The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1904-02-26
Thou art not of PARISH" the taller

NO, lIlS Is NY llISl night III EdIIS.
Il thought as much. This lady, the
tall man continued in a sarcastic tone,
permit me to present you to mad
emOiSellc F1orine, waitress and deCOy
pigeon for Betrand'S wine rooms. where
gentlemen sometimes play at dice"
He laughed again, and eve the girl
could muster up a smile now that the
danger had blown over.
THAT is true, Mademoiselle." ]
asked. She nodded.
"Then, good sirs, I'll fight no more in
such q NATTER
And by my soul, comrade, right glad
| am to hear you say it; for you fight
like a very devil of hell, and Carne
Ward knows a s~wordsman."
Carne Ward! The very fellow 1 had
been sent out to find, now by a queer
chance thrown full in my way. Verify,
l was relieved to know / could hold
my own against this famous-or in
famous-bravo. Another thing gained:
l knew my man while yet a stranger to
him. And further, / stumbled on the
very place which of all other 1 desired
to find. Truly the chance was odd.
The two gentlemen upon the stair
had not yet staunched their merriment
While these thoughts coming SO unex-
pectedly had swept me every recollec-
ton Of the fight.
Thou are not Of PARISH" the spokes-
man asked again.
heard him as a nan hears some
thing affair off, for my foot resting up
on the package which had beer
dropped, sent my mind a wandering
again. Could it be hat his was a
paper of Importance. or possibly the
very one I desired? Why not? I re-
solved to possess it at every hazard.
Yet were | to stoop and pick 1t up nov
n they saw me, I knew Of nc means
by which I might leave the place in
safety. So ] carelessly showed it with
my foot farther into the shadow of the
step. 1 answered the question asked
me SO long before.
NO, my lord, the city is a strange
n to me-"
"Of what place, did you say?"
Now ] had ~purposely %refrained from
saying, and did not know what reply
to give. 1 hated to appear boorish, be-
sides it would not serve my purpose.
My father being Of Normandy, l
deemed | Woul have nearly the accent
OF those people, so / made a venture to
say
OF Normandy, sir" In such a way
he did not pursue the subject further.
We thought you no Partisan, or this
lady would not have made so easy a
conquest" and they laughed again.
DO o play?" he queried.
bu rarely, my fora, the TACT was
l knew little Of the dice.
They put about and assembled this
stair, the two together, then Ward, ]
coming on behind, but not until the
packet, from which I hoped so much
was safely in my bosom. This was
easily accomplished when Ward had
turned his back.
We climbed the stair, n after some
forty or fifty PAGES stood inside the
room Of which Serigny had spoken tc
me. l could recognize the place from
his description.
The gaming tables were ranged
about in the center of the room, and
about them sat many men-and wo-
men, too-at play. On three sides OF
the place a row of columns ran some
four or five yards from the wall. These
pillars formed convenient alcoves fo,
those who would sit and sip their wine
Some were ~curtained, the better tc
screen their occupants. Others stood
broadly open.
The four of us walked over to a table
we'll out of view and sat down to wine.
1t was then l regretted not having al
ready needed Serigny's admonition 10
provide myself with garments more
suited to my character, for 1 felt I at
tracted some attention as we passed
through h DON and this was most
to be avoided.
We seated ourselves about the table
and ordered wine; mine remained UNI
faster while the others drank. 1 de-
termined to touch M wine that night.
"Comrade, you do not drink" Yvard
remarked, sis your blood still hot with
the clash Of steel?"
mo, by my honor, that is long for
gotten; it is my oath, an oath, too,
that cannot be broken"
"Ah, to a Lady,"
I nodded, and he smiled.
We talked Indifferent gossip, and
after a while the Spanish troubles
We're mentioned; T think the tall man
wards carelessness to be assumed,
and that he very much desired to
hear what these two gentlemen would
say on a matter SO important. His
made it plain to me he knew
the two gentlemen, and also that they
We're men of N However, they
We're quite discreet; while they talked
much, yet they said nothing which was
not common talk on the streets. After
a bit they arose, to leave, and l was
sorely ~perplexed whether it We're bet
ter that | depart with them, now that
papers which might be valuable rested
safely against my breast, or had I
better stay and endeavor to learn more
from Ward, who was beginning to
#biiIh lISuNliy. IGIIldpS d llLIlG more
liquor might loosen his tongue, and 1
might even capture him or his confed-
crate. Discretion would have taken me
away, for that these two gentlemen
We're powerful enough to protect me
in case of trouble in the house I did
not doubt. The bearing of l.ls elder
man especially vas such as to inspire
confidence.
The adventure, though, was too en-
ticing, n the hotter %counsels of youth
prevailed. I babe the gentlemen good
night, and remained sitting at the table
with Ward. 1t was but a few moments
before l regretted my unwise decision.
Ward leaned forward, the edge OF
the table pressing against his breast.
and in so doing noticed the absence Of
the paper which he had forgotten IN
the fight. His face changed Instantly.
the drunken leer vanished. At frst
there was a merely puzzled expression.
as Of an intense effort to remenahar
He looked swiftly at me. l gave no
sign. The two men were gone. His
anxiety convinced me of the import-
ance of the papers. He thought for .
moment, then excused himself and
went out the way we came. AS ne
passed through the ROOM, I saw him
stoop and whisper a word to one OF the
men at the dice table. In a minute the
fellow shifted his seat, and though he
continued to play, he had taken a posi-
ton where, as / imagined, he could
watch me that I did not leave. I be-
came uneasy now, for I could not tell
how many there We're. and nv nrinni.