Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1904-06-04
ODE Black sAg
VOLTS Breed
e..,...s. 1899 @ .,H."'. D'sl..n

manuscripts, did I begin clearly TO as
ISOLATE the name d'OrteZ with the
name used by the mailman in his story
at the old Norman ruin. With this new
light. link by link did the whole Knot
ted chain untangle. Curiously enough,
the tale l had heard at the ruined
castle tailed in the main with the
monkish documents here preserved. In
deed IL supplied me with knowledge Of
much which otherwise l would not have
comprehended SO completely. The
horrible reality OF that weird recital
was still fresh and distinct before me,
undimmed by time n unforgotten
through all my troubles.
1 had sought refuge many times from
brooding over my own affairs by turn
Ing to this for Interest n occupation.
Every further detail was supplied by
a nuLSbe Of quaint documents, which
Colonel d'Ortez had digested INTO this:
Table OWL the male descendants OF
Henri Francois Placide d'Artln, died
August 26, 1872.
bartholomew Pasquier (son of above)
died 1909.
Sons Of Observation-Disclosures Placide
Pasquier, killed In wars of the Fronde:
Henri Louis John (brother TO above). died
Francois Rene Xavier de Pasquier (en-
nobled). killed 1850.
rIdnCOls rene AlOls de HaSQuler, fled to
America: Supposed TO have been killed
about 1851. No known descendants. Well
known to the Cure of ST. Martins, Que
bee.
Table showing the male descendants Of
Pedro Ortez:
Pedro d'Ortez, suicided 1904.
Sons OF above-Charles Pedro, kii(A1 by
Raoul 1902; Raoul, died 1918.
Charles Francis Peter (son of RaouD.
died without issue.
Pedro d'ortez (brother to above). died
Henry (son Of above), killed in battle.
Sons of above-Alphonze, killed in battle:
Felix, died in infancy; Raoul Armand
AaVieS NJ d,9 G + born l641 myself). Died
She who was born my daughter dis
owned, and she died without issue.
1t appeared that the only thing to
be done was TO visit the good cure OF
d. Martins, and, enlisting him in the
search, find whatever descendants
might have been left by this Francois
Rene Alois de Pasquier. The task need
not be a difficult one, as many old peo-
pie should still be living who might
have known of the man.
"A very slight investigation showed that
this last named Francois Rene Alois de
fasqulor was none other than my own
good father. who assumed the name de
Mouret to avoid the consequences of q
iatal duel In France. This l learned from
the pious Cure Of st. Martins, who knew
him well.
now b%ethought me Of this enter
prise as a fair excuse whereby l could
leave Biloxi for a space. / would,
therefore, call upon my old friend, and
having obtained leave, matters now be-
Ing safe with the colony, make the
journey to Quebec.
But. alas for the weakness of fallen
humanity; my last act before putting
myself out Of temptations way was
to run full tilt into 1t.
Whlle this came so near to causing
my dishonorable death, yet 1t was. UNI
der divine providence, the direct means
or spreading before me a long life of
happiness and honor. After a hard bat
tie with my weaker self I lost the
fight.
Just as on the day [ departed from
Versailles, l determined. cost what II
would, to see Agnes once again. So
l wrote her a note. SucN a blunt and
clumsy billet as only n love-sick sol
dler or Il country clown could have
written. 1t craved pardon for the heat
and the haste displayed by me when
we parted at SceauX; 1t implored one
last interview before / left the colonies
forever. l had not the art to conceal
or veil my meaning, but told IT out and
plalnly. Such a note rs an idiotic boy
inlght pen, or a simpering school lass
be set futtering to receive.
! bade my man deliver this f.,
Madame de la Mora on the morrow.
charging him minutely and repeatedly
to see 1T safe in her own hands. So
careful was l, l did not doubt that
even so stupid a lout as jacques un-
derstood me perfectly.
His further instructions were to meet
me at the bay when l should return In
the evening from my visit to Colonel
dOrtez, n there beside its ripping
Waters-or SO l had arranged-I was
to receive her answer.
1t had now turned late Of the night
and / sought repose. Sleep evaded INV
bed. What with my own restless de-
sires, my chiding sense Of ill-doing.
and the d'Ortez story / had read
tossed and tumbled through the re-
naming hours of darkness. Tumbled
and tossed, whilst the sins and suffer
ings of men long dead passed and re-
passed with their spectral ~admonitions.
Early on the morrow, while
the day was yet cool, /
crossed the bay, and climbed the slope
OF sand before the lonely house. 1t
looked more deserted ana desolate than
| had ever seen it. The stiffness of SOL
itary death chung as a pail about the
place. Pachaco, h indian servant, sat
beside the gate, as motionelss as the
post against which he leaned.
How Is the master. Pachaco?" 1 in
CURED, passing In.
Him die yesterday" came the stolid
reply.
What? Dead! When?"
THE shadows were at the longest"
ne answered, indicating by a gesture
the western horizon.
] hurried into the masters room. In
the same position he had occupied.
when, months ago, he had beckoned me
to remain, he sat there, dead In his
chair. His clothing hung about him in
ina sharply angular fashion IN which
garments cling to a r Long. thin
locks were matted above his brow.
awesomely disarranged. But the pose
OF his head, dropped a little forward,
suggested a melancholy reverie, moth
ing more.
The golden locket, which he had
shown me that well-remembered night.
rested within his shrunkeII palm,
noted that the side was open which re-
vealed the blazing bar of red. As If alb
sorbed In that same unpleasant
thought, there sat the master, dead:
dead, and l alone Knew his story. How
wildly the old mans sorrow came
back; how it oppressed me.
l bent down in tender to
look again upon his wasted features.
and kneeling, gaZed into his wide
open eyes. The calm of promised peace
upon his brow was distorted by the I'M
expression of one who has left !
his work undone.
So are the sins of the fathers visited
upon their children, for l was no longer
In doubt but that the murderer, Pedro
Ortez, was the SHINING ancestor OF nv
friend. Even in his presence
my thoughts flew to agnes; had she not
spoken of her grandsire as being such
man? The stiffening body at my side
was speedily forgotten in the music of
meditation.
l gained my feet again and looked
upon him, fascinated by the
c~hangeless features Of the dead. 1t
was probably natural that standing