside. They sent her away, away
from me, and married her here in Paris
to a man she had never seen. A simple
marriage OF convenience, as we say
here. Her heart was numb and dead;
1t made no rebellion. / went to the
army; gained nothing but my rank.
My brothers died, and 1 being the next
heir a live as it pleases me. Here L
am In Paris; she is at Sceaux, two
leagues away. / owe her yet, and, God
forgive her, she loves me. Her old
husband who is attached to the Due
du Maine cares nothing for her. She
amuses herself half in idleness with
the intrigues Of the court. Nay do not
look so black, Placide, for even thisc can
be innocent enough. There is much
excuse for her, too, my friend, A
woman must needs have love to feed
upon. They can never, like ourselves,
fill their hearts entirely with ambition,
with glory or with adventure. Men
may make their lives a cloister or a
camp and be content; but woman,
whatever else Of gaud and glitter they
may have, yet require love and ten
derness and gentle sympathy beside.
Happy is she who receives all these
from her husband; and that husband
treads dangerous ground who denies
1t to her. l see our wonder at hear
ing this from me; but / have thought
constantly upon such things. Peste!
this touches not our business: let us
go on. Through this lady's husband,
and by another source of information,
l hope to find the truth concerning
Ward. Do you follow me?"
yes. u how?" 1 pys in. when 1
run my neck into q halter, / want to
know whose hands are playing with
the cord
Never fear for her. Madame-that
is, the lady-has a firm hold upon the
Due du Maine himself, in fact she is
quite indispensable to him. Don't ask
me for more. Once let the Due be
made Regent, and my oldtime sweet
heart OF those innocent days in Anjou
Will be the most powerful woman In
France. But with all that, Placide,"
and the mans quivering voice went
straight to the very tenderest core of
my heart for the depths OF bitterness, II
contained, in spite of ii all she'd rather
be back In the country breathing the
pure and peaceful air, a guiltless and
happy girl, han to live as she does,