The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1904-01-22
Black yzg
VOLTS Breed
cesyssshs 1855 as ny Haras Dselson !
4. this, Look,.

What Il this7 Look!"
I glanced at 1t and started, looking
1n~quiringly into my old friends face.
He avoided my eye.
I saw now upon he plate the same
arms. the same quarterings. blu over
%scutcheon a flaming bar Of red which
blazoned evilly upon thu silver ground.
I understood.
What Il it," he demanded impa-
tiently. I still could ind no word to
answer.
Speak out boy. what is TT"
THE same. but here, over all, is the
bendlet sinister" I scarcely dared to
look into his face.
Aye" he replied. his countenance
livid with shame. ct Is the bar sin
lister. the badge OF dishonor. So do
those proud arms appear in the sight OF
God. and 30 shall they be seen Of men.
And for generations each Lord Of Car
tillon has added to that crimson stripe
the indelible stain Of cowardice."
The master. his features working
convulsively with humbled pride. his
eyes leaving the floor, continued
r%esolutely:
The story is short. Over a hundred
years ago the Count d'Artin was muir
dered;in his castle by the son OF q a
ant woman. his half brother, Who as
sumed the title and seized the estates.
n was easy in those times, for the
murdered man was q Huguenot, his
slayer q Catholic in the service of
Guise, and 1t was the day after st.
Bartholomew's. The count had sent his
infant son for safety to an old friend,
the abbott OF a neighboring monastery.
This child was brought up in the Cath
ole faith. and in him and his descend
anti resided the true right Of the
Counts d'Artin. OF this they have al
ways been ignorant. Tho usurper on
his deathbed repented, and calling his
Owl son to him. told him the whole
story. exacting a solemn oath that he
would find the dtsinherited one and re-
store to him his own. This oath was
kept in part. His son, Raoul d'Ortez,
found the child, then an officer In the
army, but lacked the courage to de-
clare his own shame. and relinquish the
price of his fathers crime. BY that
Raoul d'Ortez this locket was made,
and the same vow and the same tradi-
no child. God knows I would give up
the accursed heritage II 1 could.
During all these years a careful
record ha been kept Of the true
lineage. which was only broken In my
fathers time. Here in this packet are
the papers which prove 1t; ] confide
them to you upon my death. After I
~ 5oAe VAIL you 10 uAQ the last
d'Artin."
He was silent now a long time. then
continued in a lower. tone: MY mother
was Of the reformed religion and l en-
braced her faith. It seems like q judg-
ment Of God that I, a Huguenot, should
lose under King Louis what my Catho-
lie ancestor gained under King Chailes.
Now CO., lad"
I could say nothing. but touching his
hand in mute sympathy turned away
without a word.
I had almost reached the door when
he sprang after and again detained me.
His glance searched apprehensively
into the shadowy corners Of the room,
his voice wavered, the look of a hunted
animal crept into his eyes.
'"Tis said" he whispered, "the rest
less spirits Of my fathers yet haunt
our castle In Normandy-oh, merciful
God, do you believe 1t? oh, no, no,
after all these troubled years / fam
would find a dreamless slumber in my
grave"
i soothed him as I would a frightened
child. and, left him standing It the
door.