Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1905-11-21

NSS,
only rescued myself at last from these
and other unpleasant reflections by
obtaining the loan of a pair of dice;
and the light being just enough to
enable me to reckon the throws, l
amused myself for hours by casting
them on certain principles of my own.
But long run again and again upset
my calculations; and at last brought
me to the conclusion that run of bad
luck may be so persistent as to see
out the most sagacious player This
was not reflection very welcome to
me at the moment
Nevertheless, for three days it was
all the company had. At the end of
that time the knave of jailer tWho
attended me, and who had never grown
tired of telling me, after the fashion of
his kind, that | should be hanged
came to me with less assured air.
Perhaps you would like a little
water?" he said civilly.
"Why, rasoal?" l asked.
ITO wash with" he answered.
81 asked for some yesterday, and
you would not bring it," I grumbled.
However, better late than never.
Bring it now. If must hang, l will
hang like gentleman. But, depend
upon it, the cardinal will not serve
an old friend so scurvy a trick"
"You are to go to him. he an
swered, when he came back with the
water.
What? To the cardinal?" I cried.
eyes," he answered.
Good" exclaimed; and in my JOY
I sprang UP at once, and began to
refresh my dress. $50 all this time
I have been doing him an injustice.
Vive Monseigneur! I might have
known it,
Don't make too sure!" the man
answered spitefully. Then he went on:
"I have something else for you. A
friend of yours left it at the gate"
he added. And he handed me packet.
quite sol" 1 said reading his ras-
cally face Alright "And you kept it
as long as you dared-as long as you
thought l should hang, you knave!
Was not that so? But there, do not
lie to me. Tell me instead which of
my friends left it." For, to confess
the truth, I+had not so many friends
at this time; and ten good crowns
the packet contained no less a sum
argued a pretty staunch friend, and
one of whom man might be proud.
The lSnave sniggered maliciously. ga
crooked, dwartlsh man left it." he said.
II doubt | might call him a tailor
and not be far out"
"Chut!' | answered; but I was a lit
tie out of countenance. 81 understand
An honest fellow enough. and in debt
70 me! 1 am glad he remembered.
But when am to go, friend?'
GIN an hour" he answered sullenly.
Doubtless he had looked to get one
of the croyhs; but I was too old a
hand for that. If came back could
buy his services; and if l did not I
should have wasted my money.
Nevertheless, little later, when
found myself on my way to the Hotel
Richelieu under so close a guard that
could see nothing except the figures
that Immediately surrounded me,
wished l had given him the money.
At such times. when all hangs in the
balance and the sky is overcast, the
mind runs on luck and old supersti-
lions, and is prone to think crown
given here may avail there-though
there" be hundred leagues away.
The Palais Richelieu was at that
time in building, and we were required
to wait in long, bare gallery, where
the masons were at work l was kept
a full hour here, bordering uncom-
fortably on the strange whims and fan
cies of the great man who then ruled
France as the kings lieutenant-gen-
eral, with all the kings powers; and
whose life l had once been the means
of saving by little timely informa-
ton. On one occasion he had done
something to wipe out the debt; and
at other times he had permitted me to
be free with him We were not I'M
known to one another, therefore.
Nevertheless, when the doors were
at last thrown open, and l was led
into his presence. my confidence under
went shock His cold glance, that,
rowing over me. regarded me not as
a man but an item, the steely glitter
of his southern eyes, chilled me to the
bone. The room was bare, the floor
without carpet or covering. Some of
the woodwork lay about, unfinished
and in pieces. But the man-this man,
needed no surroundings. His keen,
pale face, his brilliant eyes, even his
presence-though he was of no great
height and began already to stoop at
the shoulders-were enough to awe the
boldest. recalled as l looked at him
hundred tales of his iron will, his
cold heart, his unerring craft He had
humbled the kings brother, the splen-
did Duke of Orleans, in the dust. He
had curbed the queen-mother A doz-
en- heads. the mobiles in France, had
come to the block through him. Only
two years before he had quelled Ro-