The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1904-04-28

in this miserable intrigue, and deliver
the rest. That is easy. / can open and
close them again so 1t cannot be told
My orders are not to open them"
by God, o will" he burst out
with volcanic fury. mo, no: / am too
hot. We car lose them. tell Serigny
they were never found, tell Serigny
carried them off; tell him he never had
them, We can fix a tale"
1T would be a long story, and q liar
nus needs have q good memory
I was playing for time, time to think
time to get away.
But l VIII go with you Serigny," he
insisted, tell the lie and make him
to believe. 'Pshaw, man, you know not
the ways of the world, at least not at
the Court of France"
Think, Jerome, of the war, of our
people In the colonies, of our honor?r
Il care not for it ALL" the wild pas-
sion In his voice made me almost fear
him. a hat is as nothing to me
where Celeste is concerned. Oh, Pla-
eide, think of it, I love her, love her,
love her-do YOU comprehend what that
means to such a man as I? I, who have
loved her almost from her birth, have
seen her taken from me and sold-yes,
sold by her ~money-loving father, sold,
sold, I, who have borne all her hus-
bands leers when, flushed with the in
science OF rank and wine, this shriyeled
bridegroom bore her as a piece of or
nanent TO his house in Paris. Can
bear to lose her now?"
But, Jerome, you would not be such
q coward as TO permit our brethren
IN the colonies to be slaughtered, while
you tell your pitiful lie TO shield a
woman? It cannot be done. What a
TOOL you are come to be. Man, man,
WiGfe is YOUR courage ~
Il care not, Love for such a woman
would make of Truth a liar, and of
Jove a fool. Think, Placide, think OF
her, Celeste. in the Bastille, the irons
cutting into her delicate hands, those
hands which I have so fondly held
within my own-the cold stones for her
bed. Or, worse: The block, the heads
man and the jeering rabble. Have You
no feeling, man? Suppose there was
some woman whom you loved-a guilty
love, | grant-but so strong, so deep,
so o~FerpnWering, you could not master
II? Suppose she were threatened,
would you not protect her even If you
iost our life; yea, bartered away your
honor?"
a pale little fearful face thrust it
SELF before me as he spoke, and I knew
MY own weak heart. I confess his
pleading staggered me, and I hesitat-
ed. He came closer; all the love and
fear of a strong and desperate man
WoYa itself into his words.
could you only have seen her two
tours ago when you left her chamber;
nave heard her sobs, felt the tremble
OF her heart when she threw herself
Just as when a child she used TO do,
into my arms pleading for protection!
Those dispatches will ruin her. She
so calm, so proud. SO brave TO all the
world, wept like a terrified baby upon
ny breast Placide, I'd die and go to
hell TO save her. She so cold and pure,
iler very name is q reproach to this
Hook OF butterfly m This woman
loves me, loves me wen though that
love be What en call dishonor. BAN!
l hate the word. Her father never
sold her heart. No, that was mine.
forever mine. Had I but foreseen this
I'd have left you rotting in Bertrand's
dungeon. No, no. Placide. I meant
1t not; I'm not myself; forgive me,
cornrade; pity her and pity me-"
1 vaguely wondered what there co,,,d
be In the packet to cause him so sin
cere an apprehension. But I must
think of my people and be strong, I
denied him once for all. He sprang at
me with the fury OF a demon. Being
the cooler and stronger, l threw him
on easily n reached the door as he
came again with his sword. 1t was a
delicate predicament. l could easily
kill him. Wild with q lovers fear. he
left his front pen to my blade, but I'd
had enough Of death. He paused to
shove a table from his path, which
gave me time to open and slip through
the door.
In q momen he rushed out behind
me, pale and painting. The corridor,
deserted, echoed to our flying steps. |
ran on ahead making my way toward
the horses. Meeting people outside, we
had to slackGn u gait, smile, and con-
ceal the realities Of the situation, the
necessity Tor which he apprehended as
quickly as I.
Four horses stood ready. and choos-
ing he one I thought best fitted for a
hard chase-it was evident we could
not afford to fight 1t out at Sceaux-
and to fight seemed his purpose
l yaulted lightly into the saddle, and
before Jerome could hinder, had
Jumped the low wall and taken the di-
rect road to Paris.
Practtced horseman as Jerome was,
1t took him no time to follow, and his
grooms Joined in the chase.
On, on, We sped. Trees, fences. walls
and people all melted into one motley
and indistinguishable stream. In the
open road we strung out. according to
the speed of our mounts, one of the
grooms dropping farther and farther
80 AS iChi. #ni IS h4SIGuCt W
Jerome and myself, despite his frantic
b~eiaborings Of his brave steed, grew
steadily greater.
Just before we passed a crooked lane
off to the left, leading whittier / knew
not, Jerome turned In his saddle and
called to the two grooms now well to
the rear.
THAT way quick; to the Versailles
road. Cut him off,"
The fellows obeyed. refining theIr
horses into q swinging lope, as, less
hurried. they took the lane indicated.
Jerome thence rode on after me alone.
The situation was now becoming awk-
ward. | q acted without cool con-
sheraton heretofore, taking the Paris
road because ii was the only one.
knew, and trusting thereafter largely.
to fortune. Now, as / caught occasional
glinlpses Of the city SPIRES, the towers
OF Notre Dame. / must parforee re-
member d no hopes from them.
era2ea man bahind knew the catys8
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